Join Alessandra Ward, Asst. Professor of Education, for an upcoming Faculty Research Talk, Want your child to be a strong reader? Prioritize social-emotional learning.

Presenters will begin by discussing their topic, and each session will close with a question and answer segment. All presentations are virtual and free and the Zoom link will be sent the day before this discussion.

The topics of elementary reading education and social-emotional learning (SEL) frequently appear in current news headlines, often as a subject of debate. However, many (if not all!) teachers and families would agree that we want our children to be confident, capable readers and writers, and that we also want them to be able to participate in classroom and community life, get along with their peers, develop their talents, and learn to make responsible decisions. This talk will lay out the theoretical and empirical support behind how teaching SEL in school can positively support children’s literacy development, and vice versa. Practical suggestions will be given for how teachers and families of elementary-aged children can leverage synergies between SEL and literacy; for example, criteria for selecting read-aloud picture books that can address goals in both content areas.

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