The ability to accurately recognize one’s emotions and thoughts, and their influence on behaviors. This includes learning about different emotions, as well as exploring personal strengths and challenges.

Ways to Promote Self-Awareness at Home

• Focus on your child’s strengths - talk with them about things they’ve done well and offer specific praise for strengths you have noticed.
• Ask your child how they feel and share how you feel in different situations and settings using age-appropriate vocabulary.
• Discuss ways that you or your child might be feeling and how that can impact behavior and actions in different settings.

Ways to Promote Self-Awareness at School

• Teachers lead discussions about how characters feel and how those feelings can impact the outcome of the book and other character's feelings.
• Staff listen to what students say and reflect what they heard about their feelings.
• Staff encourage students to reflect on how their thoughts and emotions affect decision-making and behavior.
  _{Adapted from Sample Teaching Activities to Support Core Competencies of Social and Emotional Learning, CASEL}

Related Resources

• PBS Video on Self Awareness (YouTube) 
  Information on self-awareness and how families and educators can support students in developing this skill.
• Get to Know SEL: A Simple Guide to Self Awareness
  Information about Self Awareness, how it can impact student learning, and activities families and educators can use to strengthen these skills at home or at school.

The ability to regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations. This includes using healthy coping skills to manage stress, motivate oneself, and work toward goals.

Ways to Promote Self-Management at Home

• Discuss your own stress-relieving strategies with your child and use them when they are around so they can see that we all need to use strategies at times (e.g. “I’m feeling a little frustrated, so I’m going to stop and take a breath before I decide what to do next.”
• Ask your child what they are thinking/feeling when they are engaged in an activity.
• Talk with your child about what is important to them and why. (e.g. “I noticed you’ve been interested in _____. Tell me more about that.”)

Ways to Promote Self-Management at School

• Staff give students age-appropriate, authentic praise for self-management (e.g. “I saw the way you waited your turn just now.”)
• Staff help students to establish and work towards positive and realistic goals.
• Teachers read books and discuss how people persevere through hard times to reach a goal.
  _{Adapted from Sample Teaching Activities to Support Core Competencies of Social and Emotional Learning, CASEL}

Related Resources

• PBS Video on Self Management (YouTube)
  Provides information on Self Management and how families and educators can support students in developing this skill. 

The ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others from diverse backgrounds and cultures, to understand social and ethical norms for behavior, and to recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.

Ways to Promote Social Awareness at Home

• Practice empathy. Spend some time watching a show or movie. At any given time, pause and discuss what social cues you noticed. You might ask: “How are they feeling?” and “How would you feel if that happened to you?” Use this conversation to build on considering how others feel.
• Talk with your child or have them write in a journal ways they are/could be helpful in your family or with their peers.
• Talk with your child about who they can reach out to when they need help or advice.

Ways to Promote Social Awareness at School

• Staff use cooperative and project-based learning to build diverse student work groups.
• Teachers develop and revise classroom rules and norms with students to promote understanding and respect.
• Staff model and promote a school norm of treating others the way you would want to be treated.
  _{Adapted from Sample Teaching Activities to Support Core Competencies of Social and Emotional Learning, CASEL}

Related Resources

• PBS Video on Social Awareness
  Provides information on Social Awareness and how families and educators can support students in developing this skill.

The ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups. This includes skills such as communicating effectively, listening actively, and perspective taking.

Ways to Promote Developing Relationship Skills at Home

• Celebrate individual and family strengths with an accomplishments box. Write down your accomplishments, no matter the size. Fill up a jar with each of your successes like learning to ride a bike, trying a new recipe, or talking to a new neighbor.
• Model and reinforce effective communication and relationship building at home and in the community.
• Talk with your child about communication skills such as listening, looking at the person talking, and tone of voice.

Ways to Promote Developing Relationship Skills at School

• Staff practice active listening by empathizing, showing understanding, reflecting back, and asking open ended questions.   
• Staff intentionally use collaborative work groups to reinforce the importance of working together to solve problems and achieve goals.
• Staff give students support as needed when they are working out a conflict
  _{Adapted from Sample Teaching Activities to Support Core Competencies of Social and Emotional Learning, CASEL}

Related Resources

• PBS Video on Relationship Skills
  Provides information on Relationship Skills and how families and educators can support students in developing these.

The ability to make constructive and respectful choices about personal behavior and social interactions.

Ways to Promote Responsible Decision-Making at Home

• Establish age-appropriate jobs and chores around the house.
• Brainstorm multiple solutions to a problem you or your child is facing.  Talk about the pros and cons of each.
• Try strategy games or activities with your children that provide a chance to share or take-turns (e.g. Uno, Yahtzee, checkers). Games and activities provide opportunities for decision-making, as well as a good excuse for family time! 

Ways to Promote Responsible Decision-Making at School

• Staff clearly identify the steps for solving a problem and walk them in response to hypothetical situations with students.
• Staff discuss higher order values – impact on the environment, being a good citizen, ways to help the community or school.
• Staff model appropriate behaviors based on norms and rules.
  _{Adapted from Sample Teaching Activities to Support Core Competencies of Social and Emotional Learning, CASEL}

Related Resources

• PBS Video on Responsible Decision Making
  Provides information on Responsible Decision Making and how families and educators can support students in developing this skill.