Recent years have both reinforced that academic learning and cognitive growth are inextricably linked with social and emotional development and elevated our understanding that none of this growth occurs in a vacuum at school; rather, it occurs simultaneously in multiple contexts. Understanding that family engagement and collaboration plays a crucial role in teaching and strengthening SEL skills, the PTO hopes to provide helpful resources and learning opportunities for families so that we can best align strategies for supporting our students.

What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)?

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) refers to the development of five, interrelated sets of cognitive, affective, and behavioral competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making (Greenberg et al., 2003). By acquiring these skills, our children learn how to recognize and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, appreciate the perspectives of others, establish and maintain positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and handle interpersonal situations constructively (Elias et al., 1997).

Why is SEL important?

In recent meta-analyses examining school-based SEL programs, SEL participants demonstrated significant long-term improvement across multiple outcomes, including social and emotional skills (i.e., anxiety and behavior problems), prosocial behavior (i.e., substance use), and academic performance when compared to participants that received no formal SEL instruction (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011; Taylor, Overle, Durlak, & Weissberg, 2017).

Please feel free to reach out with any questions, concerns, or comments to [email protected].