08 Nov Social and Emotional Competence of Children and National Family Literacy Month

 A child or youth’s ability to interact positively with others, self-regulate their behavior and effectively communicate their feelings has a positive impact on their relationships with their family, other adults, and peers. Challenging behaviors or delayed development create extra stress for families, so early identification and assistance for both parents and children can heed off negative results and keep development on track.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children says that “children who are socially and emotionally healthy tend to demonstrate, and continue to develop, several important behaviors and skills.”

Children’s social and emotional health affects their overall development and learning. According to research, from the NAEYC, kids who are “mentally healthy tend to be happier, show greater motivation to learn, have a more positive attitude toward school, more eagerly participate in class activities, and demonstrate higher academic performance than less mentally healthy peers.” Social and emotional health is just as important as their physical health and mental health.

One way to help foster positive, strong social and emotional health in kids is by reading and discussing children’s books. This is a great way to encourage kids to identify the characters’ emotions and then relate those emotions and experiences to their own emotions, feelings, and experiences. One organization that helps kids and families with this is Baxter’s Corner. Their mission is to “develop emotionally and spiritually healthy children through engaging stories and thought-provoking activities that build relationships, exploring values that transform story-time into making healthy choices.” With November being National Family Literacy Month, what better way to celebrate than by reading more books! Baxter’s Corner has “a unique series of books designed to enhance conversations between adults and preschool through primary-aged children.” Visit https://www.baxterscorner.com/ to learn more about their work, find books, discover children’s activities, resources for parents, and more! 

Here are other ways you can promote family literacy at home:

• Set aside time each day for reading
• Keep books visible around the house
• Make regular visits to the library
• Read the book version of your child’s favorite movie
• Organize a children’s book club with friends in the neighborhood

Image from Carriage House