Social Sorting

This social-emotional learning worksheet supports students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 as they practice reading for tone, identifying communication styles, perspective-taking, emotional awareness, and critical thinking. Through realistic first-person scenarios, students analyze behavior and classify responses as assertive, aggressive, or passive, strengthening their understanding of healthy communication and interpersonal decision-making.

Skills Reinforced

• Communication Styles (Grades 4-6) – Identify and distinguish between assertive, aggressive, and passive behaviors.
• Social-Emotional Awareness – Reflect on emotional expression, self-advocacy, and respectful interaction.
• Perspective-Taking & Empathy – Interpret first-person scenarios to understand how others may think or feel.
• Reading for Tone and Meaning – Use context clues and word choice to determine intent and communication impact.

Learning Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to support SEL, health education, and ELA standards.
• Clear, Accessible Format – Simple marking system (“A,” “AG,” “P”) keeps the focus on reasoning and reflection.
• Flexible Use – Ideal for classroom discussions, small groups, counseling lessons, or independent practice.
• Supports Skill Building – Encourages thoughtful discussion about effective and ineffective communication.

This printable worksheet helps students build confidence in identifying communication styles, understanding emotional responses, and making positive interpersonal choices. By analyzing real-life situations, learners strengthen empathy, decision-making, and social reasoning skills. It’s a low-prep, versatile resource that works well in both classroom and homeschool settings while supporting meaningful social-emotional growth.

This worksheet is part of our Assertiveness vs. Aggression vs. Passivity collection.