Schools, families, and social and emotional learning: Ideas and tools for working with parents and families

Both schools and families can contribute in unique ways to make the partnership fruitful and build students’ social, emotional, and academic skills! When social and emotional skills are taught and mastered, they help students to succeed not just in school but in all avenues of life.

This handout includes a packet of “small things” that all parents can consider doing. When done on a regular basis with children, these actions can make a big difference in children’s well-being and social and emotional learning. 

The suggestions in the handouts are not an exhaustive list. Nor are they meant to be implemented all at once. In some cases, they may sound simple but take some advance thought and planning to put into action. You may want to suggest that parents begin with a single item and add others as they gain comfort and confidence using these strategies.