Free Social Stories for Lockdown Drills

A collection of free social stories for lockdown drills at school. Printable and video social stories for kids are included below.

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Growing up, we had fire drills and that was it. Lockdown drills were never something we had to think about.

However, today, lockdown drills are commonplace in many schools, especially those in the US. We do these types of drills here in Canada as well, but I'm not entirely sure if they are a thing elsewhere in the world.

Regardless, lockdown drills can be anxiety inducing for a lot of kids. And many kids need support when it comes to understanding these types of emergency drills.

You can use these free social stories for lockdown drills to help these kids understand what they are, what to do during one, and what to expect. 

For a sensitive topic like this, it's best to write your own social story if you can. Just use the stories below as inspiration! Ideally, you want a story that is personalized to your school's procedures. But these stories can work in a pinch if need be.

Free Social Stories for Lockdown Drills

Have you been looking for a lockdown drill social story? Then look no further than these free lockdown social story printables. Some require you to have a Teachers Pay Teachers account (which is free!) before you can download them.

I've rounded up some options for you to explore. That way you can find the best lockdown social story for you and your child. Or you can simply use ideas from the different stories below to write your own custom story (free social story templates here to help).

Please note that just because a social story is listed here does not mean I endorse its content. After all, many social stories tend to be poorly written and/or teach autistic masking. Besides, I haven't read all of these stories word for word myself. So please read through the stories carefully before using them with your child.

1. Lockdown Drills & School Safety Social Story from Mrs. Glasgo on TPT - This story doubles up as a coloring book. It uses simple text and black and white clipart to color in. It's geared towards K-2 students.

2. Social Story for Lockdown & Active Shooter Drills from Breezy Special Ed on TPT - Here is a one page social story with symbols/icons to support the text. For some kids, all of these icons might be beneficial, but for others, they might be super distracting. I personally find these kinds of stories hard/annoying to read. They're kind of like those Geronimo Stilton books. I hate those books.

3. Basic Social Story for Lockdown/Safety Drill by Ms. Monahan's Resources on TPT - A single page poster, most than a story per se. It uses a mix of clipart and colorful icon style images.

4. Social Story: Lockdown Drill from Simple SpEd Solutions on TPT - This two page story looks pretty simplistic. It includes a mix of some photos and some colorful clipart.

5. Lockdown Drill Social Story from Carrie Ogram on TPT - This story appears to use some photos, but looks like it primarily uses colorful clipart/icons.

6. What to Do During a Lockdown Drill from Kathy Kaminski on TPT - This story focuses on what to do during a lockdown drill. It looks like it might be fairly detailed and use some random images.

7. Active Intruder/Shooter Drill Social Story from Skye Beckley on TPT - This story uses colorful clipart and icon style images. It's designed to remind kids that these drills are just to practice for emergencies.

8. Code Red Social Narrative from Autism Educators on TPT - This story was written by a teacher who lives in Parkland, Florida. In it, she talks about what "Code Red" means in their school district and what to do during a lockdown. The story uses colorful images with some diversity shown.

9. Lockdown Drill Social Story from Social Stories: Power Tool for Autism - This story is text only, but it outlines what to expect during one of these emergency drills.

10. Secure & Hold Drill at School from Social Stories: Power Tool for Autism - Here's another text only story that briefly discusses fire drills as well as secure and hold drills, which are another variation of a lockdown drill.

11. Shelter-in-Place Lockdown Drill at School from Social Stories: Power Tool for Autism - Another text only story. This one looks identical to the one above. It just swapped the secure and hold for shelter in place.

Video Songs & Social Stories About Lockdown Drills at School

Here are a couple of video social stories and songs that talk about what a lockdown drill is and what to expect. You can use these in a classroom setting or at home to prepare a child for an upcoming lockdown drill. Videos are always a great alternative to printing off a story.

Like the school lockdown stories above though, some of the wording in these videos aren't always great. But I wanted to make sure you had lots of different options for discussing lockdowns with your child.

Hopefully, the free printable and video social stories for lockdown drills above are helpful for you, your child, or your students. Remember, it's always best to try and write your own so you can customize it to your school's particular procedures. All schools are different, after all.

Free Social Stories for Fire Drills

A collection of free social stories for fire drills at school. Printable and video social stories for kids are included below.

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Learning about fire safety and practicing fire drills are incredibly important. 

However, fire drills can be a super overwhelming experience for a lot of kids. There's the surprise factor, the crowded hallways, blinking lights, and the extremely loud alarm. Just to name a few things.

So, many kids can find it helpful and reassuring to learn about fire drills ahead of time. That way they know what to expect, strategies to use, and so on. 

And that's where these free social stories for fire drills come in. They'll outline what to expect and what to do during a fire drill.

Free Social Stories for Fire Drills

Have you been looking for a social story about fire drills at school? Then look no further than these free fire drill social stories. Some require you to have a Teachers Pay Teachers account (which is free!) before you can download them.

I've rounded up some options for you to explore. That way you can find the best fire drill social story for you and your child. Or you can simply use ideas from the different stories below to write your own custom story (free social story templates here to help).

Please note that just because a social story is listed here does not mean I endorse its content. After all, many social stories tend to be poorly written and/or teach autistic masking. Besides, I haven't read all of these stories word for word myself. So please read through the stories carefully before using them with your child.

1. Fire Drill Social Stories from Autism Little Learners - This social story uses colorful clipart to teach kids about fire drills. It's available in English, Afrikaans, and Turkish. There are other safety preparation stories here as well.

2. Fire Drill Social Story from Kidmunicate - I like that this story uses real photos to accompany the text. It looks pretty detailed too.

3. One Page Fire Drill Social Story from The Autism Helper on TPT - This story is really basic and is only one page long. It uses little colorful icons and reminds me of those Geronimo Stilton books. For some kids, that might be beneficial, but for others, they might be super distracting. I personally find these kinds of stories hard/annoying to read.

4. Fire Drill Adapted Book & Social Story from The Sped Zone on TPT - Here's a 10 page story to help prepare kids for upcoming fire drills. It uses colorful clipart and is one of those interactive adaptive books.

5. Fire Drill Social Story & Adapted Book from Where I AUT-a Be on TPT - This story uses colorful clipart and is an interactive adapted book. It's pretty similar to the story above.

6. Social Story for Fire Drills from Good Human Project on TPT - A simple one page story with colorful clipart along the sides. It is available as a PDF or editable versions for Google Slides or PowerPoint.

7. Social Story: Fire Drill (Bundle Pack) from Inspire in Inclusion on TPT - This bundle includes a story, some visuals, and other resources. It looks like it might cover more than just fire drills though, not too sure.

8. Learning About Fire Safety Social Story from Social Stories: Power Tool for Autism - Here's a text only social story. Okay, it has one photo, but otherwise, it's all text. It discusses not touching fire and what to do if there's a fire.

9. My Fire Drill Social Story Book from Jessica Bander on TPT - This story looks super simple and uses colorful icon style images. It does come as a Word document so hopefully that means you can edit it too.

10. Fire Drill Social Story from In this Classroom You are Loved on TPT - Another social story that uses mostly photos instead of clipart. It looks like it may be more detailed than some of the other stories on this list.

11. Fire Drill Social Story from Dynamic Connections on TPT - This story looks pretty simple. It uses colorful icon style clipart.

12. What Do I Do in a Fire Safety Drill? Social Story from Mrs. Greenes Geckos on TPT - This story uses the colorful icon style clipart. I like that it contains WH questions are the end to help assess comprehension and understanding.

13. Fire Alarm Safety Social Story from Rose Dean on TPT - This story focuses primarily on what a fire alarm is and what it sounds like when it goes off. It uses colorful clipart.

14. Fire Safety Social Story from Crystal Sena on TPT - A super simple story about fire safety that uses colorful icon style clipart.

15. Social Story about a Fire Drill on StoryboardThat - A super simple story that uses colorful clipart with some diversity, which is nice.

Video Social Stories About Fire Drills at School

Here are a couple of video social stories that teach kids about fire drills. You can use these in a classroom setting or at home to prepare a child for an upcoming fire drill. Videos are always a great alternative to printing off a story.

Like the stories above, some of the wording in these videos aren't always great. But I wanted to make sure you had lots of different options for discussing fire drills with your child.

Need More Resources to Teach Kids About Fire Safety? Try this Printable Pack (Includes 2 Social Stories!)

This printable pack from my friend Renae includes resources about fire safety, calling 911, and so much more! It also includes two social stories called "How to Call 911" and "I Can Stay Safe if There is a Fire."

Grab your copy of the Fire Safety Printable Pack

This fire safety printable pack would be a great complement to any of these free social stories for fire drills from above. So definitely check it out.

Free Social Stories About Bullying

A collection of free social stories about bullying. Printable and video social stories for kids are included below.

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When it comes to teaching kids about bullying, it's important to talk about kindness and what makes a good friend. You might also need to teach them how to advocate for themselves or how to ask for help. Or talk about individual differences, diversity, school rules, and how to create safe environments, both at school and at home.

Needless to say, there are lot of other topics that go hand-in-hand with bullying that need to be discussed. It goes beyond just talking about why kids might say or do mean things and what you can do to make things better.

But, if you're simply looking for the basics of introducing bullying to kids, then these free social stories about bullying might be just what you need.

The following stories discuss what bullying is and what you can do if you're being bullied. They even touch on anti-bullying days such as Pink Shirt Day, which is a thing here in Canada. I'm not sure if other places in the world do Pink Shirt Day or not, but I've included them here anyway.

Free Social Stories About Bullying for Kids

Have you been looking for a social story that talks about bullying behaviors or what to do when kids (or even adults!) say hurtful things? Then look no further than these free printable social stories about bullying. Some require you to have a Teachers Pay Teachers account (which is free!) before you can download them.

I've rounded up some options for you to explore. That way you can find the best stealing social story for you and your child. Or you can simply use ideas from the different stories below to write your own custom story (free social story templates here to help).

Please note that just because a social story is listed here does not mean I endorse its content. After all, many social stories tend to be poorly written and/or teach autistic masking. Besides, I haven't read all of these stories word for word myself. So please read through the stories carefully before using them with your child.

1. Two Printable Social Stories About Bullying from Happy Learners - These stories are text only and include no pictures. The topics are "Being Bullied" and "Bullying Others."

2. Editable Social Story About Bullies from Good Human Project on TPT - Here's a one page social story with clipart about bullies. It's available as a PDF, as well as editable versions for Google Slides and PowerPoint.

3. Bullying Social Story: What Can I Do? from Speech Buddy Sensations on TPT - A 6 page story with colorful (and pretty random) clipart. Even Mario and Wario make an appearance in this story.

4. Bullying Social Story from ASERT - This story uses clipart and simple text to outline different strategies for dealing with a bully.

5. Pink Shirt Day (English) from Social Stories 4 Kids on TPT - This story explains what Pink Shirt Day, which is an Anti-Bullying Day held every February in Canada (maybe elsewhere as well?).

6. La Journée du Chandail Rose (French) from Social Stories 4 Kids on TPT - Same story as above, but this time in French. It again talks about the Anti-Bullying Day called Pink Shirt Day.

Video Social Stories About Bullying

Here are a couple of video social stories that explore and teach kids about bullying behaviors. You can use these in teletherapy sessions, social skills groups, and/or classroom settings. Videos are always a great alternative to printing off a story.

Like the stories above, some of the wording in these videos aren't always great. But I wanted to make sure you had lots of different options for discussing and teaching about stealing and respecting personal property.

There are lots of other great bullying resources out there that you can use to supplement these social stories about bullying. But hopefully you've found a great starting point for talking about this topic with your child or students.

Free Social Stories About Stealing

A collection of free social stories about stealing. Printable and video social stories for kids are included below. Topics include stealing, taking things from others, and respecting other people's belongings.

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There are kids who need support when it comes to understanding topics like lying, respecting other people's belongings, and stealing. And social stories are a great way to teach kids about these topics.

Below you will find a variety of social stories about stealing and related topics, both in printable and video formats. Some are just a single page social story and others more detailed.

Some of the stories are great for multiple settings, while others focus more on the classroom setting. So there should be a social story that fits your need, regardless of whether you're a parent or a teacher. You'll also find some editable versions below so you can always customize them to fit your needs.

Free Social Stories About Stealing for Kids 

Have you been looking for a social story that talks about taking things from others or respecting other people's belongings? Then look no further than these free printable social stories about stealing. Some require you to have a Teachers Pay Teachers account (which is free!) before you can download them.

I've rounded up some options for you to explore. That way you can find the best stealing social story for you and your child. Or you can simply use ideas from the different stories below to write your own custom story (free social story templates here to help).

Please note that just because a social story is listed here does not mean I endorse its content. After all, many social stories tend to be poorly written and/or teach autistic masking. Besides, I haven't read all of these stories word for word myself. So please read through the stories carefully before using them with your child.

1. Editable Social Story Describing Stealing & Practicing Honesty from Good Human Project on TPT - A single page story with clipart along the sides. It's available in as a PDF or editable in Google Slides or PowerPoint.

2. Stealing Social Story from School Social Worker Extras on TPT - A short story that uses mostly photos, but does include some clipart as well. It comes in Word format so maybe it's possible to edit it too.

3. Taking Things that Don't Belong to You Social Story from ELSA Support - This free social story about stealing looks pretty detailed. It uses clipart and comes in both PDF and PowerPoint versions. So you should be able to edit the PowerPoint one.

4. When We Take Things Social Story Book from LessonPix - This story about stealing uses clipart that you may or may not be able to change (not too familiar with how this website works). When you download the PDF, it does have the word sample written on each page.

5. That's Not Mine Social Story from Special Needs for Special Kids on TPT - A 9 page story that uses a mix of photos and clipart to talk about stealing. It is available as a PowerPoint so it might be possible to edit this one.

6. Editable Social Story About Respecting Teachers' Belongings from Ms. Lori School Social Worker on TPT - This story looks like it might be pretty detailed as it has lots of text. But it's perfect for teachers who might have a student who's constantly touching or stealing things from their desk. Clipart is used in this story.

7. Editable Social Story About Respecting Other Students' Belongings from Ms. Lori School Social Worker on TPT - This story is great for teachers, especially since it's editable. It uses clipart and discusses why it's important to respect other people's things.

Video Social Stories About Respecting Personal Belongings

Here are a couple of video social stories that explore and teach about concepts that are important to stealing: respecting other people's belongings. You can use these in teletherapy sessions, social skills groups, and/or classroom settings. Videos are always a great alternative to printing off a story.

Like the stories above, some of the wording in these videos aren't always great. But I wanted to make sure you had lots of different options for discussing and teaching about stealing and respecting personal property.

By the way, these two videos are actually video versions of two of the printable social stories about stealing from above so you'll be able to pair them together. Anyway, I hope you are able to find something from the list above that will be a good fit for your needs.

Free Social Stories About Lying & Telling the Truth

A collection of free social stories about lying and telling the truth. Printable and video social stories for kids are included below. Various related topics such as gossip, rumors, and fake news are also included.

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Sometimes - and in certain social situations - lying is okay, but other times, definitely not. 

So it can be tricky for many kids (okay, adults too!) to figure out these unspoken rules about when to tell the truth and when it might be okay to tell a little white lie.

It's a very nuanced topic to teach. So giving blanket statements like "it's not okay to lie!" or "always tell the truth!" isn't necessarily the best approach to take because it will miss out on those nuances. Just like one little free printable story might not be enough. You might need a couple to cover all your bases.

The topic of lying is also not something you can necessarily teach in one session and be done. It's one that evolves, is situation dependent, and may depend on your relationship with another person. Remember, various social situations may mean a wide variety of different rules to learn.

Below you will find a variety of social stories about lying, covering topics such as telling the truth, rumors, gossiping, and more. As a result, you'll find that these stories are good for a wide range of ages, from little kids to teens and young adults. 

Free Social Stories About Lying & Telling the Truth for Kids

Have you been looking for a social story that talks about lying, honesty, rumors, gossip, or similar? Then look no further than these free printable social stories about lying. Some require you to have a Teachers Pay Teachers account (which is free!) before you can download them.

I've rounded up some options for you to explore. That way you can find the best lying social story for you and your child. Or you can simply use ideas from different stories below to write your own custom story (free social story templates here to help).

Please note that just because a social story is listed here does not mean I endorse its content. After all, many social stories tend to be poorly written and/or teach autistic masking. Besides, I haven't read all of these stories word for word myself. So please read through the stories carefully before using them with your child.

1. Two Social Stories About Telling the Truth from Happy Learners - Here you will find two text only social stories. One is titled "I Can Tell the Truth" and the other is called "Telling the Truth." No images are included with these stories.

2. Lying Social Stories from Happy Learners - Here are four text only social stories with no images, like the ones above. The titles for these ones include "If I Lie," "Lying," "Lying 2," and "White Lies." You'll probably be able to write your own story from scratch using a variety of snippets from each of these stories.

3. Telling Tales Social Stories from Happy Learners - There are two stories here. One is called "Being Too Honest" and one is called "Telling Tales." Again, these are text only and include no images, but they cover other aspects of lying and truth telling that are important to touch on.

4. Fake News Social Stories from Happy Learners - These two stories talk about fake news and spreading fake news. In other words, they touch on topics of spreading rumors and gossip and how sometimes people spread news that is untrue.

5. Social Story About Lying from Self Contained K-6 Teacher on TPT - There's not much to go off of here in order to describe it since the listing shows no image or preview of what's inside this story. It does have decent ratings so maybe it's worth checking out.

Video Social Story About Gossiping

Here is a video social story that talks about one form of lying: gossiping. You can use this video in teletherapy sessions, social skills groups, and/or classroom settings. Videos are always a great alternative to printing off a story.

Like the printable stories above, some of the wording in this video might not be great. However, I wanted to make sure you had lots of different options for discussing and teaching about lying and telling the truth.

Can't Find Exactly What You Need? Try One of these Social Stories About Lying & Gossip

Didn't find quite the right social story above? Don't feel like writing one from scratch? Well, sometimes the social stories you can find for free just aren't the best fit.

But perhaps this social story about lying from my shop will be just what you need.

Grab your copy of the lying social story

Or maybe you're looking to focus more on rumors and gossip with your older child or student. This social story about rumors and gossip from my shop might be perfect for your needs.

Grab your copy of the rumors & gossip social story

Hopefully you're able to find the right story for your needs. Whether that's one of the paid stories from my shop or one of the free printable or videos social stories about lying listed above.

Free Printable Stars Emotions I Spy Game

Looking for a fun way to teach emotions? Try this free printable stars emotions I spy game.

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It's no secret that we love I spy games around here. They're a great way to practice a variety of skills and learn about other topics, such as emotions, in this particular case.

While originally designed with Christmas in mind, this free printable stars emotions I spy game is actually great all year round. I mean nothing says they are Christmas stars specifically...

Anyway, kids will be able to search and find eight different emotions with this I spy game. From happy and sad to surprised and worried, it's a great game for kids of all ages to play.

I Spy Games are Versatile!

I spy games are tons of fun and great for kids of all ages. You can use them with toddlers or preschoolers or even preteens and teens. I know that lots of people have even used my I spy games with elderly people and those with dementia.

What I love about I spy games is how versatile they are, even beyond appealing to various age groups. There are lots of different ways to use them (there's a section below with some ideas) and they can also be used in different settings.

For example, I spy games are perfect to use as a quick boredom buster activity at home when the kids are saying, "I'm bored!" Or to keep kids busy while you're cooking supper.

They can also be used in the classroom as part of a learning center or included in a specific lesson or unit. You could also use them as filler activities for those kids who finish their classwork quickly.

You could also print off a bunch of the I spy games, package them up into a binder, and create a busy book for road trips or plane rides. You could even laminate them first (here's the laminator I use and love) or put them into sheet protectors and use a dry erase marker so that the book could be reused over and over.

I spy games are also a great activity to use in speech or occupational therapy since they can be used to target a variety of skills, which we'll touch on in the next section.

The Benefits of I Spy Games for Kids

There are lots of benefits to playing I spy games like this emotion themed one.

For instance, they're great for developing visual tracking skills and improving visual discrimination. After all, these printable games require kids to visually scan through the objects, compare and contrast them, and find all the ones that are the same.

Then there's obviously the math benefits. I spy games are a great way to practice and develop math skills such as sorting, counting, comparing, etc.

You can also work on fine motor skills using I spy games. You might cross off items, cover them in play dough, or use tongs to place pom poms to cover the items (see the next section for other ideas for how to use I spy games).

Furthermore, you could work on handwriting skills with I spy games. After all, there is an answer sheet to record your answers and kids can practice writing numbers or drawing tally marks.

Playing I spy games with your kids is also a great way to work on speech and language skills. You could target articulation and vocabulary for instance. All of my I spy games include written words to accompany the images to aid in comprehension, especially for hyperlexic learners.

I spy games can also be a great way to work on executive functioning related skills and working memory.

See, lots of benefits! Now, let's take a look at some different ways to use this I spy game.

How to Use this I Spy Game

The most obvious way to use this I spy game is to simply print and play (you'll be able to download your copy below). Just grab a pencil, start counting, and record the number of items you found on the answer key (write the number or use tally marks, if you'd prefer). 

Maybe you also want to cross off or circle items on the game sheet with a pencil as you find them.

Another option would be to use bingo dabbers or dot markers. You could also use pom poms or counters to cover the items as you count. You could even pair pom poms with tongs or tweezers to target different fine motor skills.

You could also laminate the I spy game first to make them reusable. Simply use dry erase markers to cross off the items as you find them and fill in the answer key. 

You could also use play dough instead of dry erase markers to cover the items on the laminated game sheet. That way you add an additional sensory component.

Finally, you can go digital by playing this I spy game right on the computer or tablet. You can also pull it up during a Zoom meeting, teletherapy session, or similar using the screenshare function. Then use the annotate tool to cross off the items.

Download the Free Printable Stars Emotions I Spy Game

This stars emotions I spy game has three pages: a game sheet, a page to record the answers, and an answer key. Both the answer sheet and answer key include the image as well as written words to describe the object.

To get a copy of this I spy game, click the link below:

>> Click here to download the free printable

 

Want More Ideas for Teaching Emotions? Try this Stars Emotions Printable Pack!

This printable stars emotions I spy game is a free sample from the Stars Themed Emotions Pack. If you love this activity and this theme, then grab a copy of the full emotions pack below.

Get your copy of the Stars Emotions Pack

Free Printable Christmas Tree Emotions Cards

Teaching kids about emotions this Christmas? Try this free printable set of emotions cards with Christmas tree emojis.

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A great tool for introducing emotions to kids is to use emotion picture cards or emotion flash cards. Especially since there are so many different ways to use them (as you'll see below).

And since it's Christmas, I thought it would be fun to make some adorable Christmas themed emotions cards. Specifically, some Christmas tree themed ones. Although you can find Santa, reindeer, and Christmas star ones included in their respective emotion packs in the shop if you'd prefer those.

So let's take a closer look at what's included in this set of free emotions picture cards.

About these Christmas Tree Emotions Cards

This pack of 12 emotions cards feature a cute Christmas tree emoji paired with a corresponding emotion word. The 12 emotions included in this set include happy, sad, surprised, nervous, mad, excited, silly, frustrated, tired, embarrassed, calm, and upset.

How to Use these Printable Emotions Cards

There are so many different ways to use emotion cards. Here are a few suggestions that you could try:

• Put them on a binder ring so your child can flip through them to pick how they are feeling

• Print off two copies and turn it into an oversized memory matching game

• Pick a card and try to copy or imitate that emotion into a mirror

• Pick a card and go on a feelings walk using that emotion

• Select a card at random and talk about a time you felt that way

• Choose a card and discuss things that make you feel that emotion and/or ways you cope with that feeling

• Play charades by drawing a random card and acting it out

I highly recommend laminating these cards first. It will make them more durable. Here's the laminator I use and love.

Download the Free Printable Emotion Picture Cards with Christmas Tree Emojis

This three page printable includes a total of 12 emotions cards. Each card has a Christmas tree emoji paired with a corresponding emotion word. I highly recommend laminating the individual cards for durability.

To get a copy of this printable, click the link below:

>> Click here to download the free printable

 

Want More Ideas for Teaching Emotions? Try this Christmas Tree Themed Emotions Printable Pack!

This printable set of emotions cards is a free sample from the Christmas Tree Themed Emotions Pack. If you love this printable and this theme, then grab a copy of the full emotions pack below.

Get your copy of the Christmas Tree Themed Emotions Pack

Free Printable Reindeer Emotion Drawing Prompt

Practice drawing emotions and talking about feelings with this free printable reindeer emotion drawing prompt. It features cute reindeer emojis.

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Christmas can set emotions and anxiety on high for many kids. So they might need a lot of support regulating their bodies and managing sensory overload.

But you can use this printable to check in with how they're feeling throughout the holidays. They simply have to draw how they feel and then you can use that to start talking about their emotions.

Or you can just use this free printable reindeer emotion drawing prompt as a way to learn about different emotions. Simply practice naming and drawing a variety of emotions. Talk about the things they draw (upside down mouth, raised eyebrows, etc.).

You could even draw an emotion and then practice making that emotion in the mirror. That way your child can see how the emotion looks not only on the reindeer's face, but on their own as well.

Regardless of how you use it, I hope you enjoy this free drawing prompt.

About this Reindeer Themed Emotion Drawing Prompt 

This activity is all about letting kids express themselves and how they are feeling by drawing their emotions. 

All they need to do is add some expressive eyes and some kind of mouth to the reindeer's blank face. They can use the provided examples to draw from if they'd like or they can draw their own from scratch.

Encourage your child to explain what they're drawing and what they're feeling. Or better yet, make a comment about what you notice in their drawings. Something like, "I noticed that you drew a big smile." can go a long way to opening up the discussion here. So can a comment such as, "I wonder why this monster looks sad."

I highly recommend laminating this printable first and using dry erase markers to draw on it. Here's the laminator I use and love. 

If you don't have a laminator, then you can also just use clear sheet protectors, which you can usually find at the dollar store. Just slip the printable inside and voila!

Download the Free Emotion Drawing Printable

This one page printable includes a blank reindeer face to draw on. Some sample emotions and reindeer emoji are included along the sides so that your child has some inspiration for what to draw and how to draw it. Of course, they can feel free to draw other emotions as well. I highly recommend laminating for durability.

To get a copy of this printable, click the link below:

>> Click here to download this free printable

 

Want More Ideas for Teaching Emotions Using Reindeer Emojis? Try this Printable Pack!

This printable emotion drawing prompt is a free sample from the Reindeer Themed Emotions Pack. If you love this activity and this theme, then grab a copy of the full emotions pack below.

Get your copy of the Reindeer Themed Emotions Pack

Free Printable Santa Emotions Bingo Game

Looking for a fun way to work on emotions this Christmas? Try this free printable Santa emotions bingo game for kids.

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Anxiety and emotions run high at Christmas. Often, kids need a lot of extra support during the holidays. So it's important to give them strategies to not only name and identify their emotions, but to regulate as well.

This free printable Santa emotions bingo game is a cute way to work on the first part: the naming and identification of different emotions.

With adorable little Santa emojis, kids will explore different feelings such as happy and sad or silly and excited. They'll match what they see with what's on their bingo card. It's a quick and fun way to build their emotional vocabulary.

About this Santa Emotions Bingo Game

If you're familiar with bingo at all, then you'll know how to play this game. The main differences here are that there are only 3 columns and 3 rows instead of the usual 5. There is also no free space on these cards. 

To play, shuffle the calling cards and place them in a pile face down. Draw a card and read the name of the emotion shown on the card. 

Then, using the Santa emoji shown on the calling card as a reference, check to see if that emotion is on your game card or not. If it is, cover the spot using a bingo dabber (if unlaminated), cross it off with a dry erase marker (if laminated), or use a some kind of small manipulative like a Christmas mini eraser, glass stone, or poker chip.

I also highly recommend laminating the bingo game cards and calling cards first for durability. Here's the laminator I use and love.

If you don't have a laminator, then you can also just use clear sheet protectors, which you can usually find at the dollar store. Just slip the printable bingo game cards inside and voila!

Download the Free Printable Emotions Bingo Game

This printable has 6 pages, including 5 different bingo game cards and one page of bingo calling cards. The bingo cards show images only, whereas the calling cards have a Santa emoji and the corresponding written word below it.

To get a copy of this printable, click the link below:

>> Click here to download the free printable

 

Want More Ideas for Teaching Emotions with Santa Emojis? Try these Santa Claus Emotions Ideas!

This printable is a free sample from the Santa Themed Emotions Pack. If you love this activity and this theme, then grab a copy of the full emotions pack below.

Get your copy of the Santa Emotions Pack

Free Somebody Wanted But So Then Graphic Organizers

Help your child summarize stories with these somebody wanted but so then graphic organizers. You'll learn all about this reading comprehension and summarizing strategy below.

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It's no secret that hyperlexic kids need some extra support with comprehension. Especially as they enter the middle school years. Grade four in particular is a big challenge because task demands increase and reading for meaning becomes the priority. There's a shift to more novels and chapter books and having more background knowledge. That kind of thing.

So often our hyperlexic kids might need a bit of extra help with making inferences, summarizing a story, identifying the main idea, synthesizing important information, and so on...

One invaluable tool, though, for helping hyperlexic kids (not just with comprehension!) is to use visual supports, such as graphic organizers (see tip #1 here). 

We've been using graphic organizers with my son for a number of years with great success. We use them for writing, comprehension, brainstorming, organizing information, and a variety of other things. They have been a complete game-changer for my son.

For instance, we use these somebody wanted but so then graphic organizers to help with summarizing a text or story. It breaks everything down into 5 simple parts and can be used with a variety of texts.

Below you'll learn more about this particular comprehension strategy and see an example of how to use it. Then you can grab these graphic organizers and give them a try yourself. They're great for at home or school. So let's dig in! 

About the Somebody Wanted But So Then Strategy (SWBST)

Somebody Wanted But So Then (or SWBST for short) refers to a summarizing strategy that can be used to check a student or child's comprehension. It is often used after reading a story, but you could probably use it during reading as well. 

Basically, you summarize a story using the following set of prompts (the same prompts that make up the name of this strategy). They are:

• SOMEBODY: Who is the main character?

• WANTED: What did the main character want?

• BUT: What was the problem?

• SO: How did the main character try to solve the problem?

• THEN: How does the story end?

You can see where this reading comprehension strategy gets its name from, right? 

Anyway, what's great about this technique is that it helps kids break down the story into its different parts or story elements. They have to think about who the main character is, what the main idea of the story is, recognize cause and effect, and more. It's an important skill students need when it comes to summarizing.

Summarizing a story or novel is less daunting when you can break it down into smaller parts like this. Something that many hyperlexic kids find helpful. Then, once it's all broken down, you can easily give a brief summary of the plot or entire text in just a simple sentence or two.

Somebody Wanted But So Then Examples: Let's See this Key Comprehension Strategy in Action!

Now that you know what the strategy is, let's apply it to a familiar text or popular fiction story, such as the classic fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood. That way you can see how this summarizing strategy is used.

You'll quickly see how we can form a simple sentence summary when we use this technique. For instance, here's how we would break down this particular story:

• SOMEBODY: Little Red Riding Hood

• WANTED: To bring some treats to her grandma who was sick

• BUT: The wolf got to grandma's house first

• SO: The wolf pretended to be grandma

• THEN: (1) The wolf eats both the girl and her grandma. (2) A woodsman/axeman saves the girl and her grandma. or (3) The girl runs away. There may be some other variation depending on which version you're reading. 

Now that you've answered all the prompts above, you can easily write a plot summary. For this fairy tale that might look like...

Little Red Riding Hood wanted to bring some treats to her grandma who was sick, but a wolf got to grandma's house first and pretended to be Little Red Riding Hood's grandma. Then just when the wolf was going to eat Little Red Riding Hood and her grandma, a woodsman saves the day. Yay!

Did you notice how this summary strategy gives you a bit of a plug-and-play script for kids to fill in? All they have to do is fill in the blanks by identifying those few important story features. Then summarizing the story is fairly easy and straightforward to do.

Now that you have a better idea of how this strategy works, let's talk about the free graphic organizers.

About the Somebody Wanted But So Then Graphic Organizers

 Below you will find multiple variations of the somebody wanted but so then graphic organizers. Some are digital and perfect for Google Classroom. Others are printable and can be used at home or in the classroom. Some include lines to write a summary sentence after you've filled in all of the boxes and others do not.

If you're going to print off one of the graphic organizers, you might want to consider laminating it. That way you can reuse it as much as you want or need. Plus, it will save you some precious planning time because you can wipe it clean and save it for the next time it's needed. By the way, here's the laminator that I use and love.

Laminated or not, to use any of the graphic organizers, simply fill in the boxes with the appropriate information. For instance, in the somebody box, you'll identify who the main character is and write their name down. Then you'll think about what it is the character wanted and write it down in the wanted box. And so on.

Once you've filled in the boxes on the corresponding graphic organizer, you'll be able to summarize the story. You might summarize it into one big long sentence (if the story is shorter) or into one short paragraph (if the story is longer). Regardless, it makes summary writing a breeze because you've already identified all the important story features.

For the digital graphic organizer versions, text boxes are already inserted into the document. So you simply click one of the boxes and start typing. Easy, peasy!

Download the Free Graphic Organizers

This freebie includes 4 printable graphic organizers and 4 digital versions for Google Slides. Simply pick the version and format that suits your child best.

To get your copy of the somebody wanted but so then graphic organizers, click the link below.

>> Click here to download the free printable

 

Looking for More Graphic Organizers?

You'll find even more graphic organizers for reading and writing in the graphic organizers bundle pack.

Click here to get your copy of the graphic organizers bundle pack