School-Family Partnerships to Promote Social and Emotional Learning

Key adult figures within home, school, and community shape children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Patrikakou, Weissberg, Redding, & Walberg, 2005a). Home has traditionally been viewed as the primary context for social and emotional learning, and school as the primary context for academic learning. Although families are integral to children’s social-emotional development, school is also a critical context for social and emotional growth (Greenberg et al., 2003). Likewise, home is a crucial context that fosters academic achievement (Henderson & Mapp, 2002). Moreover, academic, social, and emotional skills serve children across contexts, and can only be successfully fostered and maintained when mutually supported and reinforced by families ¹ and educators ² (Christenson & Sheridan, 2001; Zins, Weissberg, Wang, & Walberg, 2004).