EU-SELF: An European Platform about Social and Emotional Skills in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Researchers and practitioners nowadays are convinced that social and emotional skills (SES) are a crucial element in human development. Numerous scientific research studies and international and national reports show the significance of attaining SES in the early years. Supporting the development and improvement of social and emotional skills in children from an early age increases to a great extent their chances of success in school, work, and life. This will influence on one-hand side children’s level of development as a whole, not only in the field of the social and emotional domain, but also has an influence on their families, kindergarten and school community, and the overall society. The EU-SELF project presents an innovative approach that integrates scientific knowledge and proficiency in the realm of SES with its applied implementation into educational practices. Within the framework of the project, a Europe-wide web-based platform was developed. It provides reliable, professional and user-friendly information on SES states regarding several key areas like skills development, their assessment, and approaches to interventions for early childhood education and care (ECEC) (i.e., children aged 0 to 7 years old). Some of the project outputs are (1) country-specific SES descriptions for all the European countries, (2) a program SES compendium for Europe, (3) SES assessment measure compendium, and (4) a systematic review. The EU-Self platform functions as both a repository of information and a means of communication and exchange for early childhood education and care providers, teachers, researchers, stakeholders, and experts in Europe and worldwide. It supports the achievement of EU key priorities, raises awareness and promotes SES development in children.