Promoting Social and Emotional Learning: Guidelines for Educators

Fostering knowledgeable, responsible, and caring students is one of the most urgent challenges facing schools, families, and communities. Promoting Social and Emotional Learning provides sound principles for meeting this challenge.

Students today face unparalleled demands. In addition to achieving academically, they must learn to work cooperatively, make responsible decisions about social and health practices, resist negative peer and media influences, contribute constructively to their family and community, function in an increasingly diverse society, and acquire the skills, attitudes, and values necessary to become productive workers and citizens. A comprehensive, integrated program of social and emotional education can help students meet these many demands.

The authors draw upon scientific studies, theories, site visits, and their own extensive experiences to describe approaches to social and emotional learning at all levels. Framing the discussion are 39 concise guidelines, as well as many field-inspired examples for classrooms, schools, and districts. Chapters address how to develop, implement, and evaluate effective strategies.

Educators who have programs in place will find ways to strengthen them. Those seeking further direction will find an abundance of approaches and ideas. Appendixes include a curriculum scope for preschool through grade 12 and an extensive list of contacts that readers may follow up on for firsthand knowledge about effective social and emotional programs.

The authors of Promoting Social and Emotional Learning are members of the Research and Guidelines Work Group of the Collaborative for the Advancement of Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL).