Building social and emotional competence is beneficial to every child’s well-being. When they feel emotionally supported and socially connected, they can focus better on their studies.
Some of the best alternatives for improving mental health that parents and caregivers may use include essential oils, meditation, breathing techniques, and yoga.
Meanwhile, educators employ some teaching strategies to help address the social and emotional needs of children.
An educator’s strategy for teaching social-emotional skills plays a valuable role in a child's well-rounded and balanced education.
Be Attentive to Every Child’s Needs
Be attentive to every child’s social-emotional skills and unique needs. Tailor your lessons and interventions to help them develop these skills.
Your presence and attention as a teacher can be a source of confidence for a child dealing with difficult life circumstances. Giving positive attention is important for their self-image and development.
Guide them as you build their trust, letting them know that you are there to help.
Some learners may need additional support to feel self-assured and secure. Make sure that the learning environment is responsive to their social and emotional needs.
Enhance Emotional Literacy
Emotional literacy refers to one’s ability to identify, understand, and express emotions in a healthy way. Studies have shown that emotionally literate students perform better in school(1).
Children who do not learn how to communicate using emotional language may find it difficult to label their feelings. They may also find it challenging to relate to how other people feel.
It is important to teach children emotional literacy to boost their self-esteem, develop self-confidence, and encourage emotional self-management over impulse reactions.
Here are various strategies you can use to enhance every child’s emotional literacy:
These strategies will help them calm down and provide a healthy outlet for unpleasant emotions.
Develop Friendship Skills
Through friendships, children learn how to interact, relate, and work with others.
Friendships also give children many opportunities to learn and practice sharing, cooperation, taking turns, and resolving conflict.
Below are some ways you can develop children’s friendship skills:
Identify Feelings in Self and Others
Empathy is the capacity to identify and understand the situation and feelings of others(2). Empathy involves being sensitive to the emotions of others and responding appropriately.
Teach children how to develop their ability to distinguish their own feelings from the feelings of others. Teaching empathy plays a significant role in building children’s emotional literacy skills.
As their teacher, you can help students become more aware of their emotions and use that awareness to understand others.
Develop Problem-Solving Skills
Problem-solving and conflict resolution are essential skills in developing children’s social-emotional competence.
When a problem arises, teach children how to handle the situation appropriately and find a solution. It will help reduce any impulsive behavior or aggression.
Here are some strategies to develop children’s problem-solving skills:
Written by Stanley Clark, Education World® Contributing Writer
Copyright© 2020 Education World
References
1. Chew, B. H., Zain, A. M., & Hassan, F. (2013). Emotional intelligence and academic performance in first and final year medical students: a cross-sectional study. BMC medical education, 13(1), 44.
2. Berkeley.edu. Greater Good Magazine. (Accessed 2020). What is Empathy?