Social and Emotional Learning: Challenges and Opportunities for PreK

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Social and Emotional Learning Challenges and
Opportunities for Pre-K

• Jane Knitzer, Ed.D.
• October 26, 2005
• Council of Chief State School Officers

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Four Questions

• What is social and emotional learning?
• How is social and emotional learning related to
  early school success?
• Examples of intentional s/e strategies that can
  improve outcomes
• What can pre-k leaders do?

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What does social and emotional mean in general?

• Age appropriate competencies/ skills re
• How to manage/regulate impulses and emotions
• How to relate well to others
• How children feel about themselves(confident,
  sad)

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What does social and emotional mean in the
context of pre-k?

• How children engage in the classroom
  culture/routines (are they cooperative,
  disruptive/ manage their own behaviors)
• How they relate to peers, teachers (no friends,
  bully)
• How they approach/engage with learning
  (persistent, eager to learn, convinced they cant
  do it)

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How is social and emotional related toacademic
success?

• Approach to learning predicts later reading and
  math (Duncan)
• Poor social and emotional skills predict early
  school failure e.g. being left back (Raver
  Knitzer)
• Improved social and emotional skills can be a
  pathway to more effective academic learning and
  visa versa (Arnold)

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How is social and emotional related toacademic
success?(cont )

• Lack of s/e skills, and behavioral problems mean
• Less positive attention from teachers, setting
  the stage for school disengagement (Ladd)
• Less real learning time (fall behind)
• Are not recognized for their real academic
  competence ( Espinosa)
• Do not have as many opportunities to experience
  academic success
• Increased odds of long-term school failure

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How many young children have problems?

• Teachers report 10 of all kindergarten children
  have problem behaviors ( ECLS)
• Rates are two to three times as high in
  low-income samples (see Raver Knitzer)
• Perceptions vary by race of child and teacher,
  especially for African American young boys
  (Barbarin)
• Rates of clinical problems are also high (17 of
  the sample had diagnosable problems (Angold et.
  Al.)

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The view from the ground

• Early childhood concerns
• Too many children are mad bad sad
• Young children being kicked out of preschools-3x
  rate of k-12 expulsions (Gilliam 2005)
• Too many stressed families
• Kindergarten teacher concerns
• Children who cant follow directions, relate to
  others, listen to teachers
• Pressures on Both
• Young children (no naps, recess)
• Teachers (assessment, implement new curricula
  quickly, without supports) high job stress
  depression

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What can help?

• Given
• Quality pre-k programs ( school-based and
  community-based, starting in infancy)
• Beyond the Given
• Understanding the s/e challenges in the context
  of pre-k (different issues, different solutions)
• Intentional classroom-based and other strategies
  explicitly addressing s/e learning challenges
• Special attention to young children at higher
  risk

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Understanding the challenge

• No one size fits all learning problems
• Problems in the childs approach to learning
• Classroombased sometimes teacher-triggered
  behavioral problems
• Cross-setting, pervasive social and emotional
  disorders (triggered by family stress, child
  issues etc)

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Intentional classroom-based strategies

• Curricula Strategies
• Integrated curricula (Tools of the Mind
  IES-funded new projects) Research promising
• Stand alone social skills curricula limited if
  only focused on child, good evidence if include
  teachers and parents ( e.g. Incredible Years,
  Webster-Stratton)

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Intentional classroom-based strategies, cont

• Teacher-focused strategies
• DECA (classroom assessment child-assessment re
  resilience, initiative and cooperation engages
  parents in assessments heres what you can do
• Teacher-training
• Limited formal research
• Behavioral, mh consultation strategies
• PBIS (Conroy)
• Consultation ( CT mh, ei ed) approach Ohio,
  Maryland, Colorado)
• Some evidence of impact (Gilliam)

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Intentional Policy-linked Strategies

• Policy expectations that this IS part of pre-k
  e.g. Including s/e in state early learning
  standards professional development plans
• Providing training for teachers (how to observe
  childrens behavior how to promote positive s/e
  skills etc. )

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Other strategies Beyond Pre-K

• Support community/state investments in infants
  and toddlers (e.g. Early Head Start)
• Build state and community capacity to address
  children with more serious behavioral challenges
  ( Cleveland data)
• Pay attention to the s/e health of teachers
  (realities of trauma, disaster depression)

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Take home messages

• Early social and emotional skills matter
• Intentional, evidence-based strategies are
  emerging to help integrate this important
  learning and life domain in the pre-k
  conversation
• There is no one size fits all

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NCCP Resources

• Spending Smarter A Funding Guide for Policy
  Makers to Promote Social and Emotional Health and
  School Readiness (Johnson Knitzer, 2005)
• Resources to Promote Social and Emotional Health
  and School Readiness in Young Children A
  Community Guide.
• Issue Brief Series Promoting the Social and
  Emotional Well-being of Children and Families
• Forthcoming Pathways to Early School Success
  Community Strategies to Help the Most Vulnerable
  Infants and Toddlers

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If you would like more information, contact
Jane Knitzer at jk340_at_columbia.edu Or visit the
NCCP web site www.nccp.org