Category: Resources

Books on SEL

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is a crucial part of our learners’ education, helping them develop important life skills, such as self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and interpersonal communication. There are many books designed to help our learners understand and practice these concepts. Here are some books for learners at various grade levels.

Elementary School

“The Way I Feel” by Janan Cain
- This book uses colorful illustrations and simple language to help kids explore their emotions and understand it’s okay to have different feelings.
“What If Everybody Did That?” by Ellen Javernick
- This story encourages children to think about the consequences of their actions and how they affect others, teaching the importance of empathy and making responsible choices.
“My Many Colored Days” by Dr. Seuss
- Dr. Seuss explores different emotions through color and whimsical characters, making it a fun way for children to understand their feelings.

Middle School

“The Middle School Student’s Guide to Ruling the World!” by Rebecca Hamburger and Ross W. Greene
- This interactive guide provides middle school learners with valuable life skills and tools for understanding their emotions and navigating social situations.
“Wonder” by R.J. Palacio
- “Wonder” is a novel that explores themes of empathy, acceptance, and kindness.
“The Self-Esteem Workbook for Teens” by Lisa M. Schab
- This workbook is geared toward teenagers and helps them build self-esteem, self-awareness, and social-emotional skills through exercises and activities.

High School

“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens” by Sean Covey
- Adapted from the classic “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” this book provides a practical guide for teenagers to develop essential life skills.
“Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol S. Dweck
- This book can be valuable in helping high school learners develop a growth mindset and resilience.
“Emotional Intelligence 2.0” by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves
- A comprehensive guide to understanding and improving emotional intelligence, this book will help high school learners as they prepare for the challenges of adulthood.

Gratitude Journal

With 2023 just beginning, now is a great time to form new habits! Gratitude journaling is one habit that you may want to consider adding to your routine. This habit can be done either daily, weekly, or monthly. By taking this time to reflect on what you are grateful for, you may find that your mood has been positively boosted and that you are more optimistic. Included is a template that can be used for daily, weekly, or monthly gratitude journaling. You can purchase a template by clicking here, or use it as an example to create your own!

World Kindness Week

World Kindness Week takes place the week of November 13th, with the 13th being a specific day to celebrate kindness. We encourage you to participate in acts of kindness that week, and all throughout the month of November! Our staff has compiled a list of great books along the lines of kindness for each grade range. Check it out here! (Click the pictures to open up Read Aloud videos for each book).

How Do Readers Develop?

While milestones most certainly vary from child to child, there are certain landmarks of developing readers as well as ways parents and adults can foster these developing skills. Take a look at this chart below.

Age	Typical Reading Milestone	Activities to Support Milestones
6 months	At this stage, a child begins to initiate speech sounds and can develop an interest in picture books.	Talk with your child, read books with various faces, objects, and animals to your child.
1 year	At this age, a child begins to understand several simple phrases and has short words or utterances.	Have “conversations” with your child at this stage. Begin to read interactive books.
2 years	A child typically has 250-350 words at this age. Children can hold books and look at pictures.	This is a great time to begin reading and reciting nursery rhymes. Get your child engaged by having them pick out books to read.
3 years	A child typically has 800-1,000 words and can repeat common rhymes.	Begin pointing at pictures and words as you read with your child. Play games that involve rhyming.
4 years	At this stage, a child begins using long sentences. Children can rhyme and play with various words.	Introduce new vocabulary when reading and in everyday situations.
5 years	A child typically has 3,000-5,000 words and begins to match letters with sounds. At this stage a child can speak with complex and compound sentences.	Begin to call attention to letters and signs. Talk about letter sounds when driving around, walking through the grocery store, and simple words around the house.
6 years	A child begins to read words and pages and makes predictions using background knowledge.	Have various high-interest books, both fiction and non-fiction, to allow for choice and opportunities to read. Visit libraries.
7 years	A child is now reading words automatically and expanding knowledge by reading and listening to words.	This is a time to encourage reading and rereading books. Limit screen time to encourage reading.
8-9 years	Learners transform from learning to read to reading to learn. They can read chapter books and are learning thousands of new words a year.	Encourage and establish an independent reading time throughout daily schedules.

El Dorado Charter SELPA Community Advisory Committee

The El Dorado Charter SELPA’s Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is a dynamic, collaborative partnership comprised of educators, parents/guardians, and community members. The CAC provides an opportunity for members to be involved and provide input to the Charter SELPA regarding the Special Education Local Plan, annual priorities, parent/guardian education, and other special education-related activities. The CAC holds three meetings annually to support topics of interest to families of children and young adults with disabilities.

El Comité asesor comunitario de El Dorado Chárter SELPA es una asociación dinámica y colaborativa compuesta por educadores, padres/tutores y miembros de la comunidad. El CAC brinda una oportunidad para que los miembros se involucren y proporcionen ideas al Chárter SELPA con respecto al Plan Local de Educación Especial, las prioridades anuales, la educación para padres/tutores y otras actividades relacionadas con la educación especial. El CAC lleva a cabo tres reuniones anualmente para apoyar temas de interés para las familias de niños y jóvenes con discapacidades.

Why Join the CAC?
¿Por qué unirse al CAC?
Assist in building relationships and communication between schools, parents/guardians and related agencies.
Encourage community and parental/guardian involvement in the review of the Special Education Local Plan.
Provide families an opportunity to share resources and support within their school and community.
Asistir en el desarrollo de relaciones y comunicación entre las escuelas, los padres/tutores y las agencias relacionadas.
Fomentar la participación de la comunidad y de los padres/tutores en la revisión del Plan Local de Educación Especial.
Brindar a las familias una oportunidad para compartir recursos y apoyo dentro de su escuela y comunidad.
Meeting Dates
Fechas de las reuniones

October 4, 2022 | 4 de octubre de 2022
January 24, 2023 | 24 de enero de 2023
March 28, 2023 | 28 de marzo de 2023
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Click on the link below to view more information on the
Parent Resources portion of the El Dorado Charter SELPA website.
Puede encontrar más información en la porción de Recursos para padres de nuestro sitio web

Parent Resources

Is There Something I’m Forgetting?

Is There Something I’m Forgetting? – the back to school checklist

If we are being honest, getting back into the routine of school can be a bit overwhelming – for the whole family! To ease the transition, we’ve put together a checklist to hopefully make things easier.

Establish routines early: this spans from bedtimes to extra activities as structure improves planning and expectations
Make a list of important dates: align all the calendars so nothing gets missed!
Talk with your learner about expectations: What are you hoping to see this school year, what are their goals and how are they feeling about all the things?!
Designate a study place: a quiet area, ample surface space, and supplies within reach can go a long way in supporting yearly academic progress
Create a checklist for your learner: maybe it’s the morning routine, maybe it’s their virtual session schedule, maybe it’s house expectations – but lists can serve as excellent step-by-step reminders. (plus, who doesn’t love a good list in their life!)
Plan for FUN! Plan to be involved! Enjoy the days as they seem long, the years are short and will go by all too quickly!

Test Anxiety Guidance Lesson

Test anxiety is a combination of physical symptoms and emotional reactions that interfere with your ability to perform well on tests. Our counseling team has put together a lesson for our learners who struggle with test anxiety to use as a tool to better prepare themselves for testing. Click here to check it out.