Social-Emotional supports are necessary in supporting the whole child. A child's mental and emotional well-being are critical in ensuring the child is able to maximize his/her potential not only in academics, but as a contributing member of society. "SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions" (CASEL, 2020).
Integrating social-emotional supports in the multi-tiered systems framework is fundamental in developing mindsets to create inclusive opportunities for children and remove inequitable barriers that may exist. Although Social-Emotional learning cannot resolve inequities that exist, the practices allow children and adults to develop relationship skills, self and social awareness, self-management and responsible decision making skills.
Source: CASEL: Definition of SEL, December 2020.
Additional Sources: Trauma Talk
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