What Is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)?
Dear Grown-Ups,
Before children learn to read or write, before they tie shoes or count to ten…
they are learning how to be in the world.
They are learning to feel.
To express.
To connect.
To calm.
To care.
This is the heart of Social Emotional Learning—or SEL for short.
At Miss Kindred’s House, we see SEL not as a subject to be taught, but a way to be with children. A flexible framework that helps little ones understand themselves and others, one small moment at a time.
Let’s take a closer look at what SEL is, why it matters, and how you’re likely doing it already—just by showing up with love.
What Is SEL?
Social Emotional Learning is the process by which children (and grown-ups!) learn to:
Recognize and name their emotions
Manage strong feelings
Show empathy for others
Make kind choices
Build and maintain relationships
According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), SEL is grounded in five key competencies:
Self-Awareness – noticing your thoughts, feelings, and needs
Self-Management – learning how to calm down, wait, or try again
Social Awareness – understanding others and showing compassion
Relationship Skills – playing, listening, problem-solving together
Responsible Decision-Making – making choices that are safe and kind
For young children, SEL doesn’t come through lectures. It comes through experience. Through warm interactions, cozy routines, and trusted relationships.
Why Is SEL So Important in the Early Years?
The brain develops faster from birth to age 5 than at any other time in life.
That means everything a child sees, hears, and feels in those early years—especially in relationships—shapes how they learn to respond to the world.
Strong SEL development is linked to:
Increased school readiness and focus (Denham et al., 2012)
Better emotion regulation and fewer behavior challenges (Jones et al., 2015)
Higher academic performance and graduation rates later in life (Durlak et al., 2011)
But more than outcomes, SEL builds the inner scaffolding children need to thrive.
It helps a child learn: “My feelings are okay. I can handle hard moments. I belong.”
What SEL Looks Like at Miss Kindred’s House
Here, SEL lives in the tiny moments:
A puppet who names their feelings out loud
A teacher who offers a deep breath instead of a time-out
A cozy rhythm that helps the day feel safe and predictable
A story that explores kindness, courage, or repair
A space where all emotions are welcome—but not all behaviors are okay
We don’t rush SEL.
We make room for it to grow—like a garden tended with patience and care.
How You Can Support SEL at Home
You don’t need much in the way of toys or equipment to nurture social-emotional growth.
You need presence.
You need connection.
You need language for what’s real.
Here are some gentle ways to support SEL in daily life:
Name emotions you notice in yourself or your child (“You look frustrated. That block tower kept falling.”)
Offer co-regulation before correction (“Let’s take a breath together before we try again.”)
Model kindness and repair (“I’m sorry I raised my voice. I was feeling overwhelmed. I love you.”)
Read stories with characters who face challenges and show empathy
Slow down your routines, so transitions feel safer and more predictable
A Final Whisper
Social Emotional Learning is not a checklist. It’s a relationship.
It’s a rhythm.
It’s the way we welcome all parts of the child—and all parts of ourselves—into the room.
When you tend to your child’s emotional world with compassion, you’re doing elemental and very important work.
You are not just shaping behavior.
You are shaping belonging.
And that is more than enough.
With tenderness and trust,
Miss Kindred
Sources & Further Reading:
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). https://casel.org/
Denham, S. A., Bassett, H. H., Zinsser, K., & Wyatt, T. (2012). How Preschoolers’ Social-Emotional Learning Predicts Their Early School Success: Developing Theory-Promoting, Evidence-Based Practices.
Durlak, J. A., et al. (2011). The Impact of Enhancing Students’ Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Universal Interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Jones, D. E., Greenberg, M., & Crowley, M. (2015). Early Social-Emotional Functioning and Public Health: The Relationship Between Kindergarten Social Competence and Future Wellness. American Journal of Public Health, 105(11), 2283–2290.