“Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.”
-Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
Long neglected due to the push for standardized testing, Social Emotional Learning has recently jumped into the spotlight as educational & government institutions, doctors, and media strive to help children process emotions in a healthy way.
Enter the library. We are a community center where children of all shapes and sizes can gather, play, and learn. As leader’s in our community and a central area for social interaction, we must incorporate SEL into our programming. This can be incorporated into preexisting storytimes and programs or libraries can create programs that specifically target SEL. Either way, it should always be intentional and not left up to chance.
My series of SEL storytimes called Sunshine Squad mainly focuses on kindness, compassion, and empathy. Here’s the newsletter description:
Build a better, more compassionate world starting with your family. Spread your sunshine and fill your bucket with love in this diversity-focused storytime accompanied with an activity to develop social-emotional skills.
Check out each session below!
- Skin Color Diversity
- Love Yourself!
- Let’s Be Friends
- Virtual: Managing Your Grouchies
- Virtual: Grow a Seed of Kindness
- Virtual: Let’s Share
- Virtual: Be Brave
- Virtual: Thankful for Families
- Virtual: Take a Breath
- Virtual: Welcome Immigrants!
- Virtual: Spread Love – coming soon
- Virtual: I Can Do It Myself – coming soon
Library Bonanza 