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"When inclusive [practice] is fully embraced, we abandon the idea that children have to become 'normal' in order to contribute to the world. Instead, we search for and nourish the gifts that are inherent in all people.

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English – All About Young Children: Information for Families on Children’s Early Development

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California Department of Education Early Childhood Competencies (COMPSAT)

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California Department of Education Early Childhood Competencies (COMPSAT)

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About this Competency

This competency area addresses the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that early childhood educators are expected to have regarding the development and learning of young children - and which in many ways provide the foundation for sensitive, responsive caregiving and high-quality early childhood practice. This competency area encompasses an understanding of major developmental theories and current research, as well as the ability to apply that knowledge to practice; the implications of early experiences and brain development; the role of early childhood educators and family members in supporting young children's development and learning; and the biological, individual, family, community, and cultural factors that can influence young children's development (California Department of Education 2006; 2008a; 2008b; 2010). Key concepts include the interrelatedness of developmental domains, the significance of relationships in supporting children's healthy development and learning, the sequential nature and individual variability of early childhood development, and the role of play as a key context for development and learning.

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California Early Childhood Educator Competencies

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California State University, Fresno; under contract from the California Department of Education

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CompSAT - Professional development tools for the early childhood educator.

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About this Competency This competency area addresses the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that early childhood educators are expected to have regarding the development and learning of young children - and which in many ways provide the foundation for sensitive, responsive caregiving and high-quality early childhood practice.

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California Department of Education Early Childhood Competencies (COMPSAT)

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California Department of Education Early Childhood Competencies (COMPSAT)

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California Early Childhood Educator Competencies (PDF; 2MB) California Early Child Educator Competencies Supplemental Add-On (PDF; 1.5 MB)
The California Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Competencies describe the knowledge, skills and dispositions that early childhood educators need in order to provide high quality care and education to young children and their families. The California ECE Competencies are organized into twelve overlapping areas: (1) Child Development and Learning; (2) Culture, Diversity and Equity; (3) Relationships, Interactions, and Guidance; (4) Family and Community Engagement; (5) Dual-Language Development; (6) Observation, Screening, Assessment, and Documentation; (7) Special Needs and Inclusion; (8) Learning Environments and Curriculum; (9) Health, Safety, and Nutrition; (10) Leadership in Early Childhood Education; (11) Professionalism; and (12) Administration and Supervision. The term early childhood educator includes everyone responsible for the care and education of young children.

The California ECE Competencies are research-based, and are aligned with the California Preschool Learning Foundations and the California Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Foundations to guide professional development and related quality improvement activities.

This revised version of the California ECE Competencies now includes a second section (Focus 2) that displays the same information found in Focus 1 in an alternate grid format. The Focus 1 section gives us a grid-format chapter for each of the 12 competency areas (12 chapters). The Focus 2 section provides an alternate grid chapter for each of the 4 competency contexts (4 chapters).

Development of the California ECE Competencies began in June 2008 in collaboration with First 5 California, and has involved expert advisors including representatives from the California Community Colleges and California State University systems to ensure that the competencies are based on current research and practice.

ECE Competencies Videos

An Introduction to Early Childhood Educator Competencies (video; 6:42)
Introducción a las competencias de los educadores de la infancia temprana de California (Video; 6:43)

Child Development and Learning (Video: 16:32)
This video addresses "Knowledge About Child Development and Learning" and "Facilitating Child Development and Learning."
El desarrollo y el aprendizaje infantil (Video; 16:33)

Adult Learning (Video: 14.14)
This video addresses "Adult Learning."

Coaching (Video: 9:23)
This video addresses "Coaching."
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Last Reviewed: Monday, July 17, 2023

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California Early Childhood Educator Competencies

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The California Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Competencies describe the knowledge and skills that early childhood professionals need in order to support the development and learning of young children.

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CA Inclusion: Positive Solutions for Families

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CA Inclusion: Positive Solutions for Families

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All About Young Children - Information for families on children's early development

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All About Young Children - Information for families on children's early development

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English – All About Young Children: Information for Families on Children’s Early Development

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CA Teaching Pyramid - Family Materials to support the development of positive relationships, supportive environments, social and emotional teaching strategies, and individualized interventions

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CA Teaching Pyramid - Family Materials to support the development of positive relationships, supportive environments, social and emotional teaching strategies, and individualized interventions

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Teaching Your Child to: Cooperate with Requests (PDF)

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National Center for Pyramid Model Intervention - Tips for Helping Your Child During the Pandemic

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National Center for Pyramid Model Intervention - Tips for Helping Your Child During the Pandemic

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Curated for Educators and Families

Support Social-Emotional Well-Being

When children practice social-emotional skills throughout their day, they learn to understand emotions and cope with everyday challenges. Use and share these research-based social-emotional learning (SEL) resources to empower children to thrive at school, at home, and everywhere in between.

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SEL Activities and Resources | Second Step

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Use and share these research-based SEL activities and resources to empower children to thrive at school, at home, and everywhere in between.

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Harvard Graduate School of Education: Family Engagement and SEL

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Harvard Graduate School of Education: Family Engagement and SEL

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For Schools: SEL Practices That Engage Families

To engage families in social-emotional development, teachers and school administrators can't just send home packets and to-do lists. They need to create strong relationships, partner with families on goals for their children, and receive and provide ongoing support.

1. Start by learning about families. Use surveys, open houses, or phone calls to find out about family composition, special skills, concerns, and likes and dislikes. This knowledge can help teachers connect with families on a personal level throughout the year.

2. Invite families to generate SEL goals for their children. Ask families to identify what specific skills they would like their children to develop, and what kind of characteristics they would like their child to personify. Ask children, too, to write down their goals and the challenges they might face in achieving them. These goals can be connected to school or home.

3. Designate internal capacity focused on SEL and family engagement. Have a designated staff person - an SEL or school-family partnership coordinator - who not only oversees SEL program development, implementation, and evaluation, but also serves as a liaison between educators and families. That position can be part of a larger school-wide committee that is involved in SEL planning and decision-making, and that includes people from every part of the school community, including families.

4. Create a resource center for families. Schools should create a physical space where family members know they can go to pick up resources or books related to social-emotional development. This designated space signals to parents that they are welcome at the school - and that the school values their role in their children's development.

5. Plan ongoing SEL initiatives. Create opportunities for families to learn more about social-emotional wellbeing. At other family engagement events, such as holiday celebrations or class presentations, hand out a one-page SEL resource or ask parents to participate in a short activity about developing a specific skill. Provide examples of ways parents can build those skills at home.

For Families: SEL Practices That Continue the Work of Schools

To build on the work of schools, families should think about social-emotional learning as an all-day idea - rather than as a strategy to manage a singular stressful behavior or situation. In the same way that a strong school-wide SEL program helps children develop key skills for many settings, families can use their everyday interactions to build critical competencies that will aid children throughout their day.

1. Focus on your child's strengths. Especially when it comes to academics, it can be tempting to focus on problem areas. First, though, ask your child what she thinks she did well. A focus on accomplishment can build self-efficacy and help children persist when things get difficult.

2. Use visual aids to help your child plan. When something is new or hard for your child-completing homework, keeping his room clean-make visual reminders or step-by-step checklists that you can display prominently in your home. By showing children what they need to do to succeed, these practices also help children develop self-efficacy - and contribute to a sense of pride when goals are met.

3. Ask about feelings. Together, talk about emotions-what it feels like to be frustrated, worried, or excited. The ability to identify and label negative emotions can grow self-awareness. Encouraging your child to use "I" statements - "I'm mad," "I feel sad" - can help build self-control and communication skills, teaching her to pause and think when she's upset.

4. Stay calm when you're angry. Learn to recognize your own "trigger situations" and talk about coping with anger as a family. Show your children how you calm down: i.e., "I'm feeling very upset, so I'm going to take a couple of deep breaths before we talk about this." Modeling these cool-down strategies can help your kids develop self-control.

5. Be willing to apologize. When you do get upset, or make a mistake, apologize to your kids. Explain what you meant to do or say. In these moments, you're teaching social competence - that conflict is a normal part of life, and that it can be solved respectfully and calmly.

6. Encourage helping and sharing. Regularly talk with your children about what others might need, and how you could be helping. Think about big and small ways that you can help - whether by taking out the trash for an elderly neighbor or by volunteering at a local food pantry or at your church, mosque, or temple. These acts build empathy, cooperation, and a community-oriented mindset.

This piece originally appeared on EdSurge on June 26, 2018. Read the original piece.

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To engage families in social-emotional development, teachers and school administrators can't just send home packets and to-do lists. They need to create strong relationships, partner with families on goals for their children, and receive and provide ongoing support. Start by learning about families.

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Social and Emotional Learning: Strategies for Parents

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There are many ways parents can encourage emotionally intelligent behavior in their children. Check out this guide to resources for learning more about character development.

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Administration for Children and Families - Early Childhood Development - Family Engagement

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Administration for Children and Families - Early Childhood Development - Family Engagement

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Families’ engagement in children’s learning at home and in early care and education programs can impact lifelong health, developmental and academic outcomes.

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Committee for Children - Guiding with kindness, supporting with Empathy

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Committee for Children - Guiding with kindness, supporting with Empathy

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Parents, are you wondering what all the talk is about SEL and social-emotional skills? Chances are you're already doing a lot to support your child with these skills, so keep reading to make additional connections about what it is, why it's important, and what resources you can turn to if you're interested in doing more.

Why do youth need social-emotional skills?

Think of a time when your child had a falling out with a friend or a difficult time fitting in socially. Maybe it was a time you received a phone call from the principal as a result of a situation at school, or when your child came home from school sad or upset, or couldn't sleep because of an incident at school. Or was it a situation where your daughter or son could not finish a group academic project because of a problem with classmates?

Unfortunately, youth often have these and other types of negative experiences. Parents are there to help in any way they can, but over the long-term social and emotional skills can minimize the worst of these experiences and make youth's experiences in life easier to manage.

With social-emotional skills, they can establish rewarding relationships with others, maintain meaningful relationships, and handle difficult social situations. They can manage times of high stress, and during times of anger, keep from launching into destructive actions they may regret later.

What are social-emotional skills?

Social-emotional skills are the strategies one has for managing strong emotions, navigating relationships, working effectively with others, solving difficult problems, and making responsible decisions.

Social-emotional skills pave the way for positive life experiences. When these skills are taught and supported, youth are more likely to succeed academically and have a positive attitude toward self and school, and less likely to experience emotional distress and use drugs.

Where and when are they used?

Social-emotional skills are needed and used from early childhood through adulthood. There is never a time they aren't needed. We use these skills many times a day, navigating sibling and parent-child relationships, friendships, social and academic situations at school, our jobs, and anything we do in our communities. We need them for in-person interactions and even when communicating by phone or email.

For example, if a friend texts me about having an extremely bad day, I use my skills for empathizing when responding to her. If I don't recognize and acknowledge her feelings and instead tell her to "toughen up," I may not keep that friend.

What's SEL? Is it different from social-emotional skills?

SEL stands for social-emotional learning. According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, it's the process by which we learn and apply social-emotional knowledge, attitudes, and skills for understanding and managing emotions, setting and achieving goals, establishing and maintaining relationships, and feeling and showing empathy for others. Second Step is considered an SEL program because it provides a process for learning and practicing many important social-emotional skills. This SEL: What and Why video explains SEL in less than three minutes.

As a parent, how can I learn more about this and support it at home and in my kid's school?

Two ways to support social-emotional development at home are through the SEL Passport Challenge and with books. This reading list includes books on topics such as friendship, cooperation, bullying, dealing with anger, and problem-solving. For parents and caregivers of children ages two through five, check out this Sesame Street-Committee for Children resource on navigating challenges, and if you are a parent of a teen, look into ParenTeenConnect to support your teen with real issues at home. For more information, check out this list of curated blog posts on Edutopia.org.

How does SEL help prevent bullying, or to protect kids from abuse?

Bullying thrives in situations where bystanders (those who know about and witness bullying) don't stand up for those who are being bullied or don't report the bullying. Students who are bystanders to bullying can use social-emotional skills, such as assertiveness, to stand up to and report bullying when they see it. Because having friends can be a protective factor against bullying, friendship skills are another important social-emotional skill to have.

Safety skills, confidence, skills for identifying one's own feelings (for example, recognizing when something someone says does not feel "right"), and assertiveness skills such as refusing and reporting can make the difference in a potential child abuse situation because they build capacity to recognize a situation is not okay, to say "no" and to report it.

Although social-emotional skills alone don't in themselves prevent bullying or child abuse, they're one of many factors that can affect these types of situations, especially when an adult isn't present.

If your child's school hasn't already reached out to you about social-emotional learning, start a conversation. Ask the staff what they're doing to promote SEL and how you can get involved. Share what you're doing to promote SEL with your child at home.

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Let's Talk SEL: Parents, This Is for You! | Social-Emotional Skills | Committee for Children

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Parents, are you wondering what all the talk is about SEL and social-emotional skills? Chances are you're already doing a lot to support your child with these skills, so keep reading to make additional connections about what it is, why it's important, and what resources you can turn to if you're interested in doing more.

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Committee for Children - Guiding with kindness, supporting with Empathy

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Committee for Children - Guiding with kindness, supporting with Empathy

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SEL Resources | Social-Emotional Learning | Committee for Children

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We bring parents, educators & communities together to help kids stay safe & reach their potential. These SEL resources foster the well-being of our children. Social-emotional learning, bullying prevention, free classroom activities, and more.

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HiMama Blog - Resources for Daycare Centers

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Teachers and caregivers can promote social emotional learning by modeling emotions vocabulary and language, building positive relationships with students, and providing a safe environment where children feel comfortable taking risks and expressing their feelings.

Social emotional learning is the process by which children learn to recognize their own emotions and the emotions of others, establish friendships and connections with others, learn to make good decisions, and approach challenges. Repeated experiences and exposure to social emotional learning situations help children develop the strategies and techniques to regulate emotions, relate to others in positive ways, and develop the language needed to communicate their needs and feelings.

Teachers and caregivers can promote social emotional learning by modeling emotions vocabulary and language, building positive relationships with students, and providing a safe environment where children feel comfortable taking risks and expressing their feelings. Children with social emotional challenges may demonstrate difficulties connecting with caregivers and peers, use physical aggression to communicate their needs, and internalize strong emotions resulting in behavior problems.

There are many strategies for integrating SEL into the preschool classroom to help manage challenging behavior and help children develop the essential skills they need for the future. For more information on social-emotional learning, check out the following resources from the HiMama Blog:

Top 25 Early Childhood Education Blogs for 2017

Educator Spotlight | Johanna Richardson

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What is Social Emotional Learning in Early Childhood?

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Teachers and caregivers can promote social emotional learning by modeling emotions vocabulary and language, building positive relationships with students, and providing a safe environment where children feel comfortable taking risks and expressing their feelings.

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Simple Interactions is a collaborative effort of teams across the
​United States.

The Simple Interactions Tool provides a common, descriptive language to talk about interactions in practice.

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Simple Interactions is a collaborative effort of teams across the ​United States. The Simple Interactions Tool provides a common, descriptive language to talk about interactions in practice.

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Harvard Univ. Center on the Developing Child

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Harvard Univ. Center on the Developing Child

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Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

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Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

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Our mission is to drive science-based innovation that achieves breakthrough outcomes for children facing adversity.

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Julie Kurtz Center for Optimal Brain Development

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Julie Kurtz Center for Optimal Brain Development

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Trauma Training For Educators | Center For Optimal Brain Integration

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At the Center for Optimal Brain Integration (COBI) we conduct training and consultation internationally. Training can be designed to meet the unique needs of your organization, small or large. We have experienced and master level trainers on our team and together we can meet your diverse needs.

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Want to learn more about social and emotional learning? Peruse our library of resources.

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The second edition contains updated approaches to nurturing the social and emotional growth of infants and toddlers. Current research about brain development and its relationship to children's emotional growth and socialization are also discussed. An appendix of the social-emotional development foundations is included. You may order the resource directly from the California Department of Education.

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Infant/Toddler Caregiving: A Guide to Social-Emotional Growth and Socialization, Second Edition

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The second edition contains updated approaches to nurturing the social and emotional growth of infants and toddlers. Current research about brain development and its relationship to children's emotional growth and socialization are also discussed. An appendix of the social-emotional development foundations is included. You may order the resource directly from the California Department of Education.

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National Center for Pyramid Model Implementation

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National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations

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The goals of the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI) are to assist states and programs in their implementation of sustainable systems for the implementation of the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children (Pyramid Model) within early intervention and early education programs with a focus on promoting the social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes of young children birth to five, reducing the use of inappropriate discipline practices, promoting family engagement, using data for decision-making, integrating early childhood and infant mental health consultation and fostering inclusion. s

Resource Spotlight

Children's book list

Includes diverse examples of books that can be used to promote social-emotional skills.

Get Training

Supporting implementation of the Pyramid Model with fidelity.

Conference

National Training Institute on Effective Practices: Addressing Challenging Behavior

Get the latest updates. Join our Mailing list

Have a question? Want to give us feedback? Contact Us

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National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations

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The goals of the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI) are to assist states and programs in their implementation of sustainable systems for the implementation of the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children (Pyramid Model) within early intervention and early education programs with a focus on promoting the ...

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Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning

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Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning

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The following is a curated list of resources selected by CASEL staff that focuses on social and emotional learning in a preschool setting.

Also check out our SEL in Schools section for more on schoolwide SEL implementation. In the spring of 2018, CASEL will be releasing The Guide to Schoolwide Social and Emotional Learning to provide a framework for implementation and recommended resources for school-based teams, including school administrators looking for ways to support an SEL team.

Articles and Book Chapters

Weipeng Yang, Jesus Alfonso D. Datu, Xunyi Lin, Michelle Marie Lau & Hui Li (2019) Can Early Childhood Curriculum Enhance Social-Emotional Competence in Low-Income Children? A Meta-Analysis of the Educational Effects, Early Education and Development, 30:1, 36-59, DOI: 10.1080/10409289.2018.1539557
Article available for purchase.

Books

Guides

Reports and Briefs

Videos
This webinar offers an introduction to the 2013 CASEL Guide to Preschool and Elementary School social and emotional learning programs. The presenter is CASEL Senior Research Scientist Linda Dusenbury. (54 minutes)
CASEL (2014). Preschool and elementary school guide - A webinar. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiqkUpSebZk
View the video.

Return to the SEL Resources homepage

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The following is a curated list of resources selected by CASEL staff that focuses on social and emotional learning in a preschool setting. Also check out our SEL in Schools section for more on schoolwide SEL implementation.

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Early childhood Technical Assistance Center

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Early childhood Technical Assistance Center

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Authored by Authored by: Nicole Dravillas-Fravel, Encian Pastel

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Social and emotional development is just as important to children’s learning as their academic development. NAEYC’s resources offer information about the latest research, ideas for classroom practice, and strategies to share with families.

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Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

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Home Mental health is the foundation of early childhood development. Babies come into this world ready and wired to form relationships. From the moment of birth, children are forming connections, developing social responses and learning about themselves and the world around them.