Research indicates that children who have well-developed social and emotional skills are more successful in social situations. Emotional competence can be defined as a child’s ability to identify and express his or her feelings. Social competence refers to a child’s ability to interact with other people. Emotional competence and social competence go hand-in-hand, as both involve skill sets that help to express, define, and interpret emotions. Emotional and social competencies also allow children to relate and respond to the feelings of others, as well as communicate their needs.
Children who are emotionally and socially competent:
● Listen, share, cooperate, and help others.
● Are able to control their behaviors in an age-appropriate way.
● Are better able to successfully establish relationships with their peers.
● Perform better academically and behaviorally in school settings.
Children who are underdeveloped emotionally and socially may:
● Have difficulty in peer relationships, as well as with interpreting the emotions of others.
● Have lower levels of confidence and motivation, especially at school.
● Find it challenging to focus or to stay on task.
● Struggle with controlling their feelings and behaviors.
Self-Awareness
The abilities to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. This includes capacities to recognize one’s strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose such as: Such as
• Integrating personal and social identities
• Identifying personal, cultural, and linguistic assets
• Identifying one’s emotions
• Demonstrating honesty and integrity
• Linking feelings, values, and thoughts
• Examining prejudices and biases
• Experiencing self-efficacy
• Having a growth mindset
• Developing interests and a sense of purpose
Self-Management
The abilities to manage one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations. This includes the capacities to delay gratification, manage stress, and feel motivation and agency to accomplish personal/ collective goals. Such as
• Managing one’s emotions
• Identifying and using stress-management strategies
• Exhibiting self-discipline and self-motivation
• Setting personal and collective goals
• Using planning and organizational skills
• Showing the courage to take initiative
• Demonstrating personal and collective agency
Social Awareness
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts. This includes the capacities to feel compassion for others, understand broader historical and social norms for behavior in different settings, and recognize family, school, and community resources and support. Such as
• Taking others’ perspectives
• Recognizing strengths in others
• Demonstrating empathy and compassion
• Showing concern for the feelings of others
• Understanding and expressing gratitude
• Identifying diverse social norms, including unjust ones
• Recognizing situational demands and opportunities
• Understanding the influences of organizations/ systems on behavior
Decision-Making
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations. This includes the capacity to consider ethical standards and safety concerns, and to evaluate the benefits and consequences of various actions for personal, social, and collective well-being. Such as:
• Demonstrating curiosity and open-mindedness
• Identifying solutions for personal and social problems
• Learning to make a reasoned judgment after analyzing information, data, facts
• Anticipating and evaluating the consequences of one’s actions
• Recognizing how critical thinking skills are useful both inside and outside of school
• Reflecting on one’s role to promote personal, family, and community well-being
• Evaluating personal, interpersonal, community, and institutional impacts
Research has shown that social emotional learning is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.