We’re certain that the focus on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the best new “thing” to come along in a while. As we described in What Is SEL?, this framework helps students to develop interpersonal skills, regulate emotions in a healthy manner, and connect and communicate effectively with others. All things that desperately need to be part of a student’s education. Frankly, at KidWrite!, we’re delighted to see this approach receiving the instructional time and attention it deserves.
Fostering Empathy
An SEL book is a work of fiction that helps to foster empathy in the reader. In fact, studies show that many of us first learned to empathize with others by reading SEL books. If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s because they weren’t called SEL books at the time. In fact, many of these titles are among those that kids now consider old. But there are plenty of good reasons to keep these books around, and for students to experience them by reading them on a printed page in a physical book.
Character-Driven
SEL books are character-driven; they have characters the reader cares about and feels with. When the character is embarrassed, the reader feels it, too. When the character is angry because the situation is unjust, the reader feels it, too. More importantly, when the unpopular character breaks down crying because they feel bad about what they’ve done, the reader feels their pain and views them in a slightly different way – a way they might not be able to experience when someone who has just given them a hard time in real life bursts into tears.
Try These to Start
We’ll start with the titles of several older books. In the next weeks, we’ll add to these with more recent titles.
Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary. I’ve yet to meet an older sibling who cannot relate to Beezus’ frustration with her quirky little sister.
Frindle by Andrew Clements. Some teachers push us out of our comfort zone. That’s certainly the case for Nick when he’s assigned to Mrs. Granger’s class.
Zing! by Gina Hagler. Ben and his classmates have never experienced a new kid like Zing. His attempts to fit in only lead to trouble for everyone.
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. When Anne arrives at her new home, she finds her adoptive parents are not happy to see that she is a girl.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. Mica High School will never be the same after a new girl with a unique personality arrives.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. From the moment Charlotte dashes outside to save Wilbur from an untimely end, the reader is engrossed in the ups and downs of their friends’ attempts to save Wilbur yet again.
Bottom Line
As schools move to reading passages rather than books and informational text rather than novels, instructional time may be gained, but much SEL is being lost. In the coming weeks, you’ll see posts with newer SEL titles, as well as Talk About guides for you to, well, talk about these titles with your kid. You’ll also see SEL as a tag to help you locate related material.
There’s nothing wrong with a book that’s all action and adventure, or with passages that help kids learn to spot the details supporting a main idea. Similarly, balancing those activities with a bit of reading that gives a child the experience of walking in someone else’s shoes can’t help but benefit us all.