Social emotional learning, or SEL, begins at home and continues in school.  SEL is sometimes called the “missing piece” because it links academic progress with a specific set of skills important to success in families, communities, schools, workplaces, and life in general. The three Rs are not enough!  SEL includes the processes through which people acquire and apply knowledge and develop attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.  SEL promotes significant improvement in social and emotional skills; attitudes about oneself, others, and school; social and classroom behavior; conduct problems; emotional distress such as stress and depression; and achievement test scores and school grades.  More specifically, decades of research shows that investment in social-emotional learning positively impacts academic achievement, behavior, mental health, earning potential, long-term employment, housing, criminal activity, and substance use.  Given the critical impact of COVID-19 and other important national issues on students, especially students from vulnerable populations, social emotional health and mental well-being are increasingly important.  SEL serves as important Tier I instruction for all students. 

Parent

School Psychologist

VASP Immediate Past-President