Promoting Young Children’s Social and Emotional Health (2024)

In a preschool classroom, some of the 3- and 4-year-old children smile, laugh, and giggle during free play; are curious about what happens next during story time; ask what and why questions while doing hands-on activities; and use words to express feelings and needs. In the toy area, Tom and Juan both reach for a small blue car. Tom says, “May I please have it first, then you have it later?” Juan replies, “You have it for five minutes and then I have it for five minutes.” Noticing this exchange, their teacher says, “Tom and Juan, you are talking about taking turns. What a great way to play together!”

Tom, Juan, and their classmates are a model of social and emotional health in preschool. Children who are socially and emotionally healthy tend to demonstrate, and continue to develop, several important behaviors and skills (adapted from McClellan & Katz 2001 and Bilmes 2012).They

  • Are usually in a positivemood
  • Listen and followdirections
  • Have close relationships with caregivers andpeers
  • Care about friends and show interest inothers
  • Recognize, label, and manage their ownemotions
  • Understand others’ emotions and showempathy
  • Express wishes and preferencesclearly
  • Gain access to ongoing play and groupactivities
  • Are able to play, negotiate, and compromise withothers

Why socialand emotional health matters

Promoting Young Children’s Social and Emotional Health (1)Children’s social and emotional health affects their overall development and learning. Research indicates that children who are mentally healthy tend to be happier, show greater motivation to learn, have a more positive attitude toward school, more eagerly participate in class activities, and demonstrate higher academic performance than less mentally healthy peers (Hyson 2004; Kostelnik et al. 2015). Children who exhibit social and emotional difficulties tend to have trouble following directions and participating in learning activities. Compared with healthier peers, they may be more likely to suffer rejection by classmates, have low self-esteem, do poorly in school, and be suspended (Hyson 2004; Kostelnik et al. 2015). Thus, children’s social and emotional health is just as important as their physical health, and affects their capacity to develop and potential to lead a fulfillinglife.

Teachers can promote children’s social and emotional health in many ways, for example, by organizing a material-rich environment to stimulate social interactions among children. This article focuses on two of the most important practices: building trusting relationships and conducting intentionalteaching.


Establish trustingrelationships

Young children develop and learn in the context of relationships. A trusting and caring teacher–child relationship is essential for children’s optimum development (Raikes & Edwards 2009). Children who have trusting relationships with their teachers are, on average, more willing to ask questions, solve problems, try new tasks, and express their thinking than their peers without such relationships (O’Connor & McCartney 2007). In her work supervising student teachers, Ho (the first author) often sees children developing positive social and emotional health as a result of close relationships with their teachers. For example, children learn to use words to express their feelings—such as Amy saying to Emily, “I am sad when you use hurting words!”—and to show empathy—as when Arjun gently pats Brian’s head and says, “Are you okay? Do you want to hold the teddy bear?”

Children benefit socially, emotionally, and academically when teachers intentionally create close, trusting relationships (Palermo et al. 2007). But gaining the trust of every child is not as simple as being nice and engaging. How can teachers create trusting relationships with all of the children? Consistently offering warmth, affection, respect, and caring isessential.

Showing warmth and affectionconsistently

Warmth and affection—even on bad days and when children are misbehaving—are critical to children’s well-being in early education settings (Ostrosky & Jung 2005). They contribute to developing secure relationships between children and adults, provide models of gentle behavior, and are linked with children’s ability to interact positively with peers (Twardosz 2005). The preschoolers we observed used gentle hands and kind words and positively interacted with peers most of the time. Their social and emotional well-being was nourished by their teachers’ warmth and affection, which is shown in the followingexamples:

  • Ms. Johnson displays a pleasant facial expression throughout the day. She smiles when greeting children in the morning, says goodbye in the afternoon, and acknowledges children’s appropriate behaviors.
  • Mr. Logan uses the appropriate tone of voice at all times. His speech is at normal pitch and volume; his tone is relaxed and soft. Even when he has to redirect a child’s behavior, he remains calm and warm to convey that his concern is with the behavior—not thechild.
  • Ms. Aragon gives appropriate touches when necessary, such as a pat on the back, a handshake, hugs, and brief tickles.
  • Ms. Lizama moves physically close to the children and bends or crouches to be at the children’s eye level while talking to them.
  • Mr. Sharma often uses loving comments to show he cares: “I am so happy to see you this morning!,” “I missed you yesterday,” “I love seeing your smile!” And he is careful to make such comments to all of the children in hisclassroom.

Respecting and caring about everychild

Promoting Young Children’s Social and Emotional Health (2)

Showing respect is a key way to connect with children and strengthen positive relationships. It helps children feel more confident and competent to explore and learn (Dombro, Jablon, & Stetson 2011). Ms. Carnes establishes and maintains close personal bonds with every child in her classroom by consistently acting in respectful and caring ways. Specifically,she

  • Listens with full attention and restates what children say (often also seizing the opportunity to expose the children to new vocabulary).Jason, a 4-year-old, says, “Look, I made a truck with lots of Legos!” Ms. Carnes replies, “Oh, I see, Jason. You built a truck with dozens of Legos.” Jason adds, “I use this truck to deliver apples and bananas to the grocery store.” Ms. Carnes responds, “Using a truck to deliver nutritious fruits to the grocery store is helpful.” Listening to children attentively and reflectively enhances their self-worth and confidence. When teachers actively listen to children, they convey that they care about what the children have to say, and the children are more likely to share their thoughts, ideas, feelings, andstories.
  • Accepts and reflects children’s feelings.Frowning, Jasper says to the teacher, “Michael has all the big blocks!” Ms. Carnes responds, “Jasper, you seem upset that there are no more large blocks to build with right now. It is difficult to wait!” Amy says with enthusiasm, “We are about to go outside!” Ms. Carnes answers, “The sparkles in your eyes tell me you can hardly wait to go outside. You are excited.” When they accept and reflect children’s feelings, teachers exhibit sensitivity and caring in a way children understand. Teachers’ acknowledgments make children feel heard and accepted (Duffy 2008). As a result, children feel safe to express their emotions—and receive support in identifying, labeling, and better understanding theiremotions.
  • Spends private, quality time with individual children through one-on-one activities, suchas story reading and game playing.Emily is sad when her mom leaves. Ms. Carnes reads her a book in a cozy corner with soft pillows and stuffed animals. Afterward, Emily is ready to explore and play in the classroom. Judy complains that no one wants to play with her at the tactile table. Ms. Carnes sits at the table and plays with Judy until another child joins the play. In addition, Ms. Carnes spends quality time with individual children by putting aside other work, moving to the child’s level, and conversing openly with the child. Ms. Carnes keeps track to ensure that she speaks with each child regularly, which deepens their relationship and builds trust (Gartrell 2007). Ms. Carnes finds time for these conversations throughout the day, especially during greeting, free play, snack, lunch, and departure time.


Teach social and emotional skillsintentionally

Helping children develop social and emotional skills is the heart and soul of any good program for young children (Gordon & Browne 2014). Teachers (and all caregivers) play key roles in helping children develop social and emotional competence (Kostelnik et al. 2015). Teachers can intentionally support children’s social and emotional health by using children’s books, planning activities, coaching on the spot, giving effective praise, modeling appropriate behaviors, and providingcues.

Warmth and affection—even on bad days and when children are misbehaving—are critical to children’s well-being in earlyeducation.

Using children’sbooks

Promoting Young Children’s Social and Emotional Health (3)
Reading and discussing children’s books is an excellent way to invite children to identify the characters’ emotions and relate the characters’ experiences to their own (Roberts & Crawford 2008). To introduce a new social or emotional skill, Ms. Coz carefully chooses high-quality books to read aloud at circle time. Sometimes she chooses books related to children’s recent social and emotional behaviors in the classroom. When she sees some of the children having trouble sharing toys, she reads aloudThe RainbowFish,by Marcus Pfister. When she finds a child crying because her friend hit her, Ms. Coz reads aloudHands Are Not for Hitting,by Elizabeth Verdick. (See “Children’s Books for Teaching Social and Emotional Skills,"for more titles to consider.)

To connect the characters and situations in the book with the children’s experiences, Ms. Coz plans to read the book at least twice and also add it to the classroom library. During the second reading, she asks meaningful questions: “What do you think the characters are feeling?,” “How would you solve the problem?,” “Can you use words from the story to explain how you feel when you . . .?,” “What could we do differently if this happens in our classroom?” These open-ended questions enable children to talk about their own experiences, learn new vocabulary words, and practice social and emotional skills.

Planningactivities

To extend and apply what children learn from reading stories, Ms. Coz plans follow-up activities, such as hands-on crafts, games, and songs. She often uses Book Nook guides, created by the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/strategies.html#booknook). These guides help her embed social and emotional development activities into daily routines, including read-alouds. (See “Activities for Supporting Children’s Social and Emotional Learning” for some ideas adapted from Book Nook guides.)

Coaching on thespot

When they coach children on the spot, teachers help children realize what they are doing, understand how their actions affect others, and choose positive alternatives (Riley et al. 2008). For example, when Ryan and Ethan build a firehouse in the block area, Ethan grabs the fire truck from Ryan, and Ryan cries. Ms. Coz crouches down at Ethan’s level to look into his eyes; calmly and warmly, she says, “Ryan was still using the truck. When you took it away from him, he got upset. What could you do to make Ryan feel better?” After Ethan says he is sorry and gives back the fire truck, Ms. Coz says, “Next time if you want to play with the toy Ryan is using, could you ask if he will share?” Ms. Coz follows up by observing Ethan and providing immediate positive feedback on his desirablebehavior.

Giving effectivepraise

Meaningful feedback pertinent to the task at hand in the form of effective praise is a powerful strategy for fostering children’s social and emotional development (Kostelnik et al. 2015). To make praise effective, teachers describe specifically what they see—without generalizing, evaluating, or making comparisons. When Emily finishes her drawing, Ms. Coz notices her picture and her smile. Ms. Coz says, “I see a blue sky, a yellow sun, and green grass around the big brown tree. This picture makes you happy, doesn’t it?” This praise is effective because Ms. Coz offers detailed, positive comments immediately after desirable behavior occurs. Noticing Ethan asking Ryan politely for a policewoman figure, Ms. Coz says, “Ethan, you used the magic wordsMay I please?to ask for that policewoman while you and Ryan were building the firehouse together. Great job!” Smiling, Ethan responds, “We are friends and we can sharethings.”

Modeling appropriatebehavior

Children learn by observing other people, getting ideas about how new behaviors are formed, and using the ideas to guide their actions (Bandura 1977). Many studies have found that modeling—or demonstrating appropriate behaviors—teaches and enhances children’s social and emotional skills (Katz & McClellan 1997; Hyson 2004). This research-based conclusion is evidenced in Ms. Coz’s and Ms. Carnes’s classes. Both teachers implement several noninvasive strategies—including modeling—that their center administrators created to support teachers in promoting socially and emotionally healthy behaviors. They display the strategies on the classroom wall and put them into actionby

  • Moving closer to children, when needed, as a nonverbal cue to rethinkbehaviors
  • Modeling appropriate warm and respectful behavior throughout the day and at specific moments when a gentle reminder isneeded
  • Using nonverbal gestures and contact (e.g., nodding the head, giving thumbs-up signs, and touching children gently on the shoulder) to sendmessages
  • Employing simple language (e.g., “Walking feet, please” and “Use gentle hands”) to set expectations and givereminders
  • Acknowledging a kind act on the spot or praising a group effort for a job well done
  • Placing a hand—gently—on a child’s hand to redirect attention and behavior

When children see teachers demonstrate these noninvasive strategies, they often smile, use their gentle hands, say please and thank you, give hugs and high fives, and use words to express their feelings.

In addition to being role models, the teachers use the children’s appropriate behaviors to model social and emotional skills. They carefully observe and record details about how children apply the target skills, and they share their observations with the children through puppet shows during circle time. Using puppets to demonstrate children’s appropriate behaviors helps children learn social and emotional skills meaningfully.

Providingcues

Providing cues to engage children in appropriate social behavior has been shown over time to improve their social behavior with their peers (Bovey & Strain 2005). Ms. Coz and Ms. Carnes often provide verbal cues to help some children participate in activities. Before playtime, for example, Ms. Carnes asks, “James, who are you going to ask to play with you at center time?” During playtime, she suggests, “Saanvi, can you ask Anna to build an airplane with you?” To teach sharing and turn taking, Ms. Coz asks Steven, who has been waiting to play with a toy dolphin for a while, “What magic words could you use to have a turn with the dolphin John isusing?”

Promoting Young Children’s Social and Emotional Health (4)

Both Ms. Coz and Ms. Carnes prominently display visual cues in their classrooms to assist children’s social and emotional interactions. For example, they provide teacher-made hand puppets to guide children to use quiet voices, helping hands, and walking feet. To help children calm down, they also created a “push wall”—a designated spot on the wall to push anger out—and use puppets to demonstrate the strategy. These puppets, demonstrations, and explanations are essential for clarifying and modeling appropriate behavior—and the visual cues are essential for reminding the children to practice what they have learned. Long-term visual cues function like a third teacher in the sense that children use the cues to remind one another of solutions and appropriateactions.


Conclusion

Promoting Young Children’s Social and Emotional Health (5)Teachers and caregivers promote children’s social and emotional health by establishing trusting relationships, created when teachers express warmth, affection, and respect. Teachers can intentionally teach and enhance these skills using evidence-based strategies to teach, model, and reinforce positive behaviors. As evidenced in the preschool classrooms we observed, teachers who prioritize developing children’s social and emotional health are richly rewarded with happy, engaged children who learn to avoid and resolve conflicts, share and take turns, and express their emotions in productive ways.

Children’s Books for Teaching Social and Emotional Skills

  • Can You Be a Friend?,byNita Everly
  • Care Bears Caring Contest,by Nancy Parent, illus. by David Stein
  • Fox Makes Friends,by Adam Relf
  • How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends?,by Jane Yolenand Mark Teague
  • How I Feel Frustrated,byMarcia Leonard
  • I Can Do It Myself(a Sesame Street Series), by Emily Perl Kingsley, illus. by Richard Brown
  • I’m in Charge of Me!,byDavid Parker, illus. bySylvia Walker
  • Mouse Was Mad,by Linda Urban, illus. by Henry Cole
  • My Many Colored Days,by Dr. Seuss, illus. by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
  • Sharing: How Kindness Grows,by Fran Shaw, illus. byMiki Sakamoto
  • When I’m Feeling Sad,by Trace Moroney
  • When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry,by MollyBang

Activities for Supporting Children’s Social and Emotional Learning

Helping hands chain: Trace and cut out multiple hands for each child. Place them in a pocket or baggie that is easily accessible. As you recognize a child’s helping hand behavior, have the child get a hand from their pocket and connect it to the class’s helping hand chain. The hands can be placed on the wall to wrap around the room. On a regular basis, celebrate how long the helping hand chain is getting!

Hand puppets: Create character puppets by having children color or paint the pictures, cut them out, and glue them to craft sticks. Once dry, children can bring their puppets to circle time and act out the story while you read the story aloud. Later, they can take the puppets to the story area or puppet center.

Moving to music: Choose songs with lyrics that encourage movement. Before you start, remind the children that they need to listen closely to the words so they know what actions to take. Classic songs like “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” work well. Many children’s CDs have great songs that involve following directions (try “My Ups and Downs,” and “Hands Are for Clapping,” by Jim Gill). Do the motions with the children as you listen to the songs. After listening to each song several times, children will build confidence and know which motions to do on their own. Point out to the children that they know what to do because they are being such goodlisteners.

Pass the feeling bag: Place an assortment of scenario picture cards in a bag. As music plays, the children pass the bag. When the music stops, one child picks out a card and identifies it. Have the child talk about how each scenario or item makes him feel and why. Allow children to take turns pulling out picture cards.

Feeling faces collage: Have children cut out different feeling faces from magazines. Mix nontoxic glue and water together in a small bowl. The children put the pictures on top of a piece of paper, take a paintbrush and dip it in glue solution, and paint over their pictures. They can hang their feeling faces collages on the wall.

Share box: Create a special share box that is only introduced during circle time. Children can decorate the box with primary colors or with a bold pattern. Inside the box, place items that can be shared, such as musical instruments, a box of chunky sidewalk chalk, playdough, or several sensorybottles.

Singing: After a story about sharing with friends, sing “Share, share, share your toys; share them with a friend. Share, share, share your toys, let’s all play pretend,” to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” After a story about feelings, sing “If You’re Happy and You Know It” with a variety of emotions and body gestures.

Note: Adapted with permission fromBook Nook, created by the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning. To use Book Nook guides at no cost, visit http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/strategies.html#booknook.

References

Bandura, A. 1977.Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Bilmes, J. 2012.Beyond Behavior Management: The Six Life Skills Children Need,2nd ed. St. Paul, MN:Redleaf.

Bovey, T., & P. Strain. 2005. “Strategies for Increasing Peer Social Interactions: Prompting and Acknowledgment.” Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning. What Works Briefs. http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/briefs/wwb17.pdf.

Dombro, A.L., J. Jablon, & C. Stetson. 2011.PowerfulInteractions: How to Connect withChildren to Extend Their Learning.Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Duffy, R. 2008. “Are Feelings Fixable?”Exchange30 (6): 87–90.

Gartrell, D. 2007.A Guidance Approach for the Encouraging Classroom,4th ed. Florence, KY: Thomson DelmarLearning.

Gordon, A.M., & K.W. Browne. 2014.Beginnings and Beyond: Foundations in EarlyChildhood Education,9th ed. Belmont, CA:Cengage.

Hyson, M. 2004. The Emotional Development of Young Children: Building an Emotion-Centered Curriculum,2nd ed.New York: Teachers CollegePress.

Katz, L.G., & D.E. McClellan. 1997.Fostering Children’s Social Competence: The Teacher’s Role.Washington, DC:NAEYC.

Kostelnik, M.J., A.K. Soderman, A.P. Whiren, M.L. Rupiper, & K.M. Gregory. 2015.Guiding Children’s Social Development and Learning: Theory and Skills,8th ed. Stamford, CT:Cengage.

McClellan, D., & L.G. Katz. 2001. “Assessing Young Children’s Social Competence.” Champaign, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED450953.pdf.

O’Connor, E., & K. McCartney. 2007. “Examining Teacher–Child Relationships and Achievement as Part of an Ecological Model of Development.”American Educational Research Journal44 (2): 340–69.

Ostrosky, M.M., & E.Y. Jung. 2005. “Building Positive Teacher–Child Relationships.” Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning. What Works Briefs. http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/briefs/wwb12.pdf.

Palermo, F., L.D. Hanish, C.L. Martin, R.A. Fabes, & M. Reiser. 2007. “Preschoolers’ Academic Readiness: What Role Does the Teacher–Child Relationship Play?”Early Childhood Research Quarterly22 (4): 407–22. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3856866.

Raikes, H.H., & C.P. Edwards. 2009. Extending the Dance in Infant and Toddler Caregiving: Enhancing Attachment and Relationships. Baltimore, MD:Brookes.

Riley, D., R.R. San Juan, J. Klinkner, & A. Ramminger. 2008.Social and EmotionalDevelopment: Connecting Science and Practice in Early Childhood Settings. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf; Washington, DC:NAEYC.

Roberts, S.K., & P.A. Crawford. 2008. “Real Life Calls for Real Books: Literature to Help Children Cope with Family Stressors.”Young Children63 (5): 12–17.

Twardosz, S. 2005. “Expressing Warmth and Affection to Children.” Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning. What Works Briefs. http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/briefs/wwb20.pdf.

Promoting Young Children’s Social and Emotional Health (2024)

FAQs

How can you promote social and emotional well being of a child? ›

Promoting Social-Emotional Development in Your Child
  1. Love your child and show your affection for them. ...
  2. Encourage your child to try new things. ...
  3. Give your child opportunities to play with other children their age. ...
  4. Show your feelings. ...
  5. Establish daily routines. ...
  6. Acknowledge your child's feelings.
27 Feb 2015

How can we promote social and emotional development? ›

5 Ways to Support Social–Emotional Development in Early Childhood
  1. Use power words.
  2. Help children understand the consequences of behavior.
  3. Show while telling.
  4. Establish “l*ttle rules.”
  5. Listen actively and empathetically.
16 Mar 2021

How can you promote social-emotional development in the classroom? ›

How to Incorporate Social-Emotional Learning in Your Classroom
  1. Be Present and Observant. In order to figure out what my students are struggling with, I have to be present and observant. ...
  2. Create a Supportive Atmosphere. ...
  3. Share Life Experiences. ...
  4. Stimulate Discussion. ...
  5. Give Your Students the Opportunity to Practice.
7 Jan 2020

Why is social and emotional development important in early childhood? ›

In their first few years of life, young children acquire social and emotional skills, such as regulating emotions, sharing with others and following instructions. These skills lay the foundation for developing literacy, numeracy and other cognitive abilities that are critical for success in school and life.

Why is social and emotional well being important? ›

Social and emotional wellbeing is essential for our overall health and wellbeing. Being socially and emotionally well means being able to realise your abilities, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and contribute to your community.

How do you promote a child's well being? ›

Promoting the Theme of Wellbeing in Early Years for Practitioners and Children
  1. Staying active. A key part of wellbeing is physical health. ...
  2. Emotional wellbeing. ...
  3. Create a safe space for children to share. ...
  4. Quiet time. ...
  5. Encourage creativity and expression. ...
  6. Take regular breaks. ...
  7. Snacks. ...
  8. Get outdoors.
17 Jan 2022

How can teachers assist students social and emotional development? ›

Teachers can intentionally support children's social and emotional health by using children's books, planning activities, coaching on the spot, giving effective praise, modeling appropriate behaviors, and providing cues.

How can social and emotional characteristics promote and improve learning? ›

How does social and emotional development affect learning? By providing a kind environment, it helps to encourage optimal brain development as well as social connection and collaboration. In other words, SEL affects learning by shaping children's developing neural circuitry, particularly the executive functions.

How can a teacher help in promoting social interaction among students? ›

Praise children and give them positive feedback for interacting with their peers in a positive manner. The more they know they are acting appropriately, the more likely they will continue to do so. Try and regroup students often to give them a chance to interact with other students.

Why are social-emotional skills important for kids? ›

Social-emotional skills are essential for connecting with others! They help us manage our emotions, build healthy relationships, and feel empathy. Some examples of social-emotional skills in use are: Recognizing if someone is sad, and asking if they're ok.

What is the importance of emotional development in children? ›

Children who understand and express emotions more easily have better empathetic and social skills, which can help to build relationships. They even do better academically. Even before children enter school, they are taught which emotions are appropriate to express and how they should express them,” Johnson says.

How would you describe social and emotional development in early childhood? ›

Social development refers to a child's ability to create and sustain meaningful relationships with adults and other children. Emotional development is a child's ability to express, recognize, and manage his or her emotions, as well as respond appropriately to others' emotions.

What can you do to maintain your emotional and social health? ›

There are many ways to improve or maintain good emotional health.
  1. Be aware of your emotions and reactions. ...
  2. Express your feelings in appropriate ways. ...
  3. Think before you act. ...
  4. Manage stress. ...
  5. Strive for balance. ...
  6. Take care of your physical health. ...
  7. Connect with others. ...
  8. Find purpose and meaning.
23 Jun 2020

How can students improve emotional health? ›

10 Mental Health Tips for Online Students
  1. Learn to meditate. At the core of many relaxation routines is meditation, but where should you start? ...
  2. Get mindful. ...
  3. Eat right and exercise. ...
  4. Rest. ...
  5. Socialize. ...
  6. Set realistic goals. ...
  7. Make time for fun. ...
  8. Get out of the house.

Why is it important to be emotionally healthy? ›

Good emotional health helps you see the best in yourself despite challenges. More energy. Having a positive outlook makes you feel more energized and helps you focus and think more clearly, whereas poor emotional health depletes your mental resources and leads to exhaustion.

Why is it important to promote children's health and wellbeing? ›

Learning in health and wellbeing ensures that children and young people develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes which they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing now and in the future.

How the key person encourages and supports children's emotional wellbeing? ›

A key person approach is a way to ensure that all children and families have one or more persons within the setting with whom they have a special, nurturing relationship. The presence of a key person helps the child to feel emotionally secure when away from home and provides a reassuring point of contact for parents.

How do you promote health and wellbeing? ›

Promoting physical wellbeing

Exercise programmes such as outdoor activities, team sports, exercise groups or gym memberships. Improving workplace safety through training, safe equipment and safe practices. Healthier working environments, such as ergonomic work areas. Offering health benefits such as private healthcare.

How can you help students with social and emotional needs? ›

26 Simple Ways To Integrate Social-Emotional Learning Throughout the Day
  1. Use story time for teachable moments. ...
  2. Look for a trusted SEL curriculum. ...
  3. Practice lots of role-playing. ...
  4. Make space for reflective writing. ...
  5. Allow for talk time. ...
  6. Teach students to monitor their own progress. ...
  7. Build community with teams.
15 Nov 2021

How do you meet children's emotional needs? ›

An important part of meeting children's emotional needs is to set limits often and firmly in a loving way. Parents who learn to set limits in a loving way set them more often because they don't have to wait until they've “had it up to here” to do so.

What are the most important influences on a child's emotional development? ›

Parents and caregivers play the biggest role in social/emotional development because they offer the most consistent relationships for their child. Consistent experiences with family members, teachers and other adults help children learn about relationships and explore emotions in predictable interactions.

What factors should you consider in developing activities to promote social emotional learning? ›

Self-awareness, like identifying emotions, recognizing strengths and needs, and developing a growth mindset. Self-management, like managing emotions, controlling impulses, and setting goals. Social awareness, like seeing things from other people's perspective, showing empathy, and appreciating diversity.

How do teachers support children's social emotional competence? ›

To promote social–emotional competence, teachers need to be cognisant of key skills they can teach children. In addition, children need meaningful opportunities, motivation, and the inclination to practise their developing skills. Teachers can support children in each aspect of this process.

What activities promote social interaction? ›

20 Evidence-Based Social Skills Activities and Games for Kids
  • Staring Contest. Many children have trouble maintaining eye contact in conversation. ...
  • Roll the Ball. ...
  • Virtual Playtime. ...
  • Emotion Charades. ...
  • Expression Mimicking Games. ...
  • Topic Game. ...
  • Step Into Conversation. ...
  • Improvisational Stories.
14 Oct 2020

What are some things you can do to start improving your social skills? ›

Here are some general guidelines to get you started:
  1. Improve your emotional intelligence. Put yourself in their shoes. ...
  2. Look inwards. ...
  3. Practice effective communication skills. ...
  4. Fake it 'till you make it. ...
  5. Ask more than you speak. ...
  6. Give compliments. ...
  7. Be polite. ...
  8. Use open body language and non-verbal communication.
16 May 2022

How important is social interaction in learning? ›

Social interaction plays an important role in learning. Interacting with other people has proven to be quite effective in assisting the learner to organize their thoughts, reflect on their understanding, and find gaps in their reasoning.

What is social and emotional wellbeing in children? ›

Social and emotional wellbeing comes from children feeling safe, secure and valued. The sense of wellbeing frees them to explore and learn. They learn ways to communicate their needs, knowing that they can get help and support when they need it.

What are the needs of children in relation to emotional well being? ›

They need to develop warm, physical and loving relationship. Attachment or bonding is essential between the infant , child and parent. Children need to develop confidence, have self-esteem and be happy. A nurturing environment is essential for a child's physical, social and intellectual development.

What is emotional well being in children? ›

Emotional wellness can be described as the developing capacity of children (birth through age eight) to: experience, regulate, and express emotion; form close, secure, interpersonal relationships; and explore the environment and learn – all in the cultural context of family and community.

Why is it important to promote children's health and wellbeing? ›

Learning in health and wellbeing ensures that children and young people develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes which they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing now and in the future.

How do you maintain good social and emotional health? ›

There are many ways to improve or maintain good emotional health.
  1. Be aware of your emotions and reactions. ...
  2. Express your feelings in appropriate ways. ...
  3. Think before you act. ...
  4. Manage stress. ...
  5. Strive for balance. ...
  6. Take care of your physical health. ...
  7. Connect with others. ...
  8. Find purpose and meaning.
23 Jun 2020

Why is it important to promote social and emotional wellbeing in schools? ›

Supporting the social and emotional wellbeing of students at school provides a strong foundation for academic achievement as well as positive intrapersonal and interpersonal long-term outcomes. Social and emotional wellbeing encompasses a wide range of factors that should be considered including students': autonomy.

How do you promote emotional wellbeing in early years? ›

Here are some practical ideas for supporting young children's wellbeing:
  1. Playing outside. Research shows that children have a need to be outside, taking opportunities to explore, discover, climb and run. ...
  2. Use emotional language. ...
  3. Stop rushing. ...
  4. Being creative. ...
  5. Join in.

Why is supporting children's emotional development important? ›

Positive social and emotional development is important. This development influences a child's self-confidence, empathy, the ability to develop meaningful and lasting friendships and partnerships, and a sense of importance and value to those around him/her.

What is the role of the key person in promoting emotional well being? ›

A key person approach is a way to ensure that all children and families have one or more persons within the setting with whom they have a special, nurturing relationship. The presence of a key person helps the child to feel emotionally secure when away from home and provides a reassuring point of contact for parents.

Why is emotional well being important in early years? ›

Understanding children's emotions is critical to understanding their behaviour. Early years children feel a range of emotions, but often cannot express, interpret or process them like us. With poor emotional skills, it could be harder for children to learn: acceptance.

Why is emotional well being important for students? ›

Emotional Wellbeing

Students experience less disciplinary incidents, can concentrate better on academics, and develop stronger communication skills, when schools foster emotional well-being. This can lead to greater academic performance and lifelong health.

What is important for a child? ›

Having a safe and loving home and spending time with family―playing, singing, reading, and talking―are very important. Proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep also can make a big difference.

How can parents ensure that their children have good social health? ›

As parents you can: familiarise your child with the new environment. engage in active listening as your child expresses their thoughts and feelings about starting in a new learning environment. ensure children start the new year with all required equipment recommended by the centre or school.

Why is promoting well being important? ›

Research has shown that a greater sense of wellbeing relates to increased physical benefits, such as lower incidences of cardiovascular disease, stroke and sleeping problems, and with increased productivity and creativeness in both employment and personal lives4.

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