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When you think about your child’s education, reading, math, science, and social studies may pop into your mind. You may wonder if your child is reading at grade level or how they scored on last week鈥檚 math test. Of course, academics are important, but many child development experts and learning advocates believe that there is another key learning area that is too often overlooked. That crucial missing piece of your child鈥檚 education puzzle is called social-emotional learning or SEL.

SEL involves your child鈥檚 emotions, self-image, interactions with peers and adults, and other essential brain functions and social behaviors. In recent years, experts in various fields of child development and learning have taken a closer look at how SEL has impacted the way kids perform in school.

Based on years of research, data, and observations, proponents argue that SEL is not only connected to academic learning, but is crucial for children to thrive.

CASEL: Leading the way in SEL advocacy

One of the main advocates in the push for SEL awareness is . This organization was founded in 1994 by a community of educators, researchers, child health professionals, and advocates.

Over the years, CASEL has played a major role in creating awareness about the importance of social-emotional learning in schools. In fact, many schools are now implementing components of CASEL鈥檚 evidence-based curriculum standards in the classroom.

This includes the which breaks down the 5 main areas of SEL: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. (.) This framework takes a deeper look at how children develop within each of these SEL areas and outlines specific skills parents and educators can focus on to offer support at home and in the classroom.

For example, according to CASEL standards, a child who demonstrates self-awareness may accomplish goals such as identifying their own emotions, having a growth mindset, and developing a sense of purpose.

Collaborative initiatives for SEL

Another reason why CASEL advocates have become a powerhouse in the movement to promote SEL is their drive to spread their message way beyond the classroom. CASEL describes its as, 鈥淢ore than a single lesson or activity, SEL is integrated across key settings where students live and learn: classrooms, schools, homes, and communities. It also aligns school district and state policies, resources, and actions to support SEL. Federal policies play a role in creating ripe conditions for supportive environments and rich learning experiences.鈥�

In fact, CASEL鈥檚 commitment has played a role in successful federal legislation and policies such as the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). These efforts have helped secure funding, training, and overall recognition for SEL programs in schools and workplace environments.

Other organizations are following CASEL鈥檚 lead. Institutions such as the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Wallace Foundation, and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute have researched the benefits of SEL, generated , and created to help schools implement SEL programs.

Using a systemic approach, they say, can help promote SEL efforts and build schoolwide support of SEL. A of how to implement SEL programs in schools lists 鈥渢ake a systemic approach鈥� as step one. The article urges schools to include everyone — from the principal to the cafeteria staff — in understanding and supporting the school鈥檚 SEL goals.

Shai Fuxman, a research scientist with the , echoes this sentiment in the article and says, 鈥淓very adult in the building has to think about their role in promoting these important skills.鈥�

Moms for Liberty and SEL controversies

So, why has there been a fight over implementing SEL in schools? Doesn鈥檛 everyone agree that social-emotional learning is important? For the most part, yes. Many parents are on board with the idea of schools supporting their child鈥檚 social-emotional well-being (and, in turn, their child鈥檚 academic abilities).

However, and has launched a fight against CASEL and SEL programs such as and .

They claim that some SEL lessons being taught in classrooms have 鈥渓iberal messages鈥� regarding race, gender, and sexual orientation. However, CASEL and other leaders in the pro-SEL movement dispute such claims and argue that SEL opponents like Moms for Liberty misunderstand the intentions of these programs and are overlooking the research on the benefits of SEL curriculum in schools.

Aside from political beliefs, some pushback from parents against SEL may also stem from a sense of being uninformed about what social-emotional learning is and how it can benefit their children. Parents may not know who to ask when they have questions about SEL.

Adam Tyner, a research director for the , believes that this could be a communication problem between parents and schools as well. He says, 鈥淚nstead of using terms that everyone knows, we鈥檙e using new ones that make parents feel like outsiders or like they鈥檙e not involved. That raises a lot of red flags for people who may already be skeptical about what鈥檚 going on in schools.鈥�

Tyner鈥檚 theory is based on his participation in a in which more than 80 percent of parents surveyed agreed that students should learn SEL skills such as goal-setting, problem-solving, showing empathy, and expressing/controlling their emotions at school.

But when this same group of parents was presented with a list of school programs and asked to rank them in order of importance, SEL ranked 10 out of 12. This mismatch supports the idea that SEL programs and their benefits could be lost in translation when it comes to parental support. This misunderstanding could be the culprit behind some SEL controversies.

How these organizations impact your child’s SEL

Schoolwide SEL programs can have a huge impact on your child鈥檚 K-12 education. Here are a few tips to help you understand and stay in the loop about SEL at your child鈥檚 school.

• Ask questions. If you鈥檙e unsure about how SEL is being taught in your school or district, request more information from teachers and/or administrators. Most schools send home an introduction letter when using a new SEL program or when starting a new school year. Others may also send regular updates and SEL activities for you to practice with your child at home.
• Do your research. There are lots of available for parents who want to learn more about SEL. For example, has articles, data reports, webinars, and other helpful tools for parents to browse. You can also reach out to your school and community organizations about upcoming SEL meetings and events.
• Stay up-to-date about your child鈥檚 SEL progress at school. This could be a weekly behavior report sent home by your child鈥檚 teacher or an occasional call to ask about your child鈥檚 social interactions in class. As your child鈥檚 primary SEL supporter, you can also create and track social-emotional learning and development goals at home.

Understanding SEL organizations and their missions can help you feel confident and informed about the SEL curriculum or practices at your child鈥檚 school. You can also become an advocate for SEL by supporting local/national organizations and building partnerships with your child鈥檚 school district.

Remember that the more you know about SEL, the better you can be a strong source of support for your child. This knowledge can prevent any confusion due to false information and misconceptions about SEL, too.