Corcoran, R. P. (2018, March 20). Children benefit when taught social and emotional skills – but some methods are better than others. Retrieved May 14, 2018

It is understood that childrens’ emotions in school are connected to their learning and academic achievement. The evolution of concepts such as emotional intelligence explain why the ability to recognize, use, express and manage one’s emotions makes a huge difference to success in later life. As the American author and philosopher Walker Percy said, “You can get all As and still flunk life.” Schools wishing to teach students these non-cognitive skills, such as self-awareness, self-control, empathy, decision making and coping, have turned to social and emotional learning (SEL) programs. In the US, UK and Ireland, these are recommended as ways for schools to teach these “soft skills”.