💭🗣️
Should I Think It or Say It?
PawSteps · Social Skills Workbook · Ages 5–11
🦉 🐢 🦁 🐰 🐘
✔ 9 activities + poster + certificate, A4 print-ready
✔ Thought bubbles vs speech bubbles explained simply
✔ "Social filter" visual — brain ➜ filter ➜ mouth
✔ THINK & STOP posters for the wall
✔ Practice scenarios with kind rewording
✔ Ideal for SLPs, teachers, counsellors & parents (ASD/ADHD friendly)
© PawSteps · For personal & classroom use — not for resale or sharing.
💭PawSteps · Lesson 1
Thoughts and Words Are Different!
🦉 Professor Owl says: "Everyone has thoughts all day long — that's brilliant! But not every thought needs to come out of our mouth."
💭THINK IT
A thought bubble stays inside my head. Only I can hear it. It is private and safe there.
🗣️SAY IT
A speech bubble comes out of my mouth. Other people hear it — and words can change how they feel.
✏️ Draw yourself in the middle. Draw one thought in the dashed bubble and one kind thing to say in the solid bubble.
🤔PawSteps · Activity 2
Think It or Say It? — You Decide!
👉 Read each sentence. Colour the 💭 circle if it should stay a thought. Colour the 🗣️ box if it is kind and okay to say.
"Your new haircut looks funny."
"Would you like to play with us?"
"Your packed lunch smells weird."
"Well done — you worked really hard on that!"
"This game is boring, I'm better than everyone."
"Are you okay? You look a bit sad."
"I wish I got a bigger slice of cake than him."
"Thank you for helping me with my zip."
💬 Talk about it: pick one "think it" sentence. Why might it hurt someone's feelings if it was said out loud?
🧠PawSteps · Lesson 3
My Social Filter
🐘 Ellie the elephant never forgets her filter! A social filter is like a net that catches unkind or private thoughts before they escape out of your mouth.
🧠1. BRAIN
A thought pops up! That's normal — brains make thoughts all day. "That drawing looks like a potato."
➜
🥅2. FILTER
Catch it and check: Is it kind? Is it true? Is it helpful? Would I like to hear it?
➜
👄3. MOUTH
Only kind and helpful words come through! "You worked really hard on that drawing!"
🖼️PawSteps · Poster
Before You Speak… THINK!
TIs it TRUE? — or am I guessing / exaggerating?
HIs it HELPFUL? — will it make things better?
IIs it IMPORTANT? — does it need saying right now?
NIs it NECESSARY? — or can it stay a thought?
KIs it KIND? — would I like to hear it myself?
📌 Pin me up! If the answer is YES to these, it's probably great to say it. 🦉
✋PawSteps · Poster
When Big Feelings Come — STOP!
SSTOP — freeze like a statue 🦩 before any words escape.
TTAKE a deep breath — a big slow lion's breath 🦁, in and out.
OOBSERVE your thoughts — what is my brain saying? 💭 It's just a thought.
PPICK kind words — or choose to keep it as a thought. 💚
📌 Pin me next to the THINK poster. Practise the 4 steps when you're calm, so they're easy when you're not!
💚PawSteps · Activity 6
Say It the Kind Way
✏️ Each animal blurted out a thought without using their filter — ouch! Rewrite it as something kind or helpful they could say instead.
🐒 Milo blurted: "Ugh, this game is SO boring!"
Kind way to say it:
🦜 Pip blurted: "That's easy, why can't you do it?"
Kind way to say it:
🐷 Rosie blurted: "I don't want to sit next to you."
Kind way to say it:
🦁 Leo blurted: "My picture is way better than yours."
Kind way to say it:
🐢 Shelly blurted: "Hurry UP, you're too slow!"
Kind way to say it:
🍯PawSteps · Lesson 7
Words Can Be Sticky
🐻 Bertie the bear says: "Words are like honey — they STICK! Kind words stick and make people feel warm for ages. Unkind words stick too, and they're hard to wash off."
💚 Sticky KIND words
Write 4 kind things you could say this week — and who you'll say them to:
💔 Words that stung
Think of a time words hurt YOUR feelings (you don't have to write who). How did it feel? How long did it stick?
💬 Talk about it: if unkind words slip out (everyone's do sometimes!), what can we say to help unstick them? Hint: it starts with "s" and ends with "orry". 😊
🗨️PawSteps · Activity 8
What Could You Say?
✏️ Read each situation and write what you could SAY in the speech bubble. Use your THINK checklist!
🎨 Your friend shows you their painting and asks, "Do you like it?" You think it's a bit messy — but they tried really hard.
🗣️ I could say:
🍝 Grandma cooked dinner. It's not your favourite. She asks, "How is it?"
🗣️ I could say:
⚽ You want to join a football game that has already started.
🗣️ I could say:
😢 Your friend's pet hamster died and they are crying.
🗣️ I could say:
🏆 You won the race and your friend came last.
🗣️ I could say:
🪞PawSteps · Activity 9
My Progress Reflection
🦉 You've nearly finished the workbook! Time to look back at how far you've come.
1. One thing I learned about thoughts and words:
2. A time this week I used my social filter (caught a thought before it escaped!):
3. A kind thing I said, and how the other person reacted:
4. The step I still find tricky (that's okay — filters get stronger with practice!):
5. How do I feel about my filter now? Circle one:
😟 😐 🙂 😃 🤩
🦉🏆💭
Social Filter Superstar!
This certifies that
has completed the PawSteps
Think It or Say It? Workbook
and knows how to catch a thought, check it, and choose kind words. 💚