What will the first day of school be like?
This social story about letting go of summer, what will happen on the first day of school, and how I can make new friends there will tell me.

★ Social stories are an informational tool designed to ease anxiety and set expectations about new social situations. They help anxious young and ASD children assume personal responsibility in the world around them. Students can this story a few times in the weeks before school begins for the best results in helping them transition back to school from the summertime. The discussion questions at the end of the story provide an opportunity for verbal response and clarification. Read more about how to use social stories

There are many ways to use this story:

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Sensory Storytelling Supports

an outfit for the first day of school
a book bag
a math problem (demonstrate on board or paper)
a weather app or website
a school snack
toys (2 cars, paintbrush, soccer ball, puzzle)
a new friend (demonstrate introductions)
a new teacher (demonstrate asking questions)
a fun fact about the world (ex: otters swim holding hands)
a printed photo of friends or family to pack in bookbag

[easy-tweet tweet=”A social story for going back to school: ‘My First Day of School’ …There are so many curious things to learn – Like that otters hold hands when they swim… https://wp.me/p6jrdc-1jQ” user=”AutumnRennie” hashtags=”firstdayofschool, socialstory, storylearning, sped, sensoryreaders” template=”dark”]

My First Day of School

t’s almost time for school to begin again!

Sometimes, people feel a little sad when summer break ends.

That is because summer is fun and relaxing.

Now, I can get excited for all of the things my teacher and school have planned for the new school year.

Kids all over my neighborhood are getting their colorful book bags packed and deciding on what they will wear on the first day.

I can pick out my clothes the night before school starts.

I will need a clean and crisp shirt.

I need to wear shorts if it’s warm, and long pants if it’s cool.

My parents and I can check the weather on the news.

I can pack a jacket in my bookbag if I’m not sure.

At school, I will do so many fun activities.

I will read, write, add numbers and solve problems.

I will have snacks, eat lunch with friends, and play.

I can make new friends and learn more information about the world.

There are so many curious things to learn –

Like that otters hold hands when they swim.

There are also lots of kids to play with at school.

Some of them like crashing cars.

Some of them like painting pictures.

Some of them like scoring soccer goals.

Some of them like to put puzzles together.

I will try to discover all of the other things kids like to do.

I can help new friends learn my name by smiling and introducing myself:

“Hi, my name is __________. What’s yours?”

I will be older and in a new grade this year, so there will be more rules to follow.

Sometimes, kids get nervous about more rules.

My teacher will explain and help me learn them on the first day.

If I am unsure about what the rules are for a new room or toy, I can ask for help:

“What are the rules for this?”

When I walk in the hallway, I will try to stay in a strait line, keep my eyes looking in front of me, keep my hands to myself, and whisper if I need to say something.

Kids are working in their classrooms and want to hear what the teacher is saying.

I will try to listen to all the directions.

My teachers and parents will be proud when I learn to follow the rules.

At playtime, I can play and laugh with friends.

I can look for kids who are doing something I like to do.

I can ask in a nice voice to join them:

“May I play with you?”

School lessons are sometimes easy and they are sometimes hard.

This is how I learn to do awesome things.

There is a way to solve every problem.

Teachers lovea strong feeling of affection and attachment towards someone or something to help me solve problems.