It’s All on the Inside

This reading and analysis worksheet supports students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 as they build communication awareness, dialogue interpretation, empathy, tone analysis, and critical thinking skills. Through two realistic peer-based dialogues, students infer whether characters are communicating in assertive, aggressive, or passive ways by examining language choices, emotional cues, and actions within familiar social situations.

Skills Reinforced

• Identifying Communication Patterns (Grades 4-6) – Recognize assertive, aggressive, and passive behaviors in everyday peer interactions.
• Interpreting Dialogue & Context – Analyze tone, word choice, and actions to determine communication intent.
• Respectful Expression – Understand how opinions and ideas can be shared in healthy, effective ways.
• Critical Social Reasoning – Evaluate how different communication styles affect collaboration and outcomes.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with SEL, health education, and ELA standards.
• Realistic Scenarios – Peer-focused situations help students connect analysis to real-life experiences.
• Low Writing Load – Emphasizes reasoning and discussion without overwhelming students with lengthy responses.
• Flexible Use – Works well for SEL lessons, small-group discussion, independent practice, or counseling support.

This printable worksheet helps students strengthen emotional awareness, communication analysis, and reading comprehension by closely examining how tone and behavior shape interactions. By identifying assertive, aggressive, and passive responses, learners reflect on their own communication habits and build healthier expression strategies. It’s a simple, no-prep resource that fits naturally into both classroom instruction and homeschool learning while supporting positive social development.

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