Emotional Literacy

Teacher Professional

Development

Building Resilience in Children and

Young People

Emotional Literacy

What is Emotional Literacy?

• ‘Emotional literacy’ is described as the ability to understand ourselves and other people, and in particular to be aware of, understand, and use information about the emotional states of ourselves and others with competence

• It includes the ability to understand, express and manage our own emotions and respond appropriately to the emotions of others The terms ‘emotional literacy’ and ‘emotional intelligence’ are often used interchangeably

• The term ‘literacy’ tends to be favoured by educators and those focused on the ongoing nature of personal and social learning across the life-course

(Weare 2004)

6a. Emotional Literacy

A developing interest in emotional literacy

• Gardner’s (1983) work on ‘multiple intelligences’ emphasised the contribution of: intrapersonal intelligence, including the capacity to be aware of

one’s own emotional states, feelings and motivations interpersonal intelligence, including the capacity to assess the

emotions, motivations, and perspectives of others • Goleman’s (1995) work on ‘Emotional Intelligence’ heightened attention

to the importance of being able to perceive, understand and regulate the expression of emotions, and understand and deal effectively with the emotions of others

• Matthews (2006) argues that ‘emotional literacy’ is a better term as literacy is socially and culturally ‘learnt’, and entails recognition of the cultural and social values of others. Key components of emotional literacy include the capacity to reflect, to be in dialogue with others, and to accept and respect difference

(Gardner 1983; Goleman 1995; Matthews et al. 2002)

Emotional Literacy

Key presumptions underpinning the focus on building emotional literacy

• Social and emotional capabilities are teachable• All students benefit from being taught SEL• Student mental health and engagement in

learning improves when students are taught SEL (this is now well-established through longitudinal research tracking the learning and wellbeing of students who have received quality SEL programs)

• Evidence-based programs work best

Emotional Literacy

Research Shows the Benefits of SEL programs

• A meta-analysis of over 200 primary and secondary SEL programs, where participants participated in rigorously designed and well-taught SEL programs (as compared with students in control schools) showed:

• More positive social behaviour

• Less risky and disruptive behaviour

• Improvements in academic performance with an average 11% gain in academic achievement

(Durlak et al. 2011)

Emotional Literacy

Emotional Literacy and Social and Emotional Competancies

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) have identified five interrelated sets of cognitive, affective and behavioral competencies.

A range of research has investigated how to use school-based programs to develop these competencies.

Self-Awareness: Identifying and recognising emotions; accurate self-perception; recognising strengths, needs, and values; self-efficacy

Self-Management: Impulse control and stress-management; self-motivation and discipline; goal-setting and organisational skills

Social Awareness: Perspective taking; empathy; difference recognition;respect for others

Relationship Skills: Communication, social engagement, and relationship building; working cooperatively; negotiation, refusal, and conflict management; help-seeking

Responsible Decision-making:

Problem identification and situation analysis; problem-solving; evaluation and reflection; personal, social, and ethical responsibility

Emotional Literacy

SEL in the Current Curriculum

Social and personal skills are emphasised in the AusVELS General Capabilities:

• Personal and Social Capability skills are addressed in all learning areas and at every stage of a student’s schooling. They include:

• Self-awareness• Self-management• Social awareness• Social management • The Building Resilience lesson materials explicitly address skills within these

elements• Critical and Creative Thinking is a general capability which is also integral to all learning

areas. Key elements fostered within the Building Resilience lesson materials include:• Generating ideas, possibilities and actions• Reflecting on thinking and processes•

* Note that the General Capabilities, as well as the Health and Physical Education curriculum will be updated when the current curriculum is updated in Victoria and released under the AusVELS curriculum

framework. For more information about General Capabilities in the Australian Curriculum see www.acara.edu.au

Emotional Literacy

Literacy as a Tool for Emotional Literacy

• The Building Resilience Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) materials provide literacy-rich situations and the opportunity to build the vocabulary that is needed for students to understand and articulate their emotions

• Literacy development is embedded in the content and processes of the learning activities

• This is particularly so in the Emotional Literacy Topic, but subsequent sessions also prompt the teacher to develop the vocabulary needed for students to successfully engage with the activities

Emotional Literacy

Activities in the Emotional Literacy Topic assist students to develop vocabulary and concepts to help them to:

• Recognise and identify their own emotions• Describe situations that may evoke these emotions• Compare their emotional responses with those of their peers • Investigate how emotional responses vary in depth and strength• Examine influences on and consequences of emotional responses on

behaviour• Analyse factors that influence their ability to regulate emotions • Forecast the consequences of expressing emotions inappropriately and devise

measures to regulate behaviour• Identify indicators of possible problems in relationships• Analyse enablers of and barriers to effective verbal and non-verbal

communication• Reflect critically on their emotional responses to a variety of situations and in a

range of contexts• Moderate their emotional responses when expressing opinions, values and

choices• Explain how relationships differ between peers, parents, teachers and other

adults

Foundation

Level 9/10

Emotional Literacy

EXAMPLE LEARNING ACTIVITY:

1. Understanding Strong Emotions (Levels 3-4)The metaphor of the thermometer helps

students to talk about the different intensity with which emotions are felt

• Identify the type of experience that might make you feel a little bit angry, or annoyed, with a score in the 1-3 out of 10. Share this idea with a partner

• Identify the type of experience that might make you feel very angry, or furious, with a score between 7 to 10 out of 10. Share this idea with a partner

• Share some ideas with the group• Repeat the activity exploring the emotion

of fear, first locating small fears or anxieties, then working up to the more terrifying level

10 Boiling!

9 Extremely strong

8 Very strong

7 Quite strong

6 Strong

5 A lot

4 To a degree

3 Weak

2 A little

1 Not much

This activity is adapted from the Level 3-4 Building Resilience learning materials (Topic 3: Positive coping, Activity 2)

Emotional LiteracyEXAMPLE LEARNING ACTIVITY:

2. Emotions across the school day (Level 3-4)Children identify that they can experience a range of

positive and negative emotions across the day

Conduct a group brainstorm: What experiences lead to children feeling

• a) Positive emotions (proud, interested, friendly, excited, relieved)

• b) Negative emotions (angry, lonely, afraid, disappointed)

Write the words for the positive emotions on the inside of one half of the body and the words for the negative emotions on the other side

Use the space outside the body to draw pictures or write phrases to describe the experiences that can cause these emotions

Put the positive images on the outside of the positive half of the body and the negative experiences on the negative side of the page

This activity is adapted from the Level 3-4 Building Resilience learning materials (Topic 1: Emotional Literacy)

Example brainstorm template

Emotional Literacy

EXAMPLE LEARNING ACTIVITY:

3. A rollercoaster of emotions (Level 5-6)

The metaphor of the rollercoaster is used to help students understand emotional intensity and the way in which experiences can trigger positive or negative emotions

Listen to the story. How do the events trigger shifts between positive and negative emotions, and instances of greater intensity of ‘highs’ and ‘lows’?

Draw a rollercoaster diagram showing the high and low points of Brian’s day. Draw the rollercoaster that represents your own day

This activity is adapted from the Level 5-6 Building Resilience learning materials (Topic 1: Emotional literacy, Activity 4)

Emotional Literacy

EXAMPLE LEARNING ACTIVITY:4. Hidden emotions (Level 7-8)

The metaphor of the iceberg is used to help students understand the concept of surface and deeper emotions.

Draw two icebergs. Map the emotions of Suraj on one and the teacher on the other. Emotions that are closer to the surface go above the ‘waterline’, and those that are hidden or deeper go below the ‘waterline’.

• What emotions might Suraj/ Teacher be feeling? • Which might be the strongest of these emotions? • Which emotions might he/she be trying to hide?

This activity is adapted from the Level 7-8 Building Resilience learning materials (Topic 1: Emotional literacy, Activity 4)

Scenario: Suraj is in a Science class when the teacher catches him looking at a post on his Facebook page. The teacher confiscates

the phone and tells him he will keep it for the rest of the week. The phone belongs to

Suraj’s grandmother who does not even know he has borrowed it.

Emotional Literacy

REFLECT

• What strategies do you use to build the vocabulary needed for the lesson?

• What strategies do you use to name the emotions that students may feel as they encounter various learning situations?

• What strategies do you model about how to express and regulate your emotions?

6a. Emotional Literacy

Useful Links

• The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) leads research and innovation in the area of social and emotional learning (SEL) http://www.casel.org/

Emotional Literacy

References

• Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Dymnicki, A.B., Taylor, R.D., & Schellinger, K.B. (2011). The Impact of Enhancing Students’ Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Universal Interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405-432.

• Gardner, H. (1983) Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences

• Goleman, D. (1995) Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ

• Matthews, B., Kilbey, T., Doneghan, C. and Harrison, S. (2002) Improving attitudes to science and citizenship through developing emotional literacy, School Science Review, 84(307): 103-114.

• Weare, K. (2004) Developing the Emotionally Literate School. London, Sage Publications