School-Based Emotional Wellness Programs for Elementary School Children

Abstract

Children with strong social and emotional competencies have been found to perform better in school, have more relationships that are positive with peers and adults, and have better mental health. There is increasing recognition that effective education integrates social and emotional skills into academics in order to bolster these skills together. This literature review evaluates innovative school-based emotional education programs provided for elementary school children in the United States. The main aim of this literature review is to address the following research questions: 1) what are the major innovative emotional educational programs for children in elementary school in the United States? 2) What types of teaching techniques and strategies are used in these programs? 3) What is the major content of these emotional educational programs? 4) What are the strengths and limitations of these programs? Keywords: social and emotional competencies, emotional education, effective education, mental health, elementary school.