Translating the science of learning about emotion into practice: Evidence-based approaches to SEL in early childhood settings

• In Event: Building the foundations for global citizenship in the early years

Proposal

As the global discourse in education shifts towards quality, there is increased focus on a breadth of learning and breadth of skills. Socio-emotional Learning (SEL) is positioned as a component of this broader approach but in reality, it underpins many ‘soft skills’ such as decision-making, creativity and interpersonal competences. Indeed, decades of research show that the skills of emotional intelligence — those associated with recognizing, understanding, labeling, expressing, and regulating emotion - are essential to effective teaching and learning, sound decision making, physical and mental health, and success in school and beyond. This presentation highlights the hard science behind SEL, and the importance of social and emotional intelligence to the 2030 education landscape, including SDG 4.7 on global citizenship education. It discusses evidence-based approaches for integrating social and emotional learning into schools, developed at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, and demonstrates how they impact SEL programming in different regions of the world, such as through Think Equal’s SEL curriculum.

Author

• Craig S. Bailey, Yale University