Free social story maker

A social story for first day of school

Type a name, pick what is coming up, and read it together with real-place pictures. Listen, print, or save a PDF. Free, no account.

Sam’s first day of school

  1. The front of a small brick school with an open gate on a sunny morning.

    My name is Sam.

  2. The front of a small brick school with an open gate on a sunny morning.

    Soon I will go to school.

  3. A school hallway with wooden cubbies and small backpacks on coat hooks.

    I bring my bag and my snack.

  4. A sunny classroom with low round tables and a teacher pulling out a chair.

    My teacher says hello and shows me where to sit.

  5. A sunny classroom with low round tables and a teacher pulling out a chair.

    Many children feel excited and a little nervous on the first day.

  6. A sunny classroom with low round tables and a teacher pulling out a chair.

    It is okay to feel both at the same time.

  7. A cozy reading corner with a round rug, cushions, and a low bookshelf.

    In school we play, sing, and listen to stories.

  8. A cozy reading corner with a round rug, cushions, and a low bookshelf.

    A slow breath helps many children when they feel wobbly.

  9. Snack tables by the window with cups of water, apple slices, and lunch boxes.

    I can try saying hello to one new friend.

  10. The school gate in warm afternoon light at pick-up time.

    After school, my grown-up comes to pick me up.

  11. The school gate in warm afternoon light at pick-up time.

    School is a new adventure, and I am ready to try.

10 describing · 1 coaching · written to the 2023 formula. A social narrative should describe far more than it directs: at least four describing sentences for every coaching one, and at most one sentence that coaches your child (Carol Gray’s 2023 criteria).

How to read it together

  1. Read it calmly before the event. A day or two ahead works well, somewhere quiet. Point to each picture as you read; let your child hold the phone or turn the pages.
  2. Read it more than once. Many families and teachers read a social story several times before the day comes, and again on the day. Repetition is the point, not a sign it did not work.
  3. Let your child add a sentence. Ask, “What else happens?” or “What could you try?” Add their sentence under Edit the words: a line in their own words makes the story theirs.
  4. After the day, make the applause story. At least half of the stories a child hears should celebrate. Afterwards, read an applause story: the same place, told in the past tense, praising what your child did.

What is a social story?

A social story is a short social narrative, told in the first person, that walks a child through a situation in calm, literal sentences: what usually happens, who is there, how people feel, and one thing the child can try. This maker writes one for your child’s name and situation instantly, as a little book with a picture of the real place on every page.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What is a social story?

A short, first-person social narrative that describes one situation in plain, literal sentences: what usually happens, who is there, how people tend to feel, and one thing the child can try. It is read before the situation, calmly, so the day feels familiar when it comes.

Who are social stories for?

Many families and teachers use social stories to prepare children for new situations: autistic children, children who feel anxious about change, and very young children meeting something for the first time. They are a gentle preparation tool, not a treatment, and they sit alongside whatever support your child already has.

How is a social story written?

The sentences do different jobs. Most describe: what happens, who is there, how people feel. One gently coaches: a single “I can try” sentence. Carol Gray’s 2023 criteria ask for at least four describing sentences for every coaching sentence, and this maker writes to that: first person, present tense, “usually” and “sometimes” instead of “always”, one coaching sentence, and a calm last line. The badge under the book shows the count for your story.

Is this free, and do I need an account?

Yes, it is free, and no account is needed. The book is built on your device from tested templates and a library of real-place pictures; nothing you type is sent anywhere. Listening, printing, the PDF and the link are free too.

Can I print it, save a PDF, or have it read aloud?

Yes. Print gives a title page and then each sentence on a card with its picture, three to a page. PDF opens the same pages ready to save. Listen reads the book with your device’s voice, highlights each sentence, and turns the pages. Link copies an address that rebuilds the same book, including your changes to the words.

Can my child be in the pictures?

The pictures here show the real place, so the room, the people and the things in it look familiar on the day. If you would like your child painted into every page, the paint-in step under the book does that from this story, keeping your words exactly.

All 16 situations

Each one has its own pages of the real place: the room, the people, the things you will see.

Social Stories™ is a trademark of Carol Gray. Little Storybook is not affiliated.