School readiness typically refers to a child’s level of preparation for going into kindergarten. But what does it mean to be ready for school? Traditionally, this concept of readiness has been monopolized by academics – a child’s ability to count, recite the alphabet, or write their name. However, a growing body of research on social and emotional learning is finding that these surface-level indicators are missing the point on what it means to be prepared, not just for kindergarten, but in life.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is a component of the whole child approach to education backed by a growing body of research demonstrating that non-academic skills are essential for student’s academic skills. SEL skills include self-awareness, relationship skills, self-management, responsible decision making, and social awareness.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation offers three domains for thinking about SEL:

Cognitive Skills – Executive function and planning, including working memory, attention control, flexibility, and inhibition; Beliefs and attitudes guiding one’s sense of self and approaches to learning and growth.

Emotional Competencies – Ability to cope with frustration, recognize and manage emotions, and understand other’s emotions and perspectives.

Social and Interpersonal Skills – Reading social cues, navigating social situations, resolving interpersonal conflicts, cooperating with others, and demonstrating compassion and empathy.

In the past, social and emotional learning has often been mistaken as “soft skills,” limited to concepts of self-esteem and praise. Thankfully this view is becoming less common as studies continue to show the essential role social and emotional learning plays in the world today. The World Economic Forum shows six of the identified top ten skills for the future involve social and emotional competence, including complex problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity.

As a parent though, sometimes it’s easier to see this long-term picture of SEL but difficult to translate to the next step: kindergarten. In school, children with higher emotional intelligence are better able to pay attention and feel confident in asking for help when needed. They are also more empathic with positive peer relationships.

The RULER approach is a tool for fostering emotional development in children:

Recognize emotions in oneself and others – How am I feeling?

Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions – What happened that led me to feel this way?

Labeling emotions accurately – What word best describes how I am feeling?

Expressing emotions in appropriate ways – How can I express appropriately what I am feeling for this time and place?

Regulating emotions – What can I do to maintain my feeling (if I want to continue feeling this way) or shift my feeling (if I do not want to continue feeling this way)?

For more resources on Social and Emotional Learning: https://www.naeyc.org/topics/31/list