Making Sense of the range of “Key Words” Describing “Affective” Development

As I expanded the TALK blog focus from Language development to Literacy development and then to Cognitive/Affective) development, I encountered a range of “key words” to describe a focus on “affective” development.  This range included: SEL, Self-Management, Self-Regulation, Self-Control, Emotional Development, Emotional Literacy, Self-Awareness, Self-Esteem, Self-Advocacy, Self-Confidence, and even Hot-Cognition.

Although there were many excellent concepts and links to explore, such a range of labels was daunting; and, from my point of view, too expansive to meaningfully explore as I looked at a child’s daily interactions in a range of contexts.

I decided to use a broader single concept to address children’s affective/emotional development in their real world-- including their classroom, home, playground, and neighborhood.

That concept is AGENCY.

                                                                       
               

As I continue the TALK blog, I will begin this week with….

National Quality Standard | Information sheet

SUPPORTING AGENCY: INVOLVING CHILDREN IN DECISION MAKING

                                                                                                                                                                                       

Putting It Together: Looking Across Affective/Social/Emotional Dimensions of Learning

 Putting It Together

Over the last several months I have focused on the Affective/Social/Emotional Dimensions of Development and Growth in the Preschool to Grade 3 years.  I have blogged about specific “programs” in the authors’ words, tracing these concepts back to the 1980’s and forward to 2018.

There does not APPEAR to be one overarching concept that covers these three superordinate categories of growth. It’s not clear to me how teachers (or parents) can make sense of such a wide range of labels.  Do teachers/schools focus on one of the labels?  If so, which one?  And if so, why?  And, if so, what is missing?

Consider the range of labels: Social/Emotional Learning, Emotional Development, Social Development, Self-Management, Self-Esteem, Self-Advocacy, Agency, ……..

It is taking me a while to reread all of this material to determine if there is a way to organize it and, thus, make the overarching attention to the Affective/Social/Emotional Dimensions of Development and Growth user friendly.  This will take a while, but I’ll check in with my progress once a week.