Blog

Using Music to Support SEL

Music is a powerful and sometimes overlooked tool for creating positive environments for young people. There is plenty of research showing that music can help develop language processing skills in young children, calm dysregulated minds, and create a positive atmosphere. Musical notes can be words in a language when plain old English just won’t cut it.

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Everything You Need to Know, You Learned In...

By Christine MerleEarly Childhood Strategies that Work with Every Age GroupAs an educator who has the opportunity to visit classrooms across a wide variety of ages, I am amazed at how many of early childhood strategies translate easily to settings with older children.  Think about the following social and emotional skills and ask yourself if you can see their value – even when working with other adults! 

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30 November 2018
On Gratitude: A Note from our SEL Center Director

Gratitude.  It’s a word that gets thrown around a lot this time of year.  But what does it really mean when all the messages we receive are about getting and buying rather than making and giving?

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15 October 2018
Free Tool for Educators: Last Year's Experience Forms This Year's Plan

Welcome to October!!  By now, the smell has faded from your new school year calendar, you have already lost, lent, or given away many of your writing utensils, and the day-to-day challenges have begun to set in.  At the same time, your routines are established, your students know what to do, and you are likely through your review period and into teaching new material.

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17 September 2018
NYS Passes Mental Health Curriculum Requirements: Where Does SEL Fit In?

New York State's new mental health literacy curriculum is now in effect for the 2018-19 school year. As it has rolled out, there has been some confusion about whether social and emotional learning programs, curricula, strategies, and practices are enough to satisfy this new law.

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