Free resources for school and home

Brin and Melly SEL Guides and Video

Choose a free printable guide or watch the Secret Cave companion video. Explore friendship, courage, curiosity, kindness, teamwork, and belonging at home or in the classroom.

Aaron Daniel Chavez reading Brin and Melly with elementary students

Social and emotional learning

Two stories, two meaningful conversations

Each free printable guide gives teachers, parents, counselors, caregivers, and librarians story specific questions and activities for children in kindergarten through third grade.

Use a guide during a classroom read aloud, counseling group, library program, or family story time. Each one includes learning goals, discussion prompts, classroom activities, writing ideas, a family connection, exit tickets, and teacher reflection space.

Choose your guide

Free SEL guides for Books 1 and 2

Download either guide instantly. No email address is required.

Brin and Melly Book 1 cover

Book 1

Brin and Melly SEL Guide

Explore friendship, courage, kindness, emotions, teamwork, and belonging with questions and activities connected to the first adventure.

  • Grades K to 3
  • Eight printable pages
  • Classroom and family activities

CASEL 5 alignment: Self-awareness through naming feelings and strengths; self-management through discussing courage while afraid; social awareness through noticing loneliness and inclusion; relationship skills through friendship, teamwork, and asking for or offering help; responsible decision-making through choosing kind, helpful responses.

Washington SEL standards connections: Standard 1, Self-Awareness; Standard 2, Self-Management; Standard 3, Self-Efficacy; Standard 4, Social Awareness; Standard 5, Social Management; Standard 6, Social Engagement. Guide activities connect these standards to recognizing emotions, persevering, empathizing, building healthy friendships, making caring choices, and contributing to classroom belonging.

Brin and Melly Book 2 The Secret Cave cover

Book 2, The Secret Cave

The Secret Cave SEL Guide

Explore curiosity, teamwork, wisdom, family stories, careful thinking, and facing uncertainty with Brin, Melly, and Ari.

  • Grades K to 3
  • Eight printable pages
  • Story specific discussion prompts

CASEL 5 alignment: Self-awareness through identifying strengths; self-management through slowing down and responding to uncertainty; social awareness through noticing others’ strengths and listening to family stories; relationship skills through collaboration and seeking help; responsible decision-making through examining clues and considering safe choices.

Washington SEL standards connections: Standard 1, Self-Awareness; Standard 2, Self-Management; Standard 3, Self-Efficacy; Standard 4, Social Awareness; Standard 5, Social Management; Standard 6, Social Engagement. Guide activities connect these standards to naming personal strengths, persevering, taking others’ perspectives, working through problems safely, and sharing responsibility with a group.

Watch the companion video ↗

These story based guides support classroom discussion and practice. Educators can select the questions and activities that best match their lesson objectives and students’ developmental needs. CASEL framework · Washington SEL standards and benchmarks

Watch the companion video

The Secret Cave SEL Video

Watch Brin, Melly, and Ari’s story together, then use the free printable guide to continue the conversation about friendship, curiosity, teamwork, and courage.

Get the free Book 2 SEL guide

Across Books 1 and 2

Skills that grow with every adventure

01

Friendship

Notice what each character contributes and how trust grows when friends value their differences.

02

Courage

Explore how bravery can mean asking for help, entering the unknown, or taking one careful next step.

03

Curiosity

Practice asking thoughtful questions, noticing details, and staying open to surprising possibilities.

04

Teamwork

Discover how courage, curiosity, wisdom, and kindness help friends solve problems together.

For teachers

Bring SEL into your read aloud

For parents and caregivers

Continue the conversation at home

Questions about the guides

Helpful details

What ages are the SEL guides designed for?

Both guides are written for kindergarten through third grade and can be adapted for preschool and elementary conversations.

Do I need to be a teacher to use them?

No. The guides are designed for teachers, parents, caregivers, counselors, librarians, and anyone reading Brin and Melly with children.

Are both guides free?

Yes. Both printable PDFs are free to download and use at home or in your classroom.

Should I use the guides in order?

Each guide can stand alone, but using Book 1 before Book 2 helps children follow how the characters and themes grow across the series.

Ready to begin

Choose your Brin and Melly guide

Use one during your next classroom read aloud, family story time, library program, or small group conversation.

View both free guides