HomeComponent 2: Social and emotional learning for students

Component 2: Social and emotional learning for students

Social and emotional learning (SEL) benefits all students. It involves learning to recognise and manage emotions, promote caring and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish and maintain positive relationships, and handle challenging situations effectively. Research has shown that SEL is fundamental to children’s mental health, academic learning, moral development, and motivation to cooperate and achieve. Students who have social and emotional competencies and skills find it easier to manage themselves, relate to others, resolve conflict, and feel positive about themselves and the world around them.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) skills can be taught

Schools wanting to promote students’ mental health and prevent difficulties can address SEL in their curriculum, and reinforce SEL in all aspects of schools life. Social and emotional learning fits in clearly with the National Goals for School in the Twenty-first Century.

Teaching social and emotional skills has positive benefits for teachers and parents too. When children are taught specific strategies for recognising and responding to emotions, thinking through challenging situations and communicating effectively, they are less likely to act out in frustrations in the classroom or at home.

SEL skills are practical life skills

When teaching SEL, the emphasis needs to be not just on teaching about emotions and relationships, but on teaching practical skills that children can apply across a range of situations at school, at home and in the broader community. Formal instruction needs to be offered regularly to maximise the benefits. Opportunities for learning need to be coordinated across the school to support progressive development of skills with age and experience.

International research by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has identified the following core competencies which have been adopted for use in KidsMatter:

These five social and emotional skill areas are viewed as essential for the development of good mental health. For more information on SEL, see the KidsMatter resource Why social and emotional learning is important (PDF, 792KB)

Target areas and goals

Formal, regular and coordinated teaching of SEL curriculum

Social and emotional competencies need to be taught in schools as an integrated part of the regular curriculum. The teaching of social and emotional learning (SEL) needs to be coordinated and supported throughout the school across all year levels. It is important to provide children with developmentally appropriate opportunities to keep building their learning of key SEL competencies over the duration of primary schooling. Opportunities for students to practise and generalise SEL skills in the classroom, school and wider community are also crucial to implementing effective SEL.

Two target areas have been identified for Component 2: Social and emotional learning (SEL) for students, each with specific goals. These are:

Target areas	Goals
Target area 1: Effective social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum for all students	School staff understand the inter-relationship between social, emotional and academic learning Teachers understand the core social and emotional competencies of: self-awareness self-management social awareness relationship skills responsible decision making SEL curriculum is taught: that covers the core social and emotional competencies that has research evidence of effectiveness or is underpinned by a sound theoretical framework effectively, formally and regularly in a co-ordinated and supported way throughout the school
Target area 2: Opportunities for students to practise and transfer their social and emotional skills	School staff use their daily interactions with students to support the development of student’s SEL skills, in and out of the classroom Students are provided with regular opportunities to practise and adapt their social and emotional skills to new situations in the classroom, school and wider community School staff provide information to parents about the school’s social and emotional curriculum and work collaboratively with parents to assist students’ development of social and emotional skills

Target areas

Goals

Target area 1:
Effective social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum for all students

School staff understand the inter-relationship between social, emotional and academic learning
Teachers understand the core social and emotional competencies of:
- self-awareness
- self-management
- social awareness
- relationship skills
- responsible decision making
SEL curriculum is taught:
- that covers the core social and emotional competencies
- that has research evidence of effectiveness or is underpinned by a sound theoretical framework
- effectively, formally and regularly in a co-ordinated and supported way throughout the school

Target area 2:
Opportunities for students to practise and transfer their social and emotional skills

School staff use their daily interactions with students to support the development of student’s SEL skills, in and out of the classroom
Students are provided with regular opportunities to practise and adapt their social and emotional skills to new situations in the classroom, school and wider community
School staff provide information to parents about the school’s social and emotional curriculum and work collaboratively with parents to assist students’ development of social and emotional skills

Information and resources

The resources relating to Component 2, Social and emotional learning for students, have been specifically designed by KidsMatter to provide parents, carers, and school staff with an understanding of the kinds of social and emotional skills that can help children’s learning, as well as detailed suggestions for supporting children’s social and emotional learning in everyday situations.

View information and resources