The importance of emotional competence and self-regulation from birth: a case for the evidence-based emotional cognitive social early learning approach

Abstract

There has been a proliferation of knowledge about how children develop skills that are crucial to academic and lifelong success, with educators increasingly aware of the need to integrate social and emotional learning (SEL) into their school programs. Both in the United States through state-led and federal initiatives such as Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and a growing number of initiatives outside the US such as the iYes Project of ERASMUS+ in Europe (iYes Project 2016) and KidsMatter in Australia (KidsMatter 2017), SEL programs are being widely introduced, supported by recommended standards and funding for implementation. Fueling this effort has been a push toward better student outcomes and a belief that SEL can improve them. A 2013 US-based study entitled "The Missing Piece" asked educators what they thought could fix the problem of static educational achievements (Bridgeland et al. 2013). Results indicated that teachers Abstract Neuroscientific advances demonstrate that the age range from zero to 5 years old represents a critical window for both learning and teaching, which must involve the development of emotional competence and the growth of self-regulation as a foundation for long-term academic, personal, and social success, promoting mental health and well-being. Recent findings suggest that these capacities emerge from the co-regulation of empathic social and emotional interactions between a caregiver and young child. Based on this research, the present review will (a) describe the theoretical underpinnings of a childcare and development center-based social and emotional learning approach to support the growth of these foundational capacities in children from birth; (b) examine the role of co-regulation with a professional caregiver/teacher in promoting these capacities; and (c) detail how emotional cognitive social early learning, an integrative evidence-based approach, endeavors to foster these competencies through emotional communication, guidance, tools and techniques, most notably causal talk in the context of emotional experience.

The Maternal Role On Emotional Competence Development of Early Childhood

“…The first five years is known as the golden age in human development. This stage is very critical for early learning of an individual, which requires emotional competency as a foundation for social, academic, and mental health development of children (Housman, 2017). The emotional emotional expression is inconsistent with other's expectations, by using physical, behavioral or cognitive strategies to overcome emotional experiences or emotional expression (Denham et al, 2007).…”

“…The individual capacity of emotional competence develops through personal interactions between children and their primary caregivers, especially mother (Housman, 2017). This development is influenced by the caregivers via "co-regulation" process, where the primary caregiver helps children to develop their ability to understand, express, and regulate emotion through support, coaching, and modeling in a warm interaction.…”

“…In the next stage, co-regulation develops into self-regulation. This internalization process occurs through support, instruction, and coaching by the main caregivers (Housman, 2017). Thus, mother as primary caregiver has a essential contribution in children's emotional competence development.…”

“…The ways caregivers respond to children help children to learn to manage emotions. In the next stage, co-regulation develops into self-regulation, also through caregiver support, instruction, and coaching (Housman, 2017).…”

Effectiveness of the Use of Learning Tools Based on Academics Success Skills in Achieving Cognitive Learning Indicators

“…Nevertheless, the increase in learning outcomes in the form of an increase in cognitive abilities is only in the form of calculations and solving factual problems. Submission of problems submitted in the form of tests is considered not yet able to meet the learning outcomes to achieve graduate profile [14], [16]- [19]. The consequences for graduates do not have the competencies that should be possessed in the profile of graduates.…”