Empowering Young Hearts: The Science Behind Social-Emotional Learning

This post is part of our 'Quick Reads for Curious Beans' series, offering bite-sized research on child development to help busy parents turn scientific insights into clear, actionable takeaways!

Understanding Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

In today's fast-paced world, where distractions abound and stressors loom large, the importance of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) cannot be overstated. At the heart of SEL lies the nurturing of skills essential for navigating life's complexities with grace and resilience. Among these skills are managing emotions, setting goals, demonstrating empathy, nurturing relationships, and making responsible decisions, all of which form the foundation of our books at Human Bean Books.

SEL involves acquiring skills crucial for managing emotions, setting goals, demonstrating empathy, nurturing relationships, and making responsible decisions (Weissberg et al., 2015). It has been shown to be an effective way to increase social competence, emotional competence, behavioral self-regulation, and early learning outcomes and reduce behavioral and emotional difficulties in children (Blewitt et al., 2018).

Fundamentals of SEL

    1. Social Awareness
    2. Self Awareness
    3. Self Management
    4. Relationship Skills
    5. Responsible Decision Making

      SEL and the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)

      The traditional SEL curriculum is designed to activate the prefrontal cortex (PFC), known as the brain’s executive center; this is the same part of the brain that learns various information. However, when the brain is stressed, the prefrontal cortex becomes inactive. As a result, a person is unable to access what they cognitively know, making them prone to reactivity. (Source: innerexplorer.org)

      Human Bean Books combine these approaches into a cohesive curriculum, aiming to activate and engage the prefrontal cortex (PFC)—the brain's executive center. This is crucial because stress can inhibit the PFC, leading to reactivity rather than reasoned response. Our narrative aims to bridge this gap, providing strategies for maintaining cognitive access and self-regulation during stressful moments, thereby enhancing overall emotional intelligence and resilience.

      References

      1. Blewitt, C., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Nolan, A., Bergmeier, H., Vicary, D., Huang, T., McCabe, P., McKay, T., & Skouteris, H. (2018). Social and emotional learning associated with Universal Curriculum-Based interventions in early childhood education and care centers. JAMA Network Open, 1(8), e185727. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.5727
      2. Inner Explorer. (n.d.). Mindfulness in schools: Learning from the inside out. Retrieved July 15, 2024, from https://innerexplorer.org/mbsel
      3. Weissberg, R. P., Durlak, J. A., Domitrovich, C. E., & Gullotta, T. P. (Eds.). (2015). Social and emotional learning: Past, present, and future. In J. A. Durlak, C. E. Domitrovich, R. P. Weissberg, & T. P. Gullotta (Eds.), Handbook of social and emotional learning: Research and practice (pp. 3–19). The Guilford Press.

      Bean you next time, Jade

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