Welcome to Greentrike’s February Playful Guide!
What is Social-Emotional Learning?
Social-Emotional Learning is an educational strategy centered on social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision-making, self-regulation, and self-awareness that can foster personal and social development in children and youth.
Children begin to develop emotional regulation early in their life. According to Jean Piaget’s theories behind cognitive development, basic emotional regulation begins in infancy, through consistent and responsive interactions with their caregivers. As they age, children begin to recognize their emotions and develop language to describe them, as well as empathy, relationship skills, and a sense of identity.
Skill Development
Self-awareness, a skill built by Social-Emotional Learning, is important because it allows us to recognize and reflect upon how our emotions may influence the way we think and act. Individuals who have practiced their self-awareness may be better able to communicate, regulate their own emotions, and engage with others thoughtfully.
One way that families can practice self-awareness is to use one of many emotional check-in activities to identify emotions and potential expected behaviors. Being in-tune with our emotions can help develop emotional vocabulary, build empathy, and also help identify when we need to practice strategies for emotional regulation.
For example, one might ask a child to describe how they are feeling by choosing a color, weather, or even illustrated flashcards, and then ask them to explain their answer in order to build their emotional vocabulary and reflect on their feelings. Art can be another great check-in activity; consider asking a child to draw how they are feeling and describe the art piece.
Self Portraits
An independent activity that can help children develop their social-emotional skills is self portraiture. This creative art activity is a great way for children to practice their observation skills while exploring their own identity and which parts of themselves they find important. When children place themselves in front of the mirror with paper and crayons, paint, or another favorite medium, it can allow them to practice their observation skills and discover what kinds of shapes make up their face.
