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Radical Love. Kindness in action.
Radical Love. Kindness in action.
Free SEL Resources for Elementary Teachers, Counselors, and Parents
Two free resources built around social emotional learning activities for elementary classrooms and the children who need them most.
Ready Ray Go delivers one no-prep SEL activity every Friday, ready for Monday morning.
The SEL Shelf is a growing library of guides and honest recommendations for parents, teachers, and school counselors looking for the right books and tools for emotionally sensitive children.
How Small Things Matter: A Free SEL Gratitude Activity for Grades 2–5
Students map the small moments in their day and discover that the things that matter most are often the ones they almost walked past. No prep. Ready for the week ahead. Free from Radical Ray.
2 days ago
Honouring a Hero: A Free SEL Resilience Activity for Grades 4–7
Ray's Grandma Leila opens a drawer and pulls out a faded photograph of a young man in uniform. Thomas Burtt. A real person. He grew up in Botany, survived Gallipoli, lost two toes to frostbite, came home, and chose to go back. His last diary entry was written three days before he died.
Sep 4
Stay Calm and Think: A Free SEL Self-Regulation Activity for Grades 2–5
Atlas escapes through the back gate and Ray panics. Grandma Leila calls after him: stay calm and think. What follows teaches Ray; and your students; that frustration handled well is its own kind of strength.
Aug 28
Simply Being There: A Free SEL Compassion Activity for Grades 2–5
Ray draws a picture of Tammy the cockatiel, goes back to Mrs Baker's porch, and sits with her in silence. He doesn't fix anything. He just stays. Students practice the lost art of simply being there for someone.
Aug 21
Learning From Mistakes: A Free SEL Growth Mindset Activity for Grades 2–5
Ray comes home with a ruined painting and thinks it's worthless. Grandma Leila holds it up to the light and finds a shadow, a storm, a story hiding inside the mistake. Students do the same with their own.
Aug 14
Why Do Kids Act Mean? A Free SEL Empathy Activity for Grades 2–5
Ray marches over to stop Sam bullying Gertie — then does something nobody expected. He goes and sits with Sam. Students explore what's really underneath difficult behaviour, and what one small step toward understanding can change.
Aug 7
Finding Calm in the Storm: A Free SEL Emotional Regulation Activity for Grades 2–5
Students learn the flower and candle breathing technique Ray taught his classmate Nicholas — and design their own classroom calm corner. No prep. Ready for the week ahead.
Jul 31
Free SEL Resources for Teachers: The Complete Guide for Elementary Educators
Teaching social emotional learning well doesn't require an expensive curriculum or a specialist degree. It requires consistent, trusted resources that are ready to use without hours of preparation. Here is the complete guide to free SEL resources for teachers, covering every category from activities and lesson plans to books, tools, and professional development.
Jul 13
Multicultural Books for Elementary Students: Why What Your Class Reads Matters
A classroom library that reflects the world rather than just the neighbourhood builds something no direct lesson about diversity can build: the genuine, earned capacity to see another person's experience as real and worth understanding. Here are the best multicultural books for elementary students, grades 2 to 7, with guidance on using them effectively.
Jul 10
How Beliefs Affect Children's Behaviour: The Belief Cycle Explained for Parents
You don't need a therapist's office or a formal curriculum to use bibliotherapy at home. You need a book, a child, and a willingness to sit with whatever comes up after the chapter ends. Here's a free, practical guide to starting bibliotherapy for kids at home, for children aged 7 to 13.
Jul 6
CASEL Competencies for Elementary Students: How to Choose SEL Books by Skill Area
If you've ever stood in front of a shelf of SEL books wondering which one actually addresses what your student or child needs right now, the CASEL framework gives you a way to answer that question with precision. Here are the five CASEL competencies for elementary students explained, with SEL books mapped to each skill area for grades 2 to 7.
Jul 3
Free SEL Activities for Elementary Students: A Complete Guide for Teachers and Parents
The most effective social emotional learning activities for elementary students are the ones that actually get used. This guide covers the best free SEL activities by skill area, for classroom teachers, school counselors, and parents looking for social emotional learning activities for kids at home.
Jun 29
Books for Kids About Family Change: What to Read During Divorce, Separation, and New Family Structures
Family change arrives in different shapes. Sometimes it's a parent leaving. Sometimes it's a parent coming back. Sometimes it's a new person entering the picture and a child trying to figure out where they fit. Here are the best books for kids about family change, for ages 7 to 13, and guidance on how to use them well.
Jun 26
The Best SEL Books for Older Kids: Filling the Gap for Ages 7 to 13
Search for SEL books for older kids and you'll find yourself looking at picture books. The social emotional learning book market has a real gap at the upper elementary level. This is the list that fills it, curated by theme and grade level for ages 7 to 13.
Jun 22
How to Start a Bibliotherapy Practice at Home: A Guide for Parents of Children Aged 7 to 13
You don't need a therapist's office or a formal curriculum to use bibliotherapy at home. You need a book, a child, and a willingness to sit with whatever comes up after the chapter ends. Here's a free, practical guide to starting bibliotherapy for kids at home, for children aged 7 to 13.
Jun 19
Signs Your Child Might Be Highly Sensitive: A Checklist for Parents
You've probably been trying to describe your child to people for a while now, and finding that the words don't quite land. Too sensitive. Too emotional. Overreacts. Here's a complete checklist of highly sensitive child signs and characteristics, what causes high sensitivity, and parenting strategies that actually help.
Jun 12
Helping Boys Express Emotions: Why They Shut Down and What Actually Helps
There may be a boy in your life who used to tell you everything. And at some point, without much warning, that stopped. Here's why boys shut down emotionally, what it may actually look like, and how helping boys express emotions works in practice, at home and at school.
Jun 8
How Stories Help Children Process Grief and Loss
Children rarely grieve the way adults expect them to. This article explores why stories help children process grief and loss, how grief can appear through behavior, and how trusted adults can support grieving children with honesty and emotional safety.
Jun 5
The Boomerang of Love: A Free SEL Empathy Activity for Grades 2–5
Students design their own boomerang of love and discover how kindness multiplies when you send it out. No prep. Ready for Monday. Free from Radical Ray.
May 22
My Child Is in a Social Emotional Learning Elementary Program. What Does That Mean?
You got a note home and now you're wondering what social emotional learning actually is and why your child is part of it. You're not alone. Here's a plain-language guide to what a social emotional learning elementary program means, what your child is learning, and what you can do at home to support it.
May 22
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