Transformative Social and Emotional Learning: Centering Equity and Social Justice in Pre-K-6 Classrooms

2025 Choice Outstanding Academic Title

Learn how to cultivate a commitment to justice with young children in developmentally appropriate ways (pre-K–grade 6).

Transformative social and emotional learning (TSEL) is an asset-based, culturally responsive way of teaching that sees social and emotional learning and social justice as inextricably linked. This practical guide will support teachers in centering TSEL in their work and in cultivating a commitment to justice with young children in developmentally appropriate ways.

The authors provide stories, perspectives, and concrete tools, including planning resources for teachers, tips on integrating TSEL into different content areas, research on how to foster positive racial identity development, support for integrating transformative play into the classroom, and a roadmap for teacher educators. The text provides specific examples that demonstrate how to implement complex concepts in accessible ways. Chapters are designed to be practical (though not overly prescriptive) so teachers can readily adapt takeaways to their own practice.

Book Features:

• Advice on how to navigate barriers to integrating TSEL: An entire chapter is dedicated to situating TSEL in the realities of the current climate―providing teachers with tools and resources to address challenges that are inherent to social justice work.
• Concrete tools for a complex concept: TSEL as a concept can be difficult to access for classroom teachers who are already creating so much content. This book provides concrete tools and specific examples of how to implement TSEL without oversimplifying this work.
• A foundation of social justice for young children: Social justice work has traditionally focused more on adolescents. This book provides tools for building a developmentally appropriate foundation for doing this work with young changemakers (pre-K–grade 6).

Madora Soutter is an assistant professor of education at Villanova University. Alessandra E. Ward is an assistant professor of education at Wheaton College. Chu N. Ly is an assistant professor of education at Framingham State University.