Explicitly teaching emotional and social skills doesn't trade off against academics — it improved behavior and lifted achievement 11 points.
The situation, the move, the outcome.
A landmark 2011 meta-analysis by Durlak and colleagues pooled 213 school-based social-emotional learning (SEL) programs covering more than 270,000 students. Compared with controls, SEL participants showed significantly better social and emotional skills, attitudes and behavior — and an 11-percentile-point gain in academic achievement. The programs worked best when they were sequenced, active, focused and explicit, and implemented with fidelity.
Why it matters beyond one family.
The finding put to rest the worry that 'soft skills' come at the expense of academics. Teaching kids to manage emotions and relationships improved both behavior and grades.
How to apply it.
- Ask whether your school uses an evidence-based SEL curriculum.
- Reinforce the same skills at home — naming feelings, problem-solving, empathy.
- Look for quality (sequenced, active, explicit), not just a label.
Concrete next steps.
- Point teachers and boards to the Durlak meta-analysis and CASEL resources.
- Practice emotion-coaching at home to mirror what's taught in class.
- Support fidelity — well-implemented programs produce the gains.
Read it for yourself.
- Child Development (Durlak et al., 2011) — SEL meta-analysis onlinelibrary.wiley.com ↗
- Learning Policy Institute — evidence for SEL in schools learningpolicyinstitute.org ↗
- Kappan — an update on SEL outcome research kappanonline.org ↗
Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24/7) · Text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line) · Find a child psychiatrist at aacap.org · For immediate danger, call 911.