The Montessori philosophy values developing the whole child. This includes the importance of teaching social-emotional skills. Skills such as empathy, emotion management, and social problem solving contribute to children’s success in school and beyond the classroom. We use the Second Step program in Casa. It incorporates photo-lesson cards, posters, puppets, a be-calm bunny, hearts, and sing-along songs to help teach social-emotional skills. Second Step integrates Bullying Prevention and Child Protection to form a cohesive foundation for a safe and supportive learning environment. In a world where emotional intelligence is critical for lifelong happiness, successful careers, and healthier relationships, social-emotional learning is the process through which children and adults can better understand, manage, and express emotions and empathy, develop positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. Social emotional education teaches children techniques that help them gain confidence, set and achieve positive goals, collaborate well, and navigate the world more effectively, adding a highly valuable dimension to education in the classroom.
