Social Emotional Learning

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is a critical component of the educational experience that is proven to lead to improvements in student behavior, reductions in classroom disruption, and greater academic achievement. It does so by going beyond traditional academic skills and teaching students how to resolve conflicts, handle emotions, empathize, and make responsible decisions. Again and again, the evidence shows that in order to develop healthier school climates and improved academic results, schools must teach the whole student.

The PATHS® program covers the 5 distinct categories of social-emotional learning:

Self Awareness is the ability to understand and manage your own feelings and to know your strengths and weaknesses.
Self Management is the ability to manage your behavior and impulses, to have integrity, and to act according to your values.
Social Awareness is the ability to understand and have empathy for others.
Relationship Management is knowing how to work with others and get along effectively.
Responsible Decision Making is the ability to make good decisions and know how to problem solve effectively both alone and in groups.

The PATHS® program brings students through each of these domains in stages. Each unit is organized around one or more of these domains, while integrating aspects from all five.

To ensure continual reinforcement of key skills from the PATHS® program, supplemental activities and a variety of at-home activities are included for parents and children to do together.

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PATHS® PreK and KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM MODULE SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THE FOLLOWING GOALS:

To increase children's self-control
To increase children's ability to get along with others by improving friendship skills (sharing, caring, and other social skills)
To enhance children's self-esteem, self-confidence, and ability to give and receive compliments
To increase children's understanding and communication of the vocabulary of emotions (verbal mediation and dialoguing about feelings with others)
To help children recognize and understand how one's behavior affects others
To increase children's understanding and use of logical reasoning and problem-solving vocabulary
To improve children's knowledge of, and skill in, the steps of social problem solving

THE PATHS® GRADE 1, GRADE 2, GRADE 3, GRADE 4, and GRADE 5/6 CLASSROOM MODULES SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING GOALS:

To establish and reinforce basic classroom rules
To strengthen self-control and encourage reflective thinking in the classroom
To improve children's communication skills with adults and peers
To use literature to discuss and promote prosocial, responsible behavior
To increase children's ability to identify, understand, and discuss the variety of feelings people experience in their daily lives
To enhance children's ability to recognize and interpret similarities and differences in the feelings, reactions, and points of view in themselves and others
To build character development through the reading of "role-model" biographies
To promote the development of empathy and perspective-taking
To help children use social problem-solving skills to prevent and/or resolve problems and conflicts in social interactions
To support children in using these skills to improve classroom ecology and academic success