Sustainable School Intervention SEL Programs (social & emotional learning)
Studies find that youth benefit from learning mindfulness in terms of improved cognitive outcomes, social-emotional skills, and well being. In turn, such benefits may lead to long-term improvements in life. For example, social skills in kindergarten predict improved education, employment, crime, substance abuse and mental health outcomes in adulthood.[1]
Much evidence has shown how effective intervention in preschool and the early elementary years can improve childhood non cognitive skills in a lasting way. Enhancing these skills can have an impact in multiple areas and therefore has potential for positively affecting individuals as well as community public health substantially.
The Murdoch Childrens Research Institute is calling for resilience training, more extra-curricular activities in schools to help prevent mental health disorders.
The research, led by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and published in PLOS ONE, found clinicians were also pushing for more effective ways to upskill educators in mental health prevention, identification and early intervention including peer support for school psychologists and mental health literacy education for teachers.
“With about 50 per cent of mental health disorders beginning before the age of 14 years, prevention and early intervention are paramount if we want to reduce lifetime prevalence of mental health disorders and allow children to live their best possible lives. Improving mental health for children and adolescents has therefore become an international priority.” MCRI
Cognitive Outcomes
- Attention and Focus [2]
- Grades [3]
Social-emotional Skills
- Emotion regulation [4]
- Behaviour in school [5]
- Empathy and perspective-taking [6]
- Social-skills [7]
Well Being
- Test anxiety [8]
- Stress [9]
- Posttraumatic symptoms [10]
- Depression [11]
30
Lessons
6
Modules
5
Workbooks
6
Cartoons
Objective of The School Program
‘A train the teacher program implementing four-term reviewed study measuring the implementation and efficacy of the WA developed, based and owned ELMA program of Emotional Literacy, Meditation and Mindfulness in the 4 to 8 year old cohort of the Western Australian Private and Independent School System.’
This project aims to deliver, measure and demonstrate connections between improved emotional development in early childhood and the cognitive functions of learning, mental resilience and positive socialisation and their correlating sociological and economic benefits in the school, home and community environments.
Alignment with State Priorities
Our program outcomes align with the Western Australian State Budget Priorities being:
“An ongoing focus in the early years on improving health and wellbeing of children is required to ensure all Western Australian children have a solid foundation for education. Identifying target groups of students where connected intervention across multiple agencies will generate positive outcomes will be a key focus in meeting the targets of our priorities”
“The wellbeing, resilience, emotional regulation and behaviour of children and young people continue to be challenging community issues that have an impact on the safety of students and staff in schools” [20]
- Sustained Focus on Teachers Leadership
- Health & Wellbeing of School Leaders
- Being healthy, safe and active for Students
- Communicating for Health & Wellbeing for Students
Program Outcomes
Significance and Impact
Emotionally illiterate children can be a disrupting influence in classrooms, creating a sub-optimal learning environment and workplace for students and teachers, which may result in overall lowered performance, and, potentially negative health and wellbeing outcomes for both groups.
This has short and long term systemic implications for society in terms of individuals’ unrealised potential contribution to community and the economy, productivity loss, and, increasing burdens on our physical and mental health, justice and welfare systems.
Emotional literacy (EL) provides a basis for understanding how relationships between teachers and students contribute to effective learning. This facet of schooling is central to the growing interest in positive education and the place of positive psychology in schooling.
As schools are relational organisations, EL provides a cornerstone for building pro-social values and social-emotional skills that can help make schools more satisfying places to work and learn.
Speak to Us
Martin is an experienced leader and manager, conceptualiser, author, company founder, director, and board member currently serving on the board of Peak-body; Men’s Health and Wellbeing WA.
His career encompasses service in the Royal Australian Air Force, journalism, advertising, the social-enterprise and NFP sectors.
Martin is our School Program Director, specialising in the integration of our teacher training programs. If you would like to find out more please contact Martin.
References
[1] Jones, D. E., Greenberg, M., & Crowley, M. (2015). Early Social-Emotional Functioning and Public Health: The Relationship Between Kindergarten Social Competence and Future Wellness. American Journal of Public Health, 105(11), 2283–2290.
[2] Baijal, S., Jha, A. P., Kiyonaga, A., Singh, R., & Srinivasan, N. (2011). The influence of concentrative meditation training on the development of attention networks during early adolescence. Frontiers in Psychology, 2, 1-9.
[3] Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Oberle, E., Lawlor, M. S., Abbott, D., Thomson, K., Oberlander, T. F., & Diamond, A. (2015). Enhancing cognitive and social–emotional development through a simple-to-administer mindfulness-based school program for elementary school children: A randomized controlled trial. Developmental Psychology, 51(1), 52-66.
[4] Metz, S. M., Frank, J. L., Reibel, D., Cantrell, T., Sanders, R., & Broderick, P. C. (2013). The effectiveness of the learning to BREATHE program on adolescent emotion regulation. Research in Human Development, 10(3), 252–272.
[5] Semple, R. J., Lee, J., Rosa, D., & Miller, L. F. (2010). A randomized trial of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for children: promoting mindful attention to enhance social-emotional resiliency in children. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19(2), 218–229.
[6] Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Oberle, E., Lawlor, M. S., Abbott, D., Thomson, K., Oberlander, T. F., & Diamond, A. (2015). Enhancing cognitive and social–emotional development through a simple-to-administer mindfulness-based school program for elementary school children: A randomized controlled trial. Developmental Psychology, 51(1), 52-66.
[7] Napoli, M., Krech, P. R., & Holley, L. C. (2005). Mindfulness Training for Elementary School Students. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 21(1), 99–125.
[8] Napoli, M., Krech, P. R., & Holley, L. C. (2005). Mindfulness Training for Elementary School Students. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 21(1), 99–125.
[9] Zenner, C., Herrnleben-Kurz, S., & Walach, H. (2014). Mindfulness-based interventions in schools—a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 5.
[10] Sibinga, E. M. S., Webb, L., Ghazarian, S. R., & Ellen, J. M. (2016). School-Based Mindfulness Instruction: An RCT. Pediatrics, 137(1), 1-8.
[11] Sibinga, E. M. S., Webb, L., Ghazarian, S. R., & Ellen, J. M. (2016). School-Based Mindfulness Instruction: An RCT. Pediatrics, 137(1), 1-8.