Child development is a complex process, and as someone with a graduate degree in early childhood development, I can say that the more I learn about it, the more I realize there is to learn. We know so much about this, but we are always learning more, which is perhaps why I find it so fascinating to dive into new research and find ways to apply it to my teaching practice. One way I am refining my pedagogy is by more intentionally including lessons and opportunities for my PreK students to build social-emotional skills in my classroom. Before I list the 5 books and lessons that build social-emotional skills, I want to share with you today why we don\u2019t take a little peek at the research that led me to make this a priority for my teaching practice. If you want to explore this topic in greater depth and get more than 5 new social-emotional learning lessons, you should check out my Everyday Social Emotional Learning virtual workshop. <\/a><\/p>\n Why are social-emotional skills so essential to teach at preschool? <\/strong><\/p>\n Social-emotional development can\u2019t happen on its own; it requires social interactions. Children need to interact with others to learn these skills. Additionally, research shows that we must intentionally teach and develop these skills; they don\u2019t develop naturally. Take self-regulation, for example, research makes it very clear that its development is highly dependent on appropriate co-regulation. Children need warm, responsive adults to help model and coach them as they build these skills. Early childhood is one of two sensitive periods for social-emotional development in humans, with the other in adolescence. These periods are times of optimal learning and exponential growth; it\u2019s the perfect time for us to spend intentionally supporting our students as they develop these skills.<\/p>\n What social-emotional skills should we focus on?<\/strong><\/p>\n According to the Ruler Approach Framework developed by Yale\u2019s Center for Emotional Intelligence<\/a>, these five skills are essential for building emotional intelligence: <\/p>\n Recognizing emotions in oneself and others. These are the social-emotional skills I am choosing to focus on in the lessons and activities I create and explore with my PreK students moving forward. However, these lessons and activities aren\u2019t the bulk of my mission in supporting my students\u2019 social-emotional development. That is my work as a co-regulator. The number one thing we should focus on is our interactions with our students, being warm and responsive, both emotionally and culturally. <\/strong>I can\u2019t stress enough how important it is to model and coach our students throughout the day for their well-being and development. Learn more about this in my professional development workshop. <\/a><\/p>\n Still, we know we need to intentionally focus on teaching specific skills in lessons too \u2013 so let\u2019s get back on track and let me share five books and lessons that build social-emotional skills!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.notimeforflashcards.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/books-lessons-that-build-social-emotional-skills-for-preschoolers.png\")
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Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions.
Labeling emotions specifically.
Expressing emotions within cultural norms and social context.
Regulating emotions.<\/p>\n