Social and emotional skills have a vital role in helping your child develop the essential life skills such as managing their thoughts and feelings and building and forming friendships and relationships. These skills have been proven to have an impact on learning through increasing children’s motivation and wellbeing.

What are they and how are they developed?

They are interdependent skills that have various functions such as helping children to handle difficult situations, manage their feelings and behaviour and manage relationships and friendships. They are developed from a young age and throughout a child’s school life. Schools, therefore, have a vital role in reinforcing these skills, of which should be done across various lessons through linked activities.  High standard quality lessons that have the intention to strength social and emotional skills, could be at an access to all children. PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education) and SMSC (spiritual, moral, social and cultural development) can provide exceptional opportunities to promote and develop these skills, and encourage their awareness of mental health.

Why are they important?

They have various roles and functions that emphasizes their importance. Early social and emotional skills impact later life outcomes such as educational and career success. It helps children become confident with dealing difficult tasks and if they require help, to effectively ask when necessary. Furthermore, it is important in avoiding poor mental health. It is important to develop: self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, of which helps them feel positive about themselves and the world around them.

What does social and emotional learning have to do with learning?

It has been shown through research children’s learning is influenced by a range of social and emotional factors. Children are taught specific strategies for observing and acknowledging emotions, overcoming challenging situations and communicating effectively. By being taught these skills, they are less likely to get frustrated and behave accordingly at school and anywhere else, for that matter. Social and emotional skills help school children settle in the classroom and get on with learning.How well children do at school is affected by things such as:how confident children feel about their abilities, how effectively they can solve problems and how well they can understand and accept responsibilities. All of this can be impacted through the development of social and emotional skills.