Growing Together: Social & Emotional Learning Across Development

“When we understand development, we can better understand behavior—and when we teach social and emotional skills, we give every learner tools for life.”

Social & Emotional Learning

Supporting Children from the Earliest Years Through Adolescence

A resource for educators and families

Infancy

Maternal well-being and responsive caregiving establish early neurological foundations for stress management and secure attachment.

Early childhood

Young learners begin labeling feelings, exploring co-regulation, and developing fundamental empathy through social play.

Adolescence

Teens navigate complex identity formation, peer dynamics, and independent emotional self-regulation supported by families and mentors.

Social and Emotional Learning

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an essential part of healthy child development. SEL helps children and adolescents understand and manage emotions, develop healthy identities, build relationships, demonstrate empathy, solve problems, and make responsible decisions.

SEL Competencies

According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), SEL includes five interconnected competencies:

  • Self-awareness — recognizing emotions, thoughts, strengths, and values.
  • Self-management — managing emotions, thoughts, stress, and behaviors while working toward goals.
  • Social awareness — understanding others' perspectives and demonstrating empathy.
  • Relationship skills — communicating, cooperating, resolving conflict, and seeking or offering help.
  • Responsible decision-making — considering safety, ethics, consequences, and the well-being of oneself and others.

SEL is most effective when it is reinforced across classrooms, schools, families, and communities. 

 

    Empower your students and children today

    Discover targeted milestone guides, classroom implementation plans, and home-friendly self-regulation exercises designed to support youth through every critical phase of development.

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