Social emotional learning (SEL) is a process through which children and adults develop the fundamental skills for life effectiveness.

According to the Texas Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines, early experiences influence brain development, establishing the neural connections that provide the foundations for language, reasoning, problem solving, social skills, behavior, and emotional health. All children benefit from direct social skills instruction, explicit teaching, and repeated opportunities to practice skills. The development of these personal and social skills enables children to a build a sense of who they are and what they can do. Children who can follow directions, communicate their wants and needs effectively, and get along with other children are more prepared to enter an academic environment as school-ready.

Additional information about the SEL learning standards in the Texas Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines

Impact of SEL

Behavior: Social skills and behavior directly impact academic achievement in kindergarten and beyond.

Academic Achievement: SEL instruction has a positive impact on academic achievement.

The foundational SEL domains included in the Texas Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines are:

• Self-Concept Skills: self-awareness of one’s feelings, thoughts, abilities, likes, and dislikes, as well as awareness of one’s body in space.
• Self-Regulation Skills: social awareness of classroom rules and routines, opportunities to expand their attention span, and build self-control and learn acceptable and unacceptable ways of dealing with social and emotional stress and/or excitement.
• Relationships with Others: children develop friendships with peers and increase their feelings of comfort, pleasure, and confidence in their social world as they build a sense of empathy and caring for others.
• Social Awareness Skills: support child-child and child-teacher interactions while deepening their understanding that others have perspectives and feelings that are different from their own.