Social emotional skills are essential in becoming a successful adult. These skills are taught at the preschool and toddler age and are seen just as important as the child learning his or her colors, letters and numbers. As a society we need to remember that these social and emotional skills need to be continuously taught through out school.
Evidence has shown school systems that embrace the social and emotional school model have more academically successful students as well as more students demonstrating strong problem solving skills. Children that are taught social and emotional skills throughout their academic career are more likely to become a successful adult. They are less likely to engage in criminal activity and use or abuse different substances.
If teaching these skills to our children shows a greater outcome for them and the society why can’t we continue to provide them with these skills? I would argue that our society is academically driven however we need to foster children’s academic and social emotional skills. School systems need to change their understanding of schools as a place for academic readiness back to a rich learning environment that fosters and equally teaches the importance of academics and social emotional skills.