Emotions

Topic Editor: Michael Lewis, PhD, Institute for the Study of Child Development, UMDNJ--Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, USA
Topic funded by: Margaret & Wallace McCain Family Foundation

In order to promote emotional competence in children, parents are encouraged to model various emotional expressions. Given that the emotions displayed at home largely influence those expressed by children with their peers and the larger school setting, positive parent-child interactions are valued. Specifically, parents are encouraged to engage in positive parenting practices and to play a supportive role when children encounter challenges. Early interventions aimed at improving emotional control and the goodness of fit between the parent’s and- child’s emotional state are strongly encouraged. Examples of such programs include Parent-Child Interaction therapy and the Incredible Years program.

Although few studies have directly examined the contribution of school context in children’s emotional competence (EC) development, policies encourage teachers to be trained in intervention programs, such as PATHS, to be able to foster children’s emotional understanding. Not only children will benefit from these skills across social and learning contexts, but also teachers will be more likely to teach in harmonious classroom environments.

See also...

• How important is it?
• What do we know?
• According to experts