30 Emotional Literacy SEL Starters | Daily Prompts, Bell Ringers & Activities

Emotional literacy is often the missing piece of the classroom management puzzle. When students can’t name or understand their emotions, small frustrations can quickly spiral into bigger behaviours. These 30 SEL starters make it easy to build these skills through bell ringers, morning meetings, tutor time, advisory, brain breaks, or homeroom starters. Short, flexible activities that fit naturally into your day.

What’s Included:

• 30 Emotional Literacy Activity Slips (ready to print & use)
• Engaging prompts designed for Upper Primary / Middle / High School
• Fresh questions that encourage students to notice, name, and reflect on emotions.
• Easy to mix into routines without extra prep

These starter slips are perfect for:

• Bell ringers & morning meetings
• Tutor time or homeroom
• Exit tickets & reflections
• Meaningful brain breaks

Why you'll love these starters:

• Quick but powerful: 5 minutes or less
• Opens up authentic opportunities for skill building, discussions, and teachable moments that make SEL feel natural, not forced.
• Tween and teen-friendly prompts that are fresh, real, and engaging, no babyish ‘same same’ tasks.
• Zero prep: just print and go
• Flexible use: bell ringers, tutor time, homeroom, or exit tickets
• Behaviour bonus: builds calm, consistent routines and reduces low-level disruptions
• Student buy-in: fresh, relatable prompts — not the same tired SEL questions

Why Students Will Love Them

• Prompts feel personal and real-world, not repetitive
• Helps them find the words to express feelings in safe, simple ways
• Makes SEL part of the day without long, heavy lessons
• Builds empathy, awareness, and reflection
  

These Emotional Literacy SEL starters help students grow their emotional vocabulary, better manage stress, and strengthen their relationships — all in just a few minutes a day.

Want 100+ daily SEL prompts?

Grab the full SEL Starters Bundle to get Growth Mindset, Gratitude, Emotional Literacy, Mindfulness, and Cup Fillers all together, over 100 quick, ready-to-use slips to make SEL simple and consistent all year long.

Looking for a year-long SEL routine instead of one-off starters?

Check out Strong Inside: A Full Year Daily SEL Journal for Middle & High School - 40 weeks of engaging, student-facing activities perfect for bell ringers, morning meetings, tutor time, or homeroom.