A recent survey by ReadTheory, which provides high-quality reading comprehension practice to students at all levels, found that when it comes to helping students develop their social–emotional skills (SEL), an overwhelming number of educators feel they rarely have the time or adequate training to focus on them in the classroom. With the pandemic, students’ mental health challenges have soared. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control revealed that 37% of high school students reported poor mental health during the pandemic, while 44% said they persistently felt sad or hopeless during the past year. The good news is, with billions of dollars in federal ESSER funds available, schools are investing in SEL programs to help students—and teachers—cope. However, successfully implementing SEL takes an investment of more than just money. “What teachers told us provides a road map for the ways that school leaders, families, and communities can help support social–emotional learning for all students,” said Ron Kirschenbaum, managing partner of ReadTheory. Kirschenbaum offers three quick tips for schools seeking to successfully bring SEL to the classroom:
Before instituting an SEL curriculum, identify the learning needs of educators to determine the highest-priority needs.
Using survey results, select resources and instructional strategies to implement SEL instruction across all grade levels
Schedule and implement professional development to ensure the success of SEL programs.
https://readtheory.org/readtheorys-sel-survey
