ERIC Number: EJ819343
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Nov
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1538-6619
EISSN: N/A
Social-Emotional Learning in the Primary Curriculum
Mindess, Mary; Chen, Min-hua; Brenner, Ronda
Young Children, v63 n6 p56-60 Nov 2008
The authors advocate that every primary grade program needs a carefully planned social-emotional component. All children--those who enter first or second grade with an ability to control their emotions and make friends and those for whom these skills are more difficult--benefit from intentional teaching in this area. Some school systems adopt a schoolwide approach to social-emotional learning, while others use a particular approach across a grade level. Three programs that may be implemented at grade level and also lend themselves to schoolwide use are: (1) Responsive Classroom; (2) Second Step: A Violence Prevention Curriculum; and (3) Interplay Solutions. In addition to using one or more of these programs, some school systems and some teachers develop their own activities for building a social-emotional curriculum. In this article, the authors describe these programs and a teacher-created activity and indicate how three Massachusetts school systems have implemented or been impacted by them. The authors conclude that programs like these help teachers move away from a fragmented and reactive approach to children's social-emotional well-being to a proactive approach and a shared responsibility for children's social-emotional health.
Descriptors: Primary Education, Prevention, Grade 2, Mental Health, Elementary School Students, Social Development, Emotional Development, Classroom Environment, Violence, Aggression, Interpersonal Relationship, Skill Development, Class Activities, Well Being, Teacher Responsibility
National Association for the Education of Young Children. 1313 L Street NW Suite 500, Washington, DC 22205-4101. Tel: 800-424-2460; Tel: 202-232-8777; Fax: 202-328-2649; e-mail: editorial@naeyc.org; Web site: http://journal.naeyc.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Grade 2; Primary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Massachusetts
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A