Social and Emotional Development for Children aged 0 to 7 years old : European Countries Overviews : Compendium

Abstract

Socio-emotional learning (SEL) can be defined as “the process through which all young
people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy
identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy
for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring
decisions” (CASEL, 2020). According to the model proposed by the Collaborative for Academic
Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL, 2021), it focuses on the development of five main areas of competencies and
knowledge: self-awareness, social awareness, self-regulation, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
Regardless, although the number of studies and interventions regarding the effects of SEL interventions on preschool
aged children is growing, as well as the awareness of educational policies to consider SEL in early education years, there is
still little is known about assessment and intervention practices regarding SEL across European countries ECEC settings
(Djamnezhad et al., 2021). Thus, considering the accumulated evidence on the importance of ECEC to incorporate SEL in the
childcare and preschool curricula and daily practices this compendium provides an overview of the SEL assessment and
intervention practices in ECEC across 51 countries.
Vera Coelho, PhD, Editor