10 Best Social Emotional Learning Apps In 2024

Do you want to know what you can do in the classroom to help your students grow into responsible adults? Begin by introducing social-emotional learning apps. It may appear complicated, but it is simpler than you think. SEL apps are more than just teaching students how to be nice to one another.

Social-emotional learning apps will teach your students how to recognize their own and others’ perceptions of them. There are tons of apps for social-emotional learning out there. Finding the best one could be a bit of a problem. This article helps you solve that problem.

This article outlines the 10 best social-emotional learning apps you can find. We also included the pros and cons. There are also links to ensure you can easily download any of the apps if you want.

What are Social-Emotional Learning Apps?
Why Should You Use Social Emotional Learning Apps?
How do Teachers Benefit from Social Emotional Learning Apps?
How do Parents benefit from Social Emotional Learning Apps?
10 Best French Learning Apps in 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
References
Recommendation

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is a process that teaches young people how to manage their emotions. The process also teaches young people to set goals, develop empathy, and make sound decisions. SEL improves the equity of the educational system by focusing on the student.

SEL teaches students how to resolve conflicts through guided exercises. It encourages calm by recognizing the power of empathy.

Now, imagine doing all of this learning through the process of an app. Although social-emotional learning apps are for schools, students can use them outside the classroom.

Research shows kindergarten students with stronger social-emotional skills are likely to succeed in school, work, and other aspects of life.

Social-emotional learning apps improve social skills, attitudes, goal setting, and problem-solving abilities. Students who use them have fewer behavioural issues and experience less emotional distress.

The use of SEL programming is extremely effective. According to research, SEL promotes safe learning environments and reduces violence.

It also reduces emotional distress, disruptive behaviour in school, and drug abuse. The result? Improved academic performance.

According to the SEL meta-analysis study, SEL improved performance on grade-level assessments by an average of 11 percentile points! This study, which lasted from 2011 to 2014, polled 270,000 students.

According to research, children who can self-regulate are less likely to become frustrated or angry when faced with challenges. SEL also boosts children’s self-esteem, which motivates them to set realistic goals.

Globally, schools and districts focus on mental health issues by developing students’ skills. They discover that children with SEL skills are less likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, or other psychological issues.

Undoubtedly, a school that promotes Social-emotional learning apps will benefit its students.

When students participate in activities that promote social-emotional learning, they can discover new ways to learn important life lessons.

Social-emotional learning apps train teachers and students to express empathy. This allows them to deal with difficult situations more effectively. Social-emotional learning apps reduce anxiety in students and increase their likelihood of returning to future classes.

Students can improve their relationship skills and social interactions with peers and adults at school. You can do this effectively through these social-emotional learning apps. They teach things like conflict resolution techniques or solution-focused communication practices.

According to research, schools that implement social-emotional learning programs see long-term increases in student participation rates. Social-emotional learning apps assist teachers in creating a student-friendly environment. This encourages creativity and aims to solve problems collaboratively.

According to new research, social-emotional learning can benefit parents in a variety of ways. Including social-emotional learning apps time in parents’ daily routines can provide time for both parents and children.

It creates time for them to engage in self-care practices such as journaling, going for walks, meditating, and exercising.

Social-emotional learning apps also encourage parents to ask probing questions. They ensure you listen actively and make eye contact with their children. Practising SEL skills at home strengthens parental and child bonds.

Parents and children can improve their communication skills. Skills like cooperating, listening, and understanding emotions while respecting each other’s feelings by working together. Parents can also help their children set SEL goals, and model SEL skills taught in school.

10 Best French Learning Apps in 2024

Social-emotional learning apps are excellent for teaching important social skills to children. Apps that teach listening, friendship, and even eye contact are good choices.

When you use apps to teach social-emotional learning, you make the process more enjoyable.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is a difficult aspect of student learning to assess and evaluate.

These social-emotional learning apps teach communication, friendship, listening skills, and emotions. The 10 best SEL apps in 2024 are-

1. Calm Me Down
2. Classroom Traffic Lights
3. Emotional ABCs
4. EMOFACE Play & Learn emotions
5. On Second Thought
6. Smiling Mind
7. Kid in Story Book Maker
8. Positive Penguins HD
9. ConversationBuilderTeen
10. The Emotion Diary

#1. Calm Me Down

This iOS app teaches autistic children how to control their emotional reactions to challenges and situations. Children choose activities that help them relax, allowing them to maintain control in stressful situations.

Pros

The app is fairly easy to use, with all content organized across three hubs.
A few free meditation courses (5-10 sessions each) on topics like sleep, anxiety, stress, and focus give you a good idea of the types of meditations available.
The premium version includes a wide range of music, from ambient tones and nature, sounds to lo-fi jams, to help you stay focused throughout the day.
The children’s content is engaging, with recognizable characters and stories for toddlers and teenagers.

Cons

The free meditation courses available are quite limited and difficult to find, leading one to believe that there is no free content.
The free version does not include any content for movement, children, or music.
There are many celebrity names and faces throughout the app, which can be distracting and make some of the meditations feel gimmicky.
The app may appear confusing at first because it lacks a clear starting point, especially since both main hubs appear to be very similar.

Download the app here- iOS

Download the app here- Android

#2. Classroom Traffic Lights

Teachers can use Classroom Traffic Lights to assess students’ emotional reactions to new developments without having to confront them face to face. Simply ask the students to select an appropriate response and display their screen.

The teacher can immediately assess emotional responses and make changes as needed. This app is for a variety of classroom settings; it all depends on your imagination.

Pros

You can see the student’s reaction.
It is one of the best social-emotional learning apps
It is simple to use with a great user interface
The app is for any students of any class

Cons

Students may find it too fun to use and forget what its actual purpose of it is.

Download app here

#3. Emotional ABCs

Emotional ABCs is one of the best social-emotional learning apps. It teaches young children socio-emotional skills. Currently used by over 20,000 teachers and school counsellors across the country.

Pros

The curriculum of video clips, group, and independent games, and activities makes learning social-emotional skills enjoyable.
It gives modelling positive behaviours that can help with challenges. It helps with behaviours ranging from anxiety or frustration to impulse control.
It has a well-organized and structured platform that most social-emotional learning apps do not have.
It is great for teaching the first social and emotional competencies.

Cons

Some activities seem disconnected from the content
It can get unclear whether the program should be for whole-group instruction or independent practice.

Download app here

#4. EMOFACE Play & Learn emotions

Emoface Play & Learn Emotions is a secure and educational application that uses 3D emotional avatars to teach emotions. Emoface assists children who have difficulty recognizing emotions in others.

This social-emotional learning app teaches kids how to recognize and manage different emotions. It also teaches how to manage social situations that occur frequently.

Pros

Players learn to recognize six emotions and how people’s faces express them through a series of games.
It is available on Android, iPhone, and iPad devices
Suitable for children and young adults with intellectual disabilities
It has forms for verbal and non-verbal children with ASD
It is easy to use and easier to understand
The app is perfectly suited to sessions with health care professionals
With the app, children can learn about the 6 basic emotions.

Cons

It is mostly designed for those who have one form of disability or another

Download app here

#5. On Second Thought

On second thought, it is a simple, child-friendly social interaction app. You can use it with children who are experiencing anxiety symptoms and emotional difficulties. It also works for automatic negative thoughts and irrational beliefs.

Pros

This social-emotional learning app helps children understand how their thoughts about a situation affect their feelings and behaviour.
The app promotes cooperation, communication, and other social-emotional skills. It does this by rewarding them through game elements.
This app is one of the best social-emotional learning apps for Elementary School Psychologists, Mental Health Professionals & Caregivers, and Parents & Kids.
It is available on Android, iPhone, and iPad

Cons

It lets you review your texts, hence eliminating the point of paying for actions.

Download app here

#6. Smiling Mind

The smiling mind provides primary educators with a structured but flexible framework. You can use it as a comprehensive and stand-alone social-emotional learning app. The app can also go in the classroom or be adapted to complement existing well-being programs.

Pros

This social-emotional learning app helps students in Years 1 to 6 develop self-awareness. They can also develop self-management and social management skills.
It is an excellent resource for teachers looking for a visual aid to teach students about positive social interactions.
Invaluable for teachers wishing to assist special needs students in developing emotional intelligence.

Cons

Account creation requires a student or parent email address.
There are few options for alternative learning needs.

Download the app here- iOS

Download the app here- Android

#7. Kid in Story Book Maker

This is one of the best social-emotional learning apps. It distinguishes itself through the use of green-screen technology. Teachers or therapists can easily extract a child’s image from a photograph and insert it into one of several story templates.

You can create a story from scratch using unique words and images.

Pros

This app is beneficial for children with special needs. It is also great for young children who struggle with social and communication skills.
Seeing themselves in stories about new situations helps children prepare for new experiences.
It has a free downloadable reader. This allows children to share their stories with friends and family outside of the classroom.
It is available on iPhone and iPad
This app has a trial period
Instructions and a free layout are available.
Many additional features are with the purchase, such as access to the community bank and DropBox sharing.
It is versatile for a variety of uses

Cons

It does not have advanced features nor extensive sharing options

Download app here

#8. Positive Penguins HD

This is one of the social-emotional learning apps to help build self-esteem and optimism. At a time when bullying and depression are on the rise, this app helps. Positive Penguins is a one-of-a-kind experience.

This social skills app is a simple, interactive educational tool. It helps children understand and experience their emotions positively.

Pros

It teaches children how to understand and cope with their emotions.
This is one of the social-emotional learning apps to change their thinking.
The app is available on Android, iPhone, and iPad devices
There are no in-app purchases
There is no online information required to use the app
The app also does not have any ads

Cons

It has game playing behaviours which may be of concern to some parents
There are several gender stereotypes and sexual references
It includes gambling information

Download app here- iOS

#9. ConversationBuilderTeen

It is a fun tool that gives you valuable practice with social interactions. It would also be an excellent way to help children practice for upcoming events. As a parent or teacher, students may also use it for situations that may be awkward for them.

Pros

Available on iPhone and iPad

Bullying, summer, entertainment, sports, sarcasm, relationships, and school are all topics of discussion.

Teens converse with virtual peers in realistic social situations.

The scenarios are typical teen conversations.

Also, the inclusion of topics such as sarcasm provides kids with guidance in what can be difficult social situations.

Cons

There is a lot of bullying and sarcasm content

Download app here

#10. The Emotion Diary

Based on positive psychology principles, this app allows students to record and track their emotions over time.

Parents and teachers can use it to start conversations with students who need support. Students who are going through a difficult time also need this kid learning app.

Pros

It is one of the best social-emotional learning apps for kids for self-analysis.
You can enhance with four add-on features: The therapist Feature, the Emotional Dimensions Feature, the Positives Feature, and the Group Feature.
The Therapist Feature allows students who are working with a therapist to email their diary entries. They can also filter and sort their diary and add additional notes.
Students will be able to add and remove emotional dimensions.
Using the Emotional Dimensions Feature, they can also turn on dimension labels and information.
The Positives Feature allows students to record acts of kindness, gratitude, and signature strengths.
Therapists or teachers can use the Group Feature to track the emotions of students or clients.

Cons

The app has a lot of ads

Download the app here- iOS

Download the app here- Android

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Should You Use Social Emotional Learning Apps?

Academic achievement. Students’ academic performance improves when they develop stronger social/emotional skills. Fewer behavioural issues, lower emotional distress, and more positive social behaviour.

What is SEL?

SEL is ill-defined, unproven, and still linked to Common Core. SEL standards involve too much introspection for children. SEL and psychological profiling.

What do students benefit from Social Emotional Learning App

It increases student motivation, improves school and classroom climate, and teaches problem-solving skills. Social-emotional learning also reduces behavioral issues.

Do social-emotional learning apps significantly improve children’s social and emotional skills?

Yes. Social-emotional learning apps significantly improve children’s social and emotional skills. It also works on positive attitudes toward oneself and others.

How do Teachers Benefit from Social Emotional Learning Apps?

Early in life, social and emotional learning (SEL) is critical for assisting preschool children in understanding and managing their emotions. They would also feel and demonstrate empathy for others. This helps them establish relationships, set positive goals, and make responsible decisions.

Conclusion

Children enjoy screen time, but there is good news if you want your child to do fewer games and more learning. Many of today’s kid-friendly apps combine technology and education. This makes learning more engaging, interactive, and, dare we say, fun than ever.

There are numerous social-emotional learning apps for kids for everything. You just have to go through the list above to find the most helpful ones.

References

theedadvocate.org– Social-emotional learning apps and tools we love
teachergoals.com– 10 Best social-emotional learning apps in the classroom
educationcorner.com– 35 Incredible classroom apps
jotform.com– Teacher apps for social-emotional learning
Image Source

10 Best Social Emotional Learning Apps In 2024 | Best Learning Apps

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