When we think about education, most of us picture reading, writing, math, and science.
But some of the most important lessons children will ever learn aren't found in a textbook.
They are the skills that help them understand themselves, navigate relationships, solve problems, communicate needs, and move through life's inevitable challenges.
In other words: emotional literacy.
Evidence shows that when it comes to predicting a child's future wellbeing, their exposure to emotional literacy is as important as their exposure to reading and math literacies.
A study published in the American Journal of Public Health followed roughly 750 children from kindergarten to age 25. For every one point higher a child scored on social competency in kindergarten, they were twice as likely to graduate from college and 46 percent more likely to hold a full-time job at 25. For every one point lower, their risk of arrest was 67 percent higher.
The takeaway? If we want to raise 25-year-olds that can hold a job and stay out of prison, we need to invest in their social skills before age 5.
Said another way, early exposure to social emotional skill development is a vital component of childhood education if the goal is for children to excel in not only academics, but in life.
What Is Emotional Literacy?
Emotional literacy is the ability to recognize, understand, express, and respond to emotions in ourselves and others.
It begins with the simple awareness of a feeling and grows as a person is then able to put words to their experiences, noticing and asking things like:
"I feel sad."
"It looks like she feels mad."
"I feel worried and my tummy is hurting."
"I wonder if he feels excited or nervous to sing on stage."
There is science underneath these small sentences. Researchers at UCLA found that putting a feeling into words reduces activity in the amygdala, the brain's alarm system.
A named feeling is perceived by the body to be less of a threat, which makes feeling it less stressful.
This is why hanging a feelings chart on the wall in your playroom, or inside a classroom is not just a decoration. These posters put the ability to name a feeling within reach for children as young as ages 1, 2, and 3 using pictures, colors, and words if the child can read.
With an emotional education, children have the opportunity to learn that emotions are not problems to avoid, but signals from the body, carrying valuable information about the world around them, and the one inside - their wants, needs, and fears, as well as the wants, needs, and fears of other people.
And perhaps most importantly, children who are exposed to emotional literacy starting from birth have the opportunity to learn a distinction that can change the course of a life:
We are not our feelings.
We have feelings. But our feelings do not define who we are.
A child is not angry; they feel angry.
A parent is not anxious; they feel anxious.
That small shift creates space between identity and experience. It reminds children, and adults, that emotions are temporary visitors, not permanent labels.
Why Emotional Literacy Matters More Than Ever
The best educators have always understood that the goal isn't simply teaching information. Some of the most meaningful lessons you likely learned in childhood happened outside of the classroom, on the playground, in the cafeteria, gymnasium, or in the hallways between lessons.
It was there that we learned how to not only share and cooperate with others, but how to resolve conflict, ask for help, and respect our differences.
School was never solely about learning to read and write, but how to navigate a world filled with people who think, feel, and experience life differently than we do.
And the need is louder now than it has ever been.
Children in state-funded preschool are expelled at roughly three times the rate of students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. In private child care programs, the rate is about thirteen times higher. Black children make up less than a fifth of the preschool population and close to half of all public preschool suspensions.
Three- and four-year-olds. Sent home.
That is not a discipline problem. That is an emotional literacy gap, and it is showing up before a child can tie their own shoes.
And while many teachers instinctively understood this truth, our educational systems didn't formally recognize the importance of social and emotional development until relatively recently.
The Rise of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
Beginning in the 1990s, educators, researchers, practitioners, and child advocates began collaborating on ways to support the whole child, not just academic achievement.
In 1994, that work took formal shape with the founding of CASEL, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, laying the foundation for what we now know as Social-Emotional Learning.
SEL focuses on five core competencies:
Self-awareness
Self-management
Social awareness
Relationship skills
Responsible decision-making
These skills help children understand their emotions, build healthy relationships, navigate challenges, and make thoughtful choices.
In practical terms, SEL can look like:
Emotional check-ins
Mindful breathing
Reading stories that explore feelings
Gratitude practices
Conflict resolution activities
Opportunities for reflection and repair
Emotional literacy teaches young children and adults alike that mistakes are a part of learning.
That apologizing doesn't make you weak, and that forgiveness is possible. And that emotions are safe to feel and it's okay to talk about them as well.
If you're already noticing how much of this starts at home, that's exactly the point. Tools like a feelings chart or the Time-In Toolkit are built to make these ideas tangible for little ones, giving them a hands-on way to practice naming what they feel before the meltdown, not just during it.
So where does the science actually take us, and how do we put it into practice day to day? That's exactly what we dig into in Part 2, including the research behind SEL's measurable benefits and the tools we use at Generation Mindful to help families build this skill from birth.
Sources
Kindergarten social competence and outcomes at age 25. Jones, D. E., Greenberg, M., and 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. https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302630 (plain-language summary: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150729142152.htm)
Naming feelings and the brain's alarm system. Lieberman, M. D., Eisenberger, N. I., Crockett, M. J., Tom, S. M., Pfeifer, J. H., and Way, B. M. (2007). Putting Feelings Into Words: Affect Labeling Disrupts Amygdala Activity in Response to Affective Stimuli. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421–428.
Preschool expulsion rates and racial disparity. Gilliam, W. S. (2005), Yale Child Study Center, and subsequent national analyses.
CASEL and the five core SEL competencies.
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