A group of four smiling children wearing backpacks look toward the camera.

Vetted Resources

High quality, evidence-based resources are publicly available online from many organizations. The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State identified some of the most relevant, useful, and accessible resources across multiple topics, such as military culture, deployments, parental injury, student grief, and reintegration. Please click on each topic area to view the identified resources that may be helpful to you as you work with military-connected students and families.

TitleDescriptionCategorieshf:tax:taxonomy_resources
A Guide to the Interstate Compact for Schools and Local School Districts

This guide helps schools and local school districts understand the provisions of the Interstate Compact.

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ADDitude Magazine

Free resources for learning about the distractability, impulsivity, and working memory problems associated with ADHD that can contribute to student behavior issues.

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Advocating for Military Children: A Resource Guide for Educators and Community Partners Child & Youth Program

This guide is intended to help educators build coping skills in their students during and after a military deployment. The goal is to bring needed support and understanding to the process and maintain an optimal learning environment in the classroom and the school.

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After A Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools 2nd Edition

This resource provides an overview for schools to respond in the immediate aftermath of a suicide death of a student. This resource was developed primarily for administrators and staff in middle and high schools, but it can also be useful for parents and communities.

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Be a Military-Friendly Educator

If you have limited experience with military families, becoming familiar with the structure, culture, and life of the military can be helpful. This information can be used as an introduction or quick refresher about military life.

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Breathe, Think, Do – Teaching Children to Cope with Negative Emotions with Sesame Street

Sesame Workshop developed a free interactive mobile app that demonstrates some emotions children might feel. It teaches children how to deal with negative emotions, such as frustration, through games and activities.

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Changing Families: Parental Injury (with Sesame Street)

Sesame Street characters address the difficulties and challenges that may accompany the injury of a parent.

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Child Mind Guides for Educators and Parents

Behavior guides for a variety of diagnoses, including (alphabetically) ADHD, anxiety, autism, bedwetting, depression, and more.

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College, Career and Life Readiness for Military and Veteran Children

The Military Child Education Coalition designed this guide to provide some background information and recommendations in order to help you make well-informed decisions about issues regarding the military- and veteran-connected children in grades kindergarten through 12 within your community.

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Communicating With Service Members- Army OneSource

This module addresses the challenges associated with communicating with Army Service members. Although the module was developed for interacting with the Army, the provided strategies can help people communicate effectively with those involved in military life across all Services.

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Coping with Service Member Injury

Deployments bring changes. This is especially true when a Service member returns due to physical injury, emotional injury, or a combination of both types of injury. The return of an injured parent can be unsettling for the family, especially when children have questions that may not have immediate answers. Because things are constantly changing and may become increasingly challenging, approach the various stages of coping in small steps in order to adjust successfully to the “new normal.”

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Discussing Tough Topics with Kids

As part of a military family, children may have to face the unthinkable. Children can learn how to cope with and overcome very difficult situations, but support is key to their success. The provided materials will help children, teenagers, and parents cope with tough topics, including the injury or death of a loved one.

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Resources for Classrooms

These resources, which highlight our world’s vast diversity and promote equity, will open students’ minds, get them to reflect on their own privileges, and help them better understand other people, perspectives, and cultures.

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Edutopia: MTSS resources

Review a case study about how one school implemented an MTSS framework.

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Expressing Pride During Deployment (with Sesame Street)

Sesame Street characters communicate the importance of family members being proud of one another, especially during an absence. The accompanying resources are helpful for parents and children to utilize.

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For Families: Homecoming Stories

Talk, Listen, Connect, offers strategies and resources to help children through difficult periods of transition and separation that can come with military service. These homecoming stories can help provide support to children.

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Grief and Loss Workshop (with Sesame Street)

The death of a loved one brings enormous challenges. The Sesame Workshop offers support and resources for families to use during these difficult times.

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Grief and Loss- Strategies for Children (with Sesame Street)

Through song, Sesame Street characters address the various emotions children may experience during times of loss and also provide strategies to cope with death.

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Guide for Helping Children and Youth Cope with Separation

This guide was created by the Department of Defense for parents, relatives, teachers, Service members, and community members to help children and youth cope with separation from a parent due to military deployment.

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Helping Military Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Educators

Children who are grieving the loss of a military loved one can develop traumatic responses in addition to grief responses, or “childhood traumatic grief.” These tips can help educators support these children.

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Helping Military Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Parents

Children grieve in different ways. Military children face unique challenges after the death of a Service member. Some may develop traumatic grief responses, making it more difficult to cope. These tips can help parents recognize traumatic grief symptoms and help their military child cope with traumatic grief.

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How the Interstate Compact and the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Affect Military-Connected Students

The National Military Family Association has identified the essential educational provisions included in the Interstate Compact and the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill that affect military-connected students.

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Informational Brochure: Resolving Education Transition Issues for Military Families

This brochure provides clear answers to frequently asked questions about the Interstate Compact.

The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. This overview outlines the school transition issues that the Interstate Compact addresses to ensure military children have the same access to educational opportunities as non-military peers.

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Interstate Compact: Fact Sheet for Service Providers

This fact sheet provides service providers with all the essential information they need to know about the Interstate Compact.

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Interstate Compact: Guide for Parents, School Officials, and Public Administrators

This guide provides practical information about the Interstate Compact’s requirements and provisions.

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Interstate Compact: Quick Reference Guide

This reference guide organizes all of the essential information about what is covered by the Interstate Compact.

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Interventions and Progress Monitoring Toolkit

This toolkit provides templates and worksheets to help school personnel create intervention menus, design student intervention plans, and progress monitor.

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Levels of Intervention and Evidence

Resources to support the selection and evaluation of Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 interventions in an MTSS framework.

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Making a Stress Management Plan

This Military Kids Connect module helps students understand and manage stress.

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Military Cultural Competence Training

This interactive online training course provides an overview of military culture including organizational structure, rank, branches of service, core values, and demographics as well as similarities and differences between the Active and Reserve components. It is intended to assist civilian mental health providers in better understanding, communicating, and effectively interacting with Service members and their families. Although some of the statistics and demographics information are outdated, the remaining components of the course are useful for navigating military culture.

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Military Culture: Core Competencies for Healthcare Professionals

This module series reviews the military organization and roles, military ethos, stressors and resources, as well as treatment resources and tools. Although some of the statistics and demographics information are outdated, the remaining components of the course are useful for navigating military culture.

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Military Family Programs Courses

This list of resources for military-connected children and youth can connect military families with opportunities to prepare their kids for success — both in their education and beyond.

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Military Kids Connect- Lesson Plans in Core Subjects that Integrate Military Life Content

Military Kids Connect developed lesson plans that integrate website content about military life and world cultures with key concepts in language arts, math, and other subjects. Each of these ready-to-go lesson plans includes content, instructions, and handouts.

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Military Kids Connect: Identifying and Coping with Stress

Military Kids Connect developed an interactive web-based activity to help children identify ways in which stress is exhibited in different parts of the body and strategies to cope with such stress.

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Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support Handbook

In a 2019 literature review of state-level guidance on Multi-Tiered System of Support for Behavioral Health )MTSS-B, researchers recommended that the MTSS-B materials developed and shared by Missouri’s Department of Education serve as a reference for schools when implementing MTSS-B. both as models for other state departments of education, and as important references for school-based practitioners, in thinking about the implementation of MTSS-B.

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Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support Tier 1 Implementation Guide

In a 2019 literature review of state-level guidance on Multi-Tiered System of Support for Behavioral Health )MTSS-B, researchers recommended that the MTSS-B materials developed and shared by Missouri’s Department of Education serve as a reference for schools when implementing MTSS-B. both as models for other state departments of education, and as important references for school-based practitioners, in thinking about the implementation of MTSS-B.

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Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support Tier 2 Team Workbook

In a 2019 literature review of state-level guidance on Multi-Tiered System of Support for Behavioral Health )MTSS-B, researchers recommended that the MTSS-B materials developed and shared by Missouri’s Department of Education serve as a reference for schools when implementing MTSS-B. both as models for other state departments of education, and as important references for school-based practitioners, in thinking about the implementation of MTSS-B.

Viewmulti-tiered-systems-of-support
Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support Tier 3 Team Workbook

In a 2019 literature review of state-level guidance on Multi-Tiered System of Support for Behavioral Health )MTSS-B, researchers recommended that the MTSS-B materials developed and shared by Missouri’s Department of Education serve as a reference for schools when implementing MTSS-B. both as models for other state departments of education, and as important references for school-based practitioners, in thinking about the implementation of MTSS-B.

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Model Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention Policy

This is Pennsylvania’s Model Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention Policy for school entities.

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NASP School Violence Prevention

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) provides brief facts and tips for preventing school violence.

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Parental Injury- Coming Home (with Sesame Street)

Sesame Street characters discuss strategies to address the challenges associated with welcoming home an injured Service member.

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Planning for Homecoming

Families spend weeks preparing for this special day, and the full homecoming experience may last for weeks afterward. However, as with any highly anticipated event, the reality for a family could be different from their expectations. Having your loved one back is wonderful, but it’s also another significant transition. With advance planning, you can help prepare a child for the joys–and occasional stresses–of having his or her family together again.

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Preparing Children for a Parent’s Deployment

This concise guide provides a list of strategies that can help prepare children for a parent’s deployment.

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Preparing Children for Parental Deployment

This module addresses ways in which children can prepare for a parent deployment and emphasizes the importance of communicating with friends and family that are near and far.

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Preventing Youth Suicide: Brief Facts and Tips

This fact sheet from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) includes brief facts and tips for preventing student suicide.

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Promoting Young Children’s Social and Emotional Health

This resource discusses the importance of socioemotional learning in young children and offers strategies to promote their social and emotional skill development.

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Reducing Problem Behaviors in the Elementary School Classroom

Designed for elementary school educators and school- and district-level administrators, this guide offers prevention, implementation, and schoolwide strategies that can be used to reduce problematic behavior that interferes with the ability of students to attend to and engage fully in instructional activities.

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Resources for Parents of Military-Connected Children

The Sesame Workshop has developed downloadable documents and strategy guides for navigating the challenges military families and children may experience.

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School Nurse Care Toolkit to Increase Awareness & Support to Military Children

This detailed resource provides strategies that can help you support and promote resiliency in children who are dealing with deployment or reintegration.

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SEL Strategies and Tools

This resource includes several general strategies and tools to promote social and emotional learning.

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Self-Expression (with Sesame Street)

This Sesame Workshop online module promotes and encourages children to express their emotions and practice positive communication.

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Staying Strong: Educator Toolkit to Increase Awareness & Support to Military Children in Schools

This guide provides detailed examples of strategies teachers can use to effectively communicate with students and parents in various situations and during different stages of deployment.

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Staying Strong: How Schools Build Resilience in Military Families

This video shows ways in which schools can help build resilience in military families by demonstrating exemplary practices and strategies that schools can recreate to support military children.

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Suicide Prevention Resource Center: School Resources

A variety of resources that can help schools take action to prevent suicide, and know how to respond after a suicide.

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Talking About the News When a Parent is Deployed

When a parent is deployed, watching, listening to, or reading the news can be worrisome. This guide provides helpful strategies to productively talk about current military-related events with children.

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Talking to Children about Grief and Loss

This video explains the concept of death in age-appropriate terms for young children. As it emphasizes the importance of communication and support, it models appropriate behavior and actions that children should follow when they grieve.

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Talking with Children About a Parent’s Return from Deployment

This guide provides age-appropriate communication strategies and conversation starters to help children talk through a parent’s return home.

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The CASEL Guide to Schoolwide SEL Essentials

This 70 page mini-book includes key introductory material, concise explanations and illustrations for each focus area, and the most essential tools within each focus area. It is designed to be used as a workbook for a Schoolwide SEL professional learning community or as a reference for coaches and SEL team leaders.

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Traumatic Grief for Military Children

These strategies can help teachers provide support to military children coping with a traumatic loss.

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Typical Behavioral Responses to Deployment

Military Kids Connect developed a guide that describes behaviors students may display as they react to a parent or caregiver’s deployment.

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What does an Inclusive Classroom Look Like?

This resource discusses what an inclusive classroom is, and describes the features of an inclusive classroom.

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What Is a Trauma-Informed School?

An overview of the components that make up a trauma-informed school provided by the Treatment and Services Adaptation Center (TSA).

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Working with Military Kids: 5-Part Video Series

Military youth face unique challenges. This video series brings together experienced educators to offer their insights into working with this resilient group of young people.

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