Watch CBS News

Education Today: Social Emotional Learning

*Content provided by our sponsor, the Michigan Education Savings Plan.

By Sharlonda Buckman, CEO, Detroit Parent Network

When I was growing up, report card time was a big deal. All the kids in the neighborhood would run home with their grades in hand and all the parents down the street were anxious to see how their children were performing.

Now, report cards don't elicit the same reaction out of neighborhoods. While an A, B, C, or D may speak to your son or daughters' efforts, talent, studying skills, and or smarts, it doesn't speak to everything.

One aspect of learning that could have an impact on your child's academic achievement and is often overlooked is Social Emotional Learning (SEL). If you've never heard of this concept, Social Emotional Learning can be defined as the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

This type of learning not only applies to academics but life skills; it's imperative for your children to foster these skillsets at a young age to ensure they are successful in higher education, the job market, and additional leadership opportunities.

According to the Collaborative of Social Emotional Learning, there are 5 interrelated sets of cognitive, affective and behavioral competencies.

  • Self-awareness
  • Self-management
  • Social awareness
  • Relationship Skills
  • Responsible decision making

To ensure your child continues to develop in these areas, put them in settings where they can engage with new people and ideas, have them reflect on their decision making processes (even for small decisions such as choosing what to eat or what to wear) and provide them with choices around self-management tasks such as packing their lunch, helping with laundry, and doing their homework.

If your student knows how to manage their behavior, responsibilities, and relationships, they're on the A+ track to success.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.