Emerging research increasingly supports what many parents and educators have long suspected: children learn more effectively when they are emotionally healthy. A recent analysis featured in the Review of Educational Research suggests that social-emotional learning (SEL) programs implemented across entire schools not only foster emotional development but also significantly enhance academic performance.

The study highlights that instructing students in skills such as emotional regulation, empathy, problem-solving, and perspective-taking can lead to improved standardized test scores and higher GPAs.

“Our findings indicate that students engaged in structured SEL programs—especially those extending beyond a single semester—can anticipate an increase in academic achievement by at least 8.4%,” explains Christina Cipriano, PhD, EdM, an associate professor at the Yale Child Study Center and director of the Education Collaboratory at Yale, in a recent conversation with Parents.com. “This improvement could mean moving from a C to a B, or a B to an A.”

The team reviewed 40 studies from 12 different countries, involving nearly 34,000 students. They discovered that children who received SEL instruction as a separate subject experienced a 4.2 percentile point boost in their overall academic performance. When dissected by subject, the progress was even more pronounced, with literacy and reading scores climbing by 6.3 percentile points and math scores by 3.8 percentile points.

“Cognition and emotion are inseparably linked,” says Dr. Cipriano. “Providing students with the tools to manage their emotions effectively allows them to be more receptive to learning and to benefit from explicit instruction across all academic areas.”

Exactly what does SEL actually teach?

SEL goes beyond kindness and teamwork — though those matter too. It helps kids:

• recognize and regulate their emotions
• solve conflicts
• build healthy friendships
• handle stress
• understand others’ feelings

“Showing empathy, handling conflict, recognizing emotions, and having successful friendships are the hallmarks of SEL,” says Sarah Davidon, EdD, senior policy advisor at Georgetown University School of Medicine. “Social-emotional learning is central to ensuring a healthy start. Schools—where children spend most of their waking hours—can be important places for supporting social-emotional needs.”

Learning these skills requires vulnerability and trust. “When children have strong social skills and feel safe with their peers and the adults teaching them, this process goes better,” says Kevin Dahill-Fuchel, LCSW, executive director at Counseling in Schools.

And it’s not just about feelings, SEL creates better learners. “Our prior research demonstrated that explicit SEL significantly improves students’ feelings of connection and belonging at school,” adds Dr. Cipriano.

SEL can be especially powerful for students facing poverty, trauma, or systemic inequities. “When social-emotional learning is embedded into daily teaching and overall school culture, it can help to build cognitive skills that some students might not have had access to in their early years,” says Dr. Davidon. “Students who learn to manage stress and collaborate effectively are better equipped to navigate challenging academics. These benefits are especially impactful for students who may not have had access to early enrichment or stable learning environments.”

SEL also helps shape healthier school cultures. As R. Elizabeth Capps, PhD, from Case Western Reserve University explains, focusing on emotional well-being “… can build a positive school climate that’s useful for learners from different backgrounds.”

“When a student’s social-emotional well-being starts to improve, it looks like more positive interactions with teachers and peers, better ability to handle and persist through academic challenges, and greater motivation to learn and participate in class,” says Dr. Capps.

Students with strong SEL skills tend to have:

• better attendance
• improved grades
• fewer behavioral issues
• higher engagement in learning

According to the experts, here are ways to support SEL at home:

• modeling emotional regulation
• talking openly about feelings
• reading stories and discussing characters’ emotions
• practicing problem-solving together
• maintaining predictable routines
• validating your child’s emotions while setting boundaries

SEL doesn’t require special tools or programs. Families can reinforce these skills through everyday interactions. “It’s about intentional, emotionally-attuned interactions that can happen throughout the day,” says Emily Waitt, LMFT.