{"id":77924,"date":"2023-08-23T12:04:19","date_gmt":"2023-08-23T17:04:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/casel.work\/?post_type=blogposts&#038;p=77924"},"modified":"2025-10-16T11:42:33","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T16:42:33","slug":"3-back-to-school-sel-tips-for-families","status":"publish","type":"blogposts","link":"https:\/\/casel.org\/blog\/3-back-to-school-sel-tips-for-families\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Back-to-School SEL Tips for Families"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"key-points\"><strong>Key Points<\/strong><\/h2><a class=top href=\"#top\">Back to top<\/a>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Feeling connected, loved, and supported can help your child return to school with more confidence. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Talk to your child about how the school day will go so they know what to expect every step of the way.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Positive partnerships between families and schools improve children\u2019s academic achievement, social competencies, and emotional well-being.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Back-to-school season is here! It\u2019s time to sharpen pencils, pack backpacks, and meet the teacher. Beyond the logistics of school supplies and first-day-of-school outfits, we also need to prepare our children to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically this school year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Going back to school is a major transition that brings both excitement and anxiety. With social and emotional learning (SEL), families can ensure that children feel connected and supported as they head back to school. SEL also helps families equip children with skills like planning and problem-solving, so they\u2019re empowered to navigate the school year successfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this post, we\u2019ll share three ways for parents, caregivers, and other family members to get started with SEL this school year. These strategies are based on our printable SEL tips for families, developed with the Leading with SEL coalition. You can download <a href=\"https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/LWS-Parents-Back-to-School-SEL-Tips-English.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">in English<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/LWS-Parents-Back-to-School-SEL-Tips-Spanish.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">in Spanish<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-stay-connected\"><strong>1. Stay connected.<\/strong><\/h2><a class=top href=\"#top\">Back to top<\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>Feeling connected, loved, and supported can help your child return to school with more confidence. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Make extra time to connect with your child as the new school year starts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create a simple daily routine, like eating a snack together or sharing one good thing about your day over dinner or at bedtime.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Invite your child to share how they\u2019re feeling about going back to school\u2013and listen!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Share some of your own favorite memories from school.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check your own emotions, which can impact how children feel. Model calmness and share what you\u2019re looking forward to.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-help-them-make-a-plan-and-problem-solve\"><strong>2. Help them make a plan and problem-solve.<\/strong><\/h2><a class=top href=\"#top\">Back to top<\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>Talk to your child about how the school day will go so they know what to expect every step of the way. Feeling more prepared will also help them feel more confident. If problems arise, listen to your child and help them brainstorm solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Involve your child in making a plan for school days, from how they\u2019ll get ready to what will happen after school. For older children, also make a homework plan.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make time to listen to your child about how school is going and how they\u2019re feeling about friends and teachers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Empower them to solve problems with open-ended questions like:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Why do you think that happened?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How might you do this differently next time?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What could you do to make the situation better? What do you think will happen if\u2026?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have you ever seen a problem like this before? If so, how did you solve it?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-keep-communication-lines-open\"><strong>3. Keep communication lines open.<\/strong><\/h2><a class=top href=\"#top\">Back to top<\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>Positive partnerships between families and schools improve children\u2019s academic achievement, social competencies, and emotional well-being.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Let your child\u2019s teacher know that you want to partner with them and play a role in your child\u2019s education. Share your contact information and the best way to reach you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Share any important information you want your child\u2019s teacher to know about them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ask what you can do at home to support the social, emotional, and academic development that\u2019s happening at school.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"more-sel-resources-for-families\"><strong>More SEL Resources for Families:<\/strong><\/h2><a class=top href=\"#top\">Back to top<\/a>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pta.org\/home\/family-resources\/Family-Guides\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Family Guides: Help Your Child Succeed in Key Learning<\/a> Areas (National PTA and National Education Association)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pta.org\/docs\/default-source\/files\/programs\/mental-health\/helping-kids-cope.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Healthy Minds: Helping Kids Cope<\/a> (National PTA)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Books and reading guides: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fbmarketplace.org\/see-all-free-resources\/free-resource-collections\/healthy-feelings-relationships\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Healthy Feelings &amp; Relationships<\/a> (First Book Marketplace)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/confidentparentsconfidentkids.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Confident Parents Confident Kids<\/a> (Jennifer Miller)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bealearninghero.org\/readiness-roadmap\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Readiness Roadmap<\/a> (Learning Heroes)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/parentingmontana.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Parenting Montana: Tools for Your Child\u2019s Success<\/a> (Montana\u2019s Department of Public Health and Human Services + Montana State University)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wnet.org\/education\/video\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Parenting Minutes<\/a> (The WNET Group)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related Posts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/casel.org\/blog\/5-back-to-school-sel-strategies-for-educators\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5 Back-to-School SEL Strategies for Educators<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/casel.org\/blog\/3-strategies-to-engage-families-in-sel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3 Strategies to Engage Families in SEL<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/casel.org\/blog\/what-we-learned-from-hosting-parent-caregiver-roundtable-discussions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">What We Learned From Hosting Parent &amp; Caregiver Roundtable Discussions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"write-for-us\"><strong>Write for Us<\/strong><\/h2><a class=top href=\"#top\">Back to top<\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you interested in writing for CASEL\u2019s blog,&nbsp;<em>Constellations<\/em>?&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1zSZFveKA8xsmlCADpfDP8t-y9emN0qswHQh1MnfmqBI\/edit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more<\/a>&nbsp;about what we\u2019re looking for and how to pitch your idea!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Points Back to top Back-to-school season is here! It\u2019s time to sharpen pencils, pack backpacks, and meet the teacher. Beyond the logistics of school supplies and first-day-of-school outfits, we also need to prepare our children to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically this school year. Going back to school is a major transition that brings [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26603,"featured_media":78766,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","theme":[201],"class_list":["post-77924","blogposts","type-blogposts","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","theme-deep-dives"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blogposts\/77924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blogposts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blogposts"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26603"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77924"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"theme","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/theme?post=77924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}