Children are confronted by a constellation of challenges every day.
We can help them navigate those challenges successfully.
The Importance of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
WHAT IS SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING?
Social and emotional learning teaches children critical interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, including empathy, problem solving, emotion management, anger de-escalation, decision-making, independent thinking, how to build positive relationships, and how to recognize, react to, and mitigate bullying.
WHY IS SEL IMPORTANT?
Helping children learn and apply these nonintuitive skills will assist them in developing greater self-regulation and social and emotional competence. Research has shown that acquiring these skills empowers children with more positive connections to their peers and adults, improves their academic performance, and enhances their self-concept.
PROVEN BENEFITS
Practicing and mastering SEL skills have been empirically shown to reduce peer rejection, social isolation, and bullying while enhancing a child’s self-esteem and their ability to learn and feel more connected to their educational environment.
SEL skills help to prevent many behavioral problems which might negatively impact a child’s interactions with others and constrain their opportunities for social and educational engagement and success.
SEL skills provide protective factors against impulsivity, aggression, frustration, social ostracization, and other at-risk behaviors, equipping children with the skills they need to navigate through whatever challenges they may encounter.
By teaching SEL skills to children and helping them to apply these skills effectively, we are setting them up for success by ensuring that they have the social and emotional competence that they need to thrive in a complex world.
An Overview of SEL Skill Components
EMPATHY
Children who understand how to identify emotions within themselves and others are better able to regulate their emotional responses, which result in lower levels of aggression and higher levels of positive social interactions.
PROBLEM-SOLVING
Problem-solving is an essential skill which will assist children in decision-making throughout their lifetime. Learning how to identify a problem accurately, consider appropriate solutions, weigh any potential consequences, and then select and evaluate the viability of their choice teaches children how to proactively solve any problem they may encounter, in any environment.
EMOTION MANAGEMENT
The ability to recognize emotions accurately and apply simple strategies for managing them allows children the opportunity to cope with strong emotions in an effective manner. Applying simple techniques to prevent an escalation of strong emotions will help children learn impulse control and perspective taking while enhancing their self-esteem.