Building young children’s social-emotional competence at home and in early care and education settings

Abstract

Children’s social-emotional development plays a central role in healthy growth and functioning across the life span, and is as important for school readiness and success as cognitive and academic preparedness. This chapter will describe four interrelated and essential social-emotional competencies-specifically, social cognition, self-awareness, executive function, and self-regulation. Key experiences are needed to build these competencies, including the following: nurturing and responsive relationships with caregivers; language-rich environments; opportunities for practicing skills for self-regulation and communication; and developmentally appropriate opportunities to play, explore, and learn by doing. Current practices and programs in both home and school settings can provide these critical opportunities for promoting children’s social and emotional competence.