Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T23:22:12.108Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Social Emotional Learning in the Early Years: Innovation and Applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 September 2021

Erica Frydenberg
Erica Frydenberg*
Affiliation:
Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
*
Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The importance of social emotional learning (SEL) has been well acknowledged as a significant feature of education and emotional development across the life span. School psychologists play an important part as innovators, implementers and evaluators of resources in the social emotional domain. When it comes to the early years in the education system, social emotional aspects of the curriculum form the basis of the learning experience. Teachers utilise resources that enhance their classroom practice. Coping research and practice has had a long history in the literature, but the translation to early childhood educational practice, supported by school psychologists, is a more recent development. This article details three innovations, namely, The Early Years Coping Cards, Families Coping and the COPE-Resilience Program. Development, applications, and evaluations are considered to highlight the significant role school psychologists and trainee psychologists can play.

Keywords

Social emotion learningearly years copingfamily coping
Type
Practitioner Paper
Information
Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools , Volume 31 , Special Issue 2: Actioning Research within Schools: Key Processes for Planning Successful Interventions , December 2021 , pp. 184 - 194
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Amirkhan, J., & Auyeung, B. (2007). Coping with stress across the lifespan: Absolute versus relative changes in strategy. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 28, 298–317.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baldwin, J.S., & Dadds, M.R. (2007). Reliability and validity of parent and child versions of the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children in community samples. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 46, 252–260.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Band, E.B., & Weisz, J.R. (1988). How to feel better when it feels bad: Children’s perspectives on coping with everyday stress. Developmental Psychology, 24, 247–253.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beesdo, K., Knappe, S., & Pine, D.S. (2009). Anxiety and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents: Developmental issues and implications for DSM-V. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 32, 483–524.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chalmers, K., Frydenberg, E., & Deans, J. (2011). An exploration into the coping strategies of pre-schoolers: Implications for professional practice. Children Australia, 36, 120–127.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). (2020). What is SEL? CASEL. https://casel.org/what-is-sel/ Google Scholar
Compas, B.E. (1998). An agenda for coping research and theory: Basic and applied developmental issues. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 22, 231–237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cornell, C., Kiernan, N., Kaufman, D., Dobee, P., Frydenberg, E., & Deans, J. (2017). Developing Social and Emotional Competence in the Early Years. In Frydenberg, E., Martin, A., & Collie, R. (Eds.), Social emotional learning in Australia and the Asia-Pacific (pp. 391–412). Springer Nature.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deans, J., & Deans, H. (2018). A 21st Century pedagogy approach to environmental education in the early years. International Journal of Research in Environmental Studies, 5, 77–90.Google Scholar
Deans, J., Frydenberg, E., & Liang, R. (2012) Building a shared language of coping: Dynamics of communication between parents and preschool children. New Zealand Research into Early Childhood Research Journal, 15, 67–89.Google Scholar
Deans, J., Liang, R., & Frydenberg, E. (2016). Giving voices and providing skills to families in culturally and linguistically diverse communities through a productive parenting program. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 41, 13–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deans, J., Klarin, S., Liang, R., & Frydenberg, E. (2017). All children have the best start in life to create a better future for themselves and for the nation. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 42, 78–86. https://doi.org/10.23965/AJEC.42.4.09 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deans, J., Frydenberg, E., & Tsurutani, H. (2010). Operationalising social and emotional coping competencies in kindergarten children 2010. New Zealand Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 13, 113–124.Google Scholar
Dinkmeyer, D.C., McKay, G.D., & Dinkmeyer, J.S. (1989). Parenting young children: Helpful strategies based on systematic training for effective parenting (STEP) for parents of children under six. Circle AGS.Google Scholar
Domitrovich, C.E., Cortes, R.C., & Greenberg, M.T. (2007). Improving young children’s social and emotional competence: A randomized trial of the preschool ‘PATHS’ curriculum. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 28, 67–91.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dreikurs, R. (1958). The challenge of parenthood. Duell, Soan and Pearce.Google Scholar
Fields, L., & Prinz, R.J. (1997). Coping and adjustment during childhood and adolescence. Clinical Psychology Review, 17, 937–976.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frydenberg, E. (2015). Families coping: Effective strategies for you and your child. ACER Press.Google Scholar
Frydenberg, E., & Deans, J. (2011). The Early Years Coping Cards. Australian Council for Educational Research.Google Scholar
Frydenberg, E., & Deans, E. (2012). The Early Years Coping Project: Building a shared language of coping. In Molinelli, B. & Grimaldo, V. (Eds.), Handbook of psychology of coping: New research (pp. 225–242). Nova Publishers.Google Scholar
Frydenberg, E., Deans, J., & Liang, R. (2014). Families can do coping: Parenting skills in the early years. Children Australia, 39, 99–106. https://doi.org/10.1017/cha.2014.7 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frydenberg, E., Deans, J., & Liang, R. (2021a). Young children’s social and emotional learning: The COPE-Resilience Program. Routledge.Google Scholar
Frydenberg, E., & Lewis, R. (1993). Manual: The Adolescent Coping Scale. Australian Council for Educational Research.Google Scholar
Frydenberg, E., & Lewis, R. (1997). Coping Scale for Adults. Australian Council for Educational Research.Google Scholar
Frydenberg, E., & Lewis, R. (2011). Adolescent Coping Scale-2. Australian Council for Educational Research.Google Scholar
Frydenberg, E., & Lewis, R. (2014). Coping Scale for Adults (CSA-2). Australian Council for Educational Research.Google Scholar
Frydenberg, E., Wu, M., & McKenzie, V. (2021b). Social emotional learning: What are the learning outcomes from a preschool SEL program (COPE-Resilience) in Taiwan and Australia. In Allen, K.A., Furlong, M.J., Vella-Brodrick, D.A., & Suldo, S.M. (Eds.). The handbook of positive psychology in schools (3rd ed.). Taylor and Francis.Google Scholar
Gordon, T. (1970). Parent effectiveness training: The tested new way to raise responsible children. David McKay.Google Scholar
Gulliford, H., Deans, J., Frydenberg, E., & Liang, R. (2015). Teaching coping skills in the context of positive parenting within a preschool setting. Australian Psychologist, 50, 219–231.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirsh, E., Frydenberg, E., Liang, R., & Deans, J. (2021). Singing songs and making friends: An intergenerational program in the early years. Journal of Early Childhood Education Research, 10, 140–164.Google Scholar
Lazarus, R.S. (1993). Coping theory and research: Past, present, and future. Psychosomatic Medicine, 55, 234–247.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Piaget, J. (1970). Piaget’s theory. In Mussen, P.H. (Ed.), Carmichael’s manual of child psychology (3rd ed., vol. 2, pp. 703–732). Wiley.Google Scholar
Pearl, E.S. (2009). Parent management training for reducing oppositional and aggressive behavior in preschoolers. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 14, 295–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2009.03.007 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rudolph, K.D., Dennig, M.D., & Weisz, J.R. (1995). Determinants and consequences of children’s coping in the medical setting: Conceptualization, review and critique. Psychological Bulletin, 118, 328–357.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sanders, M., Markie-Dadds, C., Tully, L., & Bor, W. (2000). The Triple P-Positive Parenting Program: A comparison of enhanced, standard, and self-directed behavioral family intervention for parents of children with early onset conduct problems. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 624–640. https://doi.org/10.1037//022-006X.68.4.624 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Soliman, D., Frydenberg, E., Liang, R. & Deeans, J. (2021). Enhancing empathy in preschoolers: A comparison of social and emotional learning approaches. The Educational and Developmental Psychologist. doi: 10.1080/20590776.2020.1839883 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spence, S.H., Rapee, R., McDonald, C., & Ingram, M. (2001). The structure of anxiety symptoms among preschoolers. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 39, 1293–1316.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Steele, R.G., Forehand, R., & Armistead, L. (1997). The role of family processes and coping strategies in the relationship between parental chronic illness and childhood internalizing problems. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 25, 83–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stirling, S. (2020). Embedding SEL within curriculum: Partnership with communities. In Frydenberg, E., Deans, J., & Liang, R. (Eds.), Promoting well-being in the pre-school years (pp. 141–162). Routledge.Google Scholar
Thomson, N.S., Frydenberg, E., Deans, J., & Liang, R.P.T. (2015). Increasing wellbeing through a parenting program: Role of gender and partnered attendance. Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 32, 120–141.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webster-Stratton, C., Reid, M.J., & Stoolmiller, M. (2008). Preventing conduct problems and improving school readiness: Evaluation of the Incredible Years Teacher and Child Training Programs in high-risk schools. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49, 471–488.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Webster-Stratton, C., Reid, M.J., & Hammond, M. (2001). Preventing conduct problems, promoting social competence: A parent and teacher training partnership in Head Start. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 30, 283–302. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15374424JCCP3003_2 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wu, M.Y., Alexander, M.A., Frydenberg, E., & Deans, J. (2020). Early childhood social-emotional learning based on the Cope-Resilience program: Impact of teacher experience. Issues in Educational Research, 30, 782–807. http://www.iier.org.au/iier30/wu.pdf Google Scholar
Yeo, K., Frydenberg, E., Northam, E., & Deans, J. (2014). Coping with stress among preschool children and associations with anxiety level and controllability of situations. Australian Journal of Psychology, 66, 93–101. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajpy.12047 CrossRefGoogle Scholar