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Why is Social Emotional Learning Important in Early Childhood Education?

Author: Emilie Sauzier, Grade R Teacher, Lighthouse Primary and Secondary School

Let’s start by answering the question: ‘What is social-emotional learning?’  

The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines social and emotional learning (SEL) as an integral part of education and human development. For them, it is “the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions”.

Simply, social-emotional development in early childhood refers to the gradual changes that children go through as they develop the ability to understand, express, and manage their emotions and social relationships. It helps children build a foundation for healthy social relationships. 

There are 5 areas of competence for social and emotional learning: 

  • Self-awareness, which corresponds to the ability for children to understand their own emotions, mindset and values. Children with great self-awareness can understand their strengths and weaknesses. This can greatly improve their confidence and help them later on in their professional and personal lives.
  • Self-management, which corresponds to the ability to deal with stress and how to strive for their goals. These skills help children balance academics, work and social life.
  • Social awareness, which corresponds to the understanding and respect of others’ diverse backgrounds, including different cultures. This skill also helps them get along with their family and friends. All of this leads to healthier relationships.
  • Relationship skills, which corresponds to the ability for children to navigate relationships with friends, family, teachers and others. It’s important to teach them how to speak to others and build relationships.
  • Responsible decision making, which corresponds to the ability for children to understand how to make smart and considerate choices. It’s important to get children to start thinking about what impact their actions can have on themselves and others. This way, they can make better decisions. 

Why is it important for young children?   
Positive social and emotional development in early childhood helps set the stage for a life of healthy, meaningful relationships. Some of the benefits of social-emotional development include: 

  • Better self-confidence
  • Increased empathy
  • Strong social relationships
  • Decreased emotional distress
  • More positive attitude 
  • Fewer externalizing behaviors
  • Increased resilience
  • Better self-regulation
  • Make responsible decisions
  • Solve problems

Emotionally intelligent children have stronger abilities to cope positively and to interact effectively towards success in many different areas of life. 

How to help children become mentally strong?  
Strategies that can help children develop these social-emotional skills include:  

  • Model appropriate behaviors. As Albert Bandura proposed in his Social Learning Theory, children learn through observation, imitation and modeling of the behaviours, attitudes and emotional reactions of others.
  • Provide reinforcement for good behaviors – praise effort, not results. This greatly influences the children’s self-esteem and perseverance.
  • Teach empathy and cooperation
  • Encourage problem-solving
  • Teach emotional resilience
  • Let them fail. Mistakes are part of learning and help them grow.
  • Teach self-discipline
  • Encourage a growth mindset
  • Set healthy boundaries
  • Normalize challenges. Giving small challenging tasks to your child will encourage him to go out of his comfort zone, thus developing his self-esteem, confidence and problem-solving skills. 
  • Teach gratitude
  • Encourage independence
  • Encourage positive self-talk. The “I will try my best” and “I can do it” mindset are so powerful.
  • Help them manage anxiety
  • Avoid overprotecting. Let children explore, climb and take reasonable risks. Let them climb trees (up to a specific level that you will tell him or her). Let them climb the slide from the bottom to top. Let them stand on the swing. Children need to be empowered with the “I can do it by myself” mindset.
  • Let them make decisions like choosing their own clothes every day, choosing a healthy snack to eat and choosing a story book to read at bedtime.
  • Help them set goals 
  • Teach delayed gratification, instead of giving them everything straight away. 

How can SEL help children solve problems? 
If children are stuck on how to complete an art project or do a math problem, instead of feeling frustrated,  they can tap into their self-management skills and reach out to a teacher/adult for guidance. Furthermore, tools like how to regulate emotions and manage stress are skills children will use throughout their lives. 

To sum up, social-emotional learning is the building blocks of academic success in children. Social-emotional learning can be compared with the construction of a house. The foundations need to be strong before adding the walls and roofs. The same principle applies; when we focus on developing a child’s resilience, perseverance, patience, emotional regulation, ability to deal with frustration and solve problems, the child becomes emotionally intelligent. 

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