Editable Moving Social Story: Moving to a New House

What is included

• •One illustrated social story about moving to a new house
• •A gentle wording that describes far more than it instructs, and a firmer direct wording
• •Four child looks: a boy or a girl, with light or dark skin
• •Half-page booklets in wide and tall pages, in US Letter and A4
• •Blank write-in booklets in US Letter and A4, for the stories only you can write
• •A guide with a printed link and QR code for each wording that opens your copy in the free Social Story Maker

What the moving social story says

The gentle wording is eight pages long, one picture and one short sentence on each page, told in the child's own voice. The first two pages read:

The pages after that cover:

• the moving truck that carries the boxes
• a new house with new rooms, smells, and sounds
• feeling excited, worried, or both
• hugging a teddy, a deep breath, or telling a grown-up
• helping unpack and choosing where toys go
• the new house starting to feel like home

The direct wording says the same things in seven pages, with the expectation stated plainly.

When to read a moving social story

Read it at a calm time as soon as you start talking about the move, and keep reading it while you pack, on moving day, and in the first weeks in the new house. Read it once more after your child helped unpack or slept well in the new room, so the story is tied to a real success.

How to read the moving social story with your child

1. Start with the gentle wording; switch to the direct one if your child does best with a plain rule.
2. Print the child look that matches your child, and write their name on the cover.
3. Read one page at a time, pointing to the picture before you read the sentence.
4. Swap in real photos of the new house and your child's new room in the editable copy.
5. Pack one box of favorite things last, and let your child unpack it first in the new room.

Moving social story questions

What is a moving social story?

A moving social story is a short illustrated story, in the approach developed by Carol Gray, that previews a move from a child's point of view: packing, the truck, the new house, and the mixed feelings that come with it, so the change feels familiar before moving day.

When should we start reading it?

As soon as you start talking about the move, before the first box is packed. Keep reading it through packing and moving day, and for a few weeks in the new house; the last page, about the new house feeling like home, matters most after the move.

What is the difference between the gentle and the direct wording?

The gentle wording mostly describes what happens and how it feels, with two coaching sentences. The direct wording states the plan plainly: I help pack, and I tell my grown-up when I feel worried. Both come in this moving social story, so you can choose the one that fits.

Can I personalize the story?

Yes. The guide prints a link and a QR code for each wording that opens the story in the free Social Story Maker. You can add your child's name, put in photos of the new house and the new bedroom, and change the teddy to your child's own comfort item.

What formats and paper sizes are included?

One ZIP with print-ready PDFs in US Letter and A4: the story in four child looks, each in wide and tall booklet pages and in both wordings, plus blank write-in booklets and the guide. Print at actual size, cut each sheet in half along the dashed line, stack the pages in order and staple the left edge.

How do I receive the files, and can I use them with my whole class?

Delivery is instant: checkout unlocks the download and emails you the link, and the pack stays in your My Resources library. It is licensed for personal and single-classroom use. Because it is a digital download, all sales are final; if a file will not open, email info@spectrumunlocked.com and Spectrum Unlocked will fix it.