NEWS FROM THE CLASSROOM

Success in Social-Emotional Learning

News from the Preschool classroom

February 13, 2022

Whenever I tell someone that I am preschool teacher and voluntarily spend more than 8 hours a day surrounded by 4- and 5-year-olds, I generally receive one of two reactions.  The reaction I love to get, but sadly, rarely receive is a somewhat envious, “Oh my gosh, that sounds like so much FUN!” Then I know I’ve found a kindred spirit! Unfortunately, I usually get a response which is tinged with anything from distaste to outright horror: “Wow – I could NEVER do that.”  These people often offer sympathetic words of comfort, which I appreciate, but find a little humorous. This is because, although I often go home exhausted, I LOVE my job!

I’ve thought a lot about why there are so many people who believe that they could never work with young children.  I’ve come to the conclusion that there could be two reasons people might feel that way, (and they are probably exact same reasons I am so tired by the end of each day!).

Number 1: Children are NEEDY! They need to talk and explore, talk and wiggle, talk and play, talk and create, talk and learn how to solve interpersonal problems. (And did I mention that they need to talk? Usually simultaneously!).

Number 2:  Teaching children how to get along and resolve their conflicts all day long can be exhausting for adults, but it really is a vital (and rewarding) task in preschool.

It is critical that we, as adults, remember that just as a young child’s physical, cognitive, and verbal skills develop over time, it is the same with social and emotional skills.  All the while children are together at school playing and learning, the adults (teachers, TA’s, specialists – everyone!) are teaching and reteaching social-emotional skills. In order for children to develop effective SEL skills, they must receive explicit instruction, but instruction alone is not enough!  Each child requires lots of time and opportunities to practice these skills, so preschool is a terrific setting for this process to take place.  It takes time and space for children to develop social-emotional skills, and, as in so many other things, each child will do so at their own pace.

At PNA we feel that academic readiness is important, but we also know that a great preschool program must also support a child’s growth in all developmental domains.  Additionally, most early childhood educators would agree that social and emotional growth in the preschool years is just as important as academic growth. Self-esteem, personal relationships, and academic growth are all affected by a child’s ability to feel good about themselves and their ability to successfully interact with others, and When children don’t have the social skills which they need to successfully resolve conflicts, it usually leads to problems such as unkind words and yelling, hitting, fighting, and even a dislike of school in general. Actually, many studies have concluded that social and emotional skill level is a more reliable predictor of future academic achievement than are academic assessments. Children simply cannot learn when they are struggling to follow directions, get along with their peers and control their emotions in a classroom setting. When children struggle with these skills, their learning suffers and frustration grows.

According to an article written by Jeannie Ho and Suzanne Funk and published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children in March 2018:

Children’s social and emotional health affects their overall development and learning. Research indicates that children who are mentally healthy tend to be happier, show greater motivation to learn, have a more positive attitude toward school, more eagerly participate in class activities, and demonstrate higher academic performance than less mentally healthy peers (Hyson 2004; Kostelnik et al. 2015). Children who exhibit social and emotional difficulties tend to have trouble following directions and participating in learning activities. Compared with healthier peers, they may be more likely to suffer rejection by classmates, have low self-esteem, do poorly in school, and be suspended (Hyson 2004; Kostelnik et al. 2015). Thus, children’s social and emotional health is just as important as their physical health, and affects their capacity to develop and potential to lead a fulfilling life.

Without question, parents and other family members have the primary responsibility for a child’s social and emotional health. However, because social and emotional health has such a powerful impact on a young child’s success, and because children spend so much time at school, it is vital that social and emotional learning be woven through all aspects of a child’s experiences at school as well.

According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, there five core competency areas that are widely recognized as critical social-emotional skills:

  • Self-awareness – the ability to recognize your emotions and understand the links between emotions, thoughts and behaviors.
  • Self-management – the ability to regulate emotions, thoughts and behaviors.
  • Social awareness – the ability to take other’s perspectives and demonstrate empathy.
  • Relationship skills – the ability to build and maintain healthy relationships.
  • Responsible decision making – the ability to make good choices about your behavior and interactions with others.

While it may seem to take a long time for a preschool child’s social and emotional skills to develop, the rewards are totally worth the effort to help them on this path. A child’s self-esteem, personal relationships, and future academic growth will all be affected by how they feel about themselves and their ability to successfully interact with others, as they take the next step into kindergarten and begin their personal journey towards becoming a PNA student of vision, courage and integrity!

 

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