Social Emotional Learning and Brain Development
Imagine if you could wire the perfect child! What would you put into that brain? Turns out social emotional development is more important than we thought! Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has become a hot topic in educational circles.
Why? because it better predicts learning and life outcomes. Often thought of as an extra bonus in schools, it is now being seen as a prerequisite for success.
Increasing research especially in neuroscience is showing that young children who have well developed social emotional skills such as alertness to others’ facial expressions, empathy, compassion and the ability to self-regulate their own emotions, do better in life. They have higher academic scores and are more confident in social situations. They excel in group work, problem solving and can think clearly. A paper from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child entitled: Children’s Emotional Development is Built in the Architecture of their Brains, Harvard University explains.
International Baccalaureate schools in particular have a focus on creating students who will be caring global leaders. The IB’s mission statement is; The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
With this in mind, schools who prioritise the delivery of a good well researched Social Emotional Learning program are enhancing the academic development of their students and putting them at a leading advantage. SEL involves explicit teaching of learning skills such as focusing, listening, using self-talk, understanding empathy, recognizing how others feel, knowing how to calm down and how to problem solve.
These skills when taught early and reviewed each year leave students with high levels of personal and social confidence. These students are then capable and ready to manage themselves, have positive outcomes when interacting with others. They succeed in the academic sphere, family life and leadership roles such as business, government and world platforms. Global issues are increasingly on the public table. We want to prepare our learners for the world.
ISD has the foresight to use our SEL program to counteract the stressors that come from the current Covid 19 situation. Our students have been receiving a more rigorous SEL program delivered with increased frequency to our learners from Nursery to grade 5. This regular work is topped off with mindfulness. The IB recognises mindfulness as a powerful tool in supporting our students’ learning by clearing the mind of internal and external distractions. Our Primary students access mindfulness with Mind Yeti weekly for a 3 to 5-minute session.
It is fulfilling to deliver so much prevention and support to our primary children in a matter that is so vital to future success.
Vivian Huizenga
Primary Counselor (Photo credit-sciencemag)
