Social Emotional Learning
What is Social and Emotional Learning?
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.
5 Casel Standards of SEL
Norwich Public Schools abides by the national standards of CASEL, a framework of social and emotional learning standards. CASEL is built upon evidence-based social and emotional learning, which is rapidly becoming an integral part of education from preschool through high school across the United States.
How does SEL improve overall well-being?
Through practicing SEL, students will experience:
- improved attitudes about self, others and school
- prosocial classroom behavior
- 11 percentile-point gain in overall academic achievement
- a significantly reduced risk of conduct issues and emotional distress
How can parents incorporate SEL lessons at home?
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Encourage children to use belly breaths when they need to calm their body.
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Ask your child to rate feelings on a scale of 1-5. How does their body feel when they are experiencing that emotion- frustrated, sad or disappointed? Etc.
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Ask your child to help make their favorite dish by following your directions, one at a time. Make sure to say “please” and “thank you” and acknowledge all of their efforts. This will not only help them learn about the art of listening, but teach them about the importance of being polite to others, especially while working on group projects.
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Encourage your child to think about other people’s perspectives. How might another person feel in this situation?
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Use social stories for teachable moments and encourage kids to talk about what decisions your kids should make if they were the character.
How can adults incorporate SEL into their self-care routine?
- Self-care involves recognizing our own strengths and vulnerabilities and using wellness strategies that work for us. Self care can be integrated into our daily routine, helping us balance our jobs and our lives outside of work. Some examples include:
- Adequate rest or sleep
- Exercise
- Healthy eating habits
- Hobbies
