Reinforce the Skills
Combine Academics with Social and Emotional Learning
A growing body of research indicates that social and emotional learning (SEL) lays a foundation for academic learning. SEL programs have been found to increase academic achievement (Elias et al., 1997), increase prosocial behaviors, and reduce behaviors that may interfere with learning (Grossman et al., 1997).
Students benefit most from programs when they are comprehensive and research based (Elias et al., 1997). In addition to using a formal SEL program, daily opportunities to practice social and emotional skills are critical.
Integrating SEL with academics can sound challenging in an era when classroom time is already a precious commodity. Luckily, it's less daunting than it seems.
Start Small
The secret to integrating SEL in the classroom is to start small and gradually build on each concept. For example, a teacher who uses a picture book to meet language arts objectives can include perspective-taking skills in the lesson by having students discuss characters' feelings. The teacher can select a book that touches on an issue most children are familiar with, such as being the new student in class.
After reading the story aloud, the teacher can ask the students to use their perspective-taking skills to respond in writing to the questions: How do you think the character might be feeling? and When have you felt the same way? Students can suggest ideas about how the main character feels and tell stories about being new in a neighborhood, on a team, or in a group.
The teacher can also include problem solving by having students work in small groups to develop a plan about how to welcome new classmates and help them make friends. These activities help students make personal connections to the material, which keeps them engaged in the story and gives them opportunities to transfer the learning into their own lives.
The Long-Term Goal
The long-term goal is to fully integrate SEL into classroom activities-to weave a conceptual thread through all topics (Elias et al., 1997). When attempting to reach this goal, teachers should take a close look at the skills they already teach and determine what might be added.
Sara Pickens, who teaches the SECOND STEP program to her fourth-grade class at Georgetown East Elementary in Annapolis, Maryland, uses classroom dynamics to choose which skills to address. "When I see an issue that needs to be discussed (for example, friendship, death, illness, teasing, or divorce), I choose a book on the topic and then...open up the discussion," she says. Teachers are often surprised when they realize how easily SEL can become part of the curriculum.
Meeting Dual Goals
By identifying opportunities to integrate SEL with academic activities (in addition to using a formal SEL curriculum), teachers can meet dual goals: They can address academic standards in meaningful ways and also give their students practice using the skills that are integral to their intellectual and emotional development.
Return to Reinforce the Skills.
References
Elias, M. J., Zins, J. E., Weissberg, R. P., Frey, K. S., Greenberg, M. T., Haynes, N. M., Kessler, R., Schwab-Stone, M. E., and Shriver, T. P. (1997). Promoting Social and Emotional Learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Grossman, D. C., Neckerman, H. J., Koepsell, T. D., Liu, P. Y., Asher, K. N., Frey, K., and Rivara, F. P. (1997). "Effectiveness of a Violence Prevention Curriculum Among Children in Elementary School." Journal of the American Medical Association, 277, 1605–1611.
Robbins, P. (2000). Emotional Intelligence and Standards: The Balancing Act. Audiocassette produced for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Alexandria, VA.