What is Social and Emotional Learning?

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

Strategies For Home

Model the Behavior You Seek

Children learn a great deal about relationships from observing the behavior of their parents. Model behavior practices for your child, such as apologizing when you're wrong, or treating others with respect and kindness. Think about the impact of your actions with your kids and ask yourself, is what you're doing something you'd be comfortable others doing with your kid?

Nurture Your Child's Self Esteem

A strong self-esteem leads to happiness and success in school. Strategies include giving your child age-appropriate responsibilities, allowing them to make decisions, and showing appreciation for a job well done.

Be a Good Listener

Listening is a core competency skill.

Avoid cutting your child off. Listen to what they have to say fully.
Listen patiently. Give your child plenty of time to think and talk.
Encourage talking. Some children need a little encouragement to get started. They will be more encouraged to share when they feel what they are saying is important you.
Be attentive. Forget about the cell phone and other distractions. Maintain eye contact to show you care and are interested in what they are saying.

Activites At Home

Empathy in Action

Target empathy and perspective-taking during a family movie night. At any given time, pause the movie and discuss how the characters might be feeling. Ask question such as, "How are they feeling?" "How would you feel if that happened to you?

Kindness-Activity-Pathway-2-Success-1-1.pdf

Acts of Kindness Challenge

Use this free printable resource to encourage your child to be kind to others. For each kind things they do, have them color in the picture!

Just Chat!

Build self-awareness, conversation skills, and relationships by asking questions about anything, It could be favorite colors, food and activities. Or, what 3 items would they bring to a deserted island? Practice taking turns.

Mindful Breathing

We love to practice this one in kindergarten! Explain that mindful breathing is just focusing on your breath coming in and out. It can be a wonderful calming technique. Model inhaling through the nose and explain it is like smelling flowers. Model exhaling through the mouth and explain it is like blowing out birthday candles. Repeat! Smell the flowers, blow out the candles!