ABSTRACT
Personal, social and emotional development involves helping children to: develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities. Social, emotional and behavioural skills are learned, first at home, and then in the wider community of which the school plays an important part. Social, emotional and behavioural skills are not something that we can teach in a lesson and then forget about. They are personality traits, ways of interacting and a sense of self-worth that grow with us and are nurtured through the ongoing interactions that children have every day with their peers and the adults who surround them. This essential collection of skills and competencies is usually divided into five main strands: Self-awareness, Empathy, Managing one's emotions, Social skills and Motivation.
