|
Audio Article
|
According to CASEL, Social Emotional-Learning (SEL) is a significant part of human development and education. SEL is a process through which children and adults acquire and apply knowledge, attitudes, and skills to develop healthy identities, and emotions, achieve collective and personal goals, show and express empathy, establish supportive relationships and make decisions responsibly (CASEL, 2021). Developing social and emotional skills among children positively affects their lives, relationships, and academic progress.
For some parents, SEL is a common understanding while others are still discovering the concepts, but most have many questions and want to understand the term ‘Social Emotional-Learning.’ Kids on the Yard built our Social Emotional Learning programs with a primary focus: all human beings have “gifts” to offer to themselves, their community, and the world around them. Our program provides resilience tools for moments of challenges, purposeful desires that serve their goals and community, self-worth beyond the external, and empathy to understand themselves and others, resulting in empowering the 21st Century family. The Kids on the Yard SEL program integrates the Whole Child approach with age-appropriate and realistic goals that help to empower them both in class and in life. We aim to create a learning space that builds confidence-boosting conversations that facilitates a good foundation through childhood and beyond.
This article elaborates on the importance of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) programs and how they help children succeed in school, the workplace, and life.
How SEL Helps Children Succeed in School
Teachers across the United States are beginning to embrace and integrate Social Emotional-Learning programs into their teaching programs. They have come to understand that SEL programs are essential to children’s success. The programs are crucial because they improve students’ academic achievement, grow their self-awareness, and help them develop positive behaviors both in and out of the classroom. Students’ academic performances also improve as their social and emotional skills improve.
Research conducted by CASEL (2021) indicates that schools that observed the five key SEL competencies improved academic performance by 11% compared to those that did not participate in the program. It is vital to introduce social-emotional learning skills from an early age because when teachers identify students that don’t grasp the SEL core pillars, they can help them from an early age. This form of learning allows children to develop empathy, self-control, and self-management, among other life qualities included in the SEL core competencies.
Learning positive behaviors that go beyond academic achievement levels helps your child develop “soft skills” necessary not just in class but also in workplaces. Your child also develops better problem-solving techniques, understands other students’ needs, and embraces teamwork by learning SEL skills. In return, your child grows more confident in class which results in better performances.
How SEL Helps Children Benefit in Workplace
A nation’s economy is said to be as strong as its workforce. Having said this, we must agree that the 21st work environment involves collaboration, integration, and cross-functional teamwork. Besides significant diversity in the current workplace, there are also many cases of people working remotely. Working remotely does require higher social-emotional competencies than the traditional work environment since people are not in the same space. Social-emotional skills are also vital in business environments today, considering that most businesses are operating globally.
Laying down the SEL foundation early in a child’s education brings long-term benefits to the child’s life. Unlike job-specific skills acquired through training and education that change over time, SEL skills are timeless and applicable in many areas of life. Most companies and business owners search for people with high SEL skills because they are good at relationship-building, assertiveness, and collaboration. These skills, also known as ‘skills for success,’ are applicable in diverse, fast, and highly innovative environments. Equipping your children with these skills prepares them for success in almost all endeavors of their future lives.
How SEL Helps Children Succeed in Life
SEL programs help children develop better coping strategies that improve their ability to handle emotional stress, avoid peer pressure and solve problems more appropriately. According to the Committee for Children (n.d), self-management includes expressing and regulating personal emotions and demonstrating resilience and perseverance when obstacles arise. They also help to sustain healthy boundaries and reduce interpersonal and emotional stress. A child who has good SEL skills also knows to set goals to advocate for personal needs and maintain attention.
Further, a child with SEL skills develops self-awareness that helps him to label and recognize his emotions, identify their triggers, and analyze how they affect other people (CASEL, 2021). SEL also allows children to understand the relationship between their feelings, behaviors, and thoughts. They also recognize their strengths and areas to change while also avoiding biases and judgments on others. Importantly, SEL helps your child to develop a ‘growth’ mentality, self-confidence, and self-regard.
It only takes a moment to find out more details by meeting one of our Educational Team using a Call or SMS: Toll-Free USA: 844 902 4242 or for International: +1 850 848 4242.
References CASEL. (2021). Benefits of SEL. Retrieved from https://casel.org/impact/ Committee for Children. (n.d). How Social-Emotional Learning Helps Children Succeed in School, the Workplace, and Life. Retrieved from https://www.cfchildren.org/articles/wp-content/uploads/mission-vision/what-is-sel/docs/sel-e-book.pdf
