Nothing "soft" about social-emotional skills

A randomized, controlled trial examining the technique known as Responsive Classroom that helps elementary students develop emotional and social skills finds it also leads to academic achievement, reports Lyndsey Layton of The Washington Post. Researchers found that children in classrooms where the technique was fully used scored significantly higher in math and reading tests than students in classrooms where it wasn't -- meaningful in an era when teacher evaluations and school performance are increasingly judged by student test scores, and educators feel limited classroom time is better spent on academics than "soft" skills. The technique is designed to create positive classroom relationships between teachers and students and among students, aiming to teach young children to cooperate with each other and feel part of a community. Teachers set expectations for behavior and learning so children internalize those goals over time and can regulate their own behavior. The Responsive Classroom method also dovetails with the Common Core, in that the standards assume students possess a range of social skills such as taking turns, listening to each other talk in front of a group, and the courage to make mistakes in front of peers. "There is a real synergy between these new standards and social and emotional learning practices," said Sara Rimm-Kaufman, the study's lead author. More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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