SEL + Literacy: A Powerful Pair

One of the most powerful tools educators can use is the integration of SEL into already-existing literacy content. This dynamic combination not only improves students’ academic achievement, but positively impacts student behavior, skill development, and personal growth (National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development, 2019; Mahoney et al., 2018; Zins et al., 2004). 

Let’s take a closer look at how literacy and SEL support each other:

Avenue A Books has created the Adventures of the Center City Kids series, a new read-aloud component, to simultaneously develop SEL and literacy skills in the classroom and at home. This series includes 20 books that intentionally align the exploration of SEL skills with the development of literacy and academic skills. Each story connects to a reading, writing, and listening/speaking Common Core standard. Additionally, the Adventure series fosters the development of SEL skills within the C.A.R.E.S. competencies: cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control. Teaching SEL and literacy alongside the core curriculum allows students to make critical connections between the content, their lives, and the world. Through these books, Avenue A hopes to support educators in creating literacy-rich classrooms that empower students for years to come.

Learn more about Avenue A and the Adventure series here.

References

Mahoney et al., 2018

National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development, 2019

Zins et al., 2004