The pandemic and subsequent switch to distance learning combined with recent instances of racial injustice has put a spotlight on the cracks in the practice of social and emotional learning (SEL). More than ever before, schools are shifting their focus and prioritizing SEL competencies--around the nation and the world. The call for compassion has…

"Teaching with a Social, Emotional, and Cultural Lens" goes beyond existing social emotional learning programs to introduce a new framework for integrating the development of key skills needed for academic success into daily classroom practice. The framework spells out the competencies, processes, and strategies that effective P-12…

Self-regulation is a set of abilities and skills that allow an individual to adjust their emotions, behaviors, and cognitions to meet demands. These sets of skills are obtained over an individual's lifespan, but the acquisition of these skills is highly regarded in early childhood and is a predictor of academic achievement. Students use…

The purpose of this article is to highlight the relationship between general music and social and emotional learning. Social and emotional learning involves a set of social, emotional, behavioral, and character competencies that are essential to success in school, in the workplace, within relationships, in the community, and in life. Music…

Recent findings from the Kids Activity and Learning Study complement North Carolina's multidimensional approach to promoting school readiness by emphasizing the integrated nature of motor and cognitive development in early childhood. Children whose motor skills improved the most over the course of an academic year also tended to demonstrate the…

This paper shares ideas with teachers about the integration of students' social and emotional skills with science instruction to fully implement the Next Generation Science Standards. In this article, we share a sequence of lessons that teachers thought were especially useful to produce effective science discourse and promote student…

The Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program and National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development have forged a partnership with the goal of exploring the role youth sports can play in developing young people's social and emotional skills. With funding from the Susan Crown Exchange (SCE) and guidance from a strategic advisory…

What is the secret to making schoolwide SEL [social-emotional learning] "work"? Growing numbers of people recognize that social-emotional learning (SEL) is central to a well-rounded education and to success in life outside and beyond the school building. What is missing is the know-how and framework for weaving SEL into the fabric of the…

While social and emotional learning (SEL) is most familiar as compartmentalized programs separate from academics, the truth is, all learning is social and emotional. What teachers say, the values we express, the materials and activities we choose, and the skills we prioritize all influence how students think, see themselves, and interact with…

When "Sesame Street" launched in 1969, it was the first show to attempt to teach young children school-readiness skills with catchy songs and playful Muppets. Not only did it revolutionize the children's media landscape, the program sparked a love of learning among generations of children all over the world. For "Revisiting the…

The second case study from the Aspen Institute National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development highlights the need for teacher preparation and professional learning to focus on building teachers' own social and emotional competence and sharing strategies for building these skills in their students. "Supporting the Whole…

Establishing a student-centered classroom environment where learning puts students' interests first is essential for middle school students to learn and thrive. Student success does not simply rely on instruction; it relies on external factors such as school and classroom climate, positive relationships with their teachers and other adults, and a…

For more than a decade, the widely used "Pyramid Model for Promoting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children" has been helping early educators use research-based practices to boost social-emotional development. Now there's a practical guide that makes it easier than ever to implement this highly effective framework in…

In order to further understand what educators can do - and are doing - to build strong relationships, Transforming Education (TransformEd) has produced a series of briefs or "stories from the field" that are intended to share student and educator perspectives about developing and sustaining strong relationships within the classroom and…

"Nurturing Students' Character" is an easy-to-use guide to incorporating social-emotional and character development (SECD) into your teaching practice. The links are clear--elementary and middle school students have better odds of academic success if you nurture their social and emotional skills. Drawing on broad field experience and the…