Social and Emotional Intelligence

All children need social and emotional skills so they can learn and be successful in school and in life. To be successful academically, children need to learn how to control their emotions and how to work in groups; these skills are necessary to thrive in school or any other learning situation. Children who can control their impulses and behaviors are much better prepared to listen and learn.

Society values an individual's cognitive capabilities; yet many people do not stop to consider how individuals actually develop these skills. We want children to be successful in school, and, generally, good grades are measures of success. We may assume that good grades are the results of superior cognitive abilities. However, children need to learn to pay attention and listen so they can develop the thinking skills necessary to become successful students. Paying attention and listening require children to control impulses, delay gratification, and focus on a task. All of these are related to social and emotional development.

Individuals who are socially intelligent are able to:

• Assess the feelings of others;



• Relate to the feelings, motive, and concerns of others;



• Read and respond to social cues; and



• Negotiate and resolve conflicts.

Individuals who are emotionally intelligent are able to:

• Identify and label feelings,



• Express feelings,



• Assess the intensity of feelings,



• Manage feelings,



• Delay gratification,



• Control impulses,



• Know the difference between feelings and actions, and



• Manage stress

( Source: Seven Skills For School Sucess, Pam Schiller)