Improve Kids' Emotional Intelligence With Group Goal-Setting

Social and emotional intelligence is the ability to be aware of one's and others' feelings, moods, and motivations. This intelligence equips a person with self-awareness, self-management, and social skills that enable them to interact with others as part of a group.

Instilling social and emotional intelligence in children as early as kindergarten is fundamental for laying their foundation for academic performance and positive social behavior. That is why this evidence-based SEL lesson prepares a classroom project that encourages team goal-setting for children's social and emotional learning.

The lesson commences with an insightful class discussion on goal-setting and self-improvement. So far, kindergarten students have been improving some areas of themselves by setting and working on personal objectives. For example, they have been banking new vocabulary to learn something new and eating healthily to be physically strong.

This time, kindergarten students learn to enhance their understanding of their own and others' emotions by working together. To do this, the students set a team goal and plan together on how they can accomplish it with the social and emotional positive actions they have learned throughout the year.

The students' goal is to complete a "clean-up day," which will take place in their next meeting. In this project, students will pick up litter around the school or inside the classroom while exhibiting self-management, positive social interactions, and self-honesty. To be successful, they must set specific goals for each of these three areas.

For instance, children can improve their self-management skills by taking responsibility for cleaning their shared school or classroom space. This entails planning which materials to bring and which areas to clean.

Children can also improve their teamwork and social skills by setting goals to get along with others during the project. For instance, they can delegate tasks, organize teams, and assign specific areas of the school grounds.

To promote self-honesty, kindergarten students can establish realistic goals for their clean-up drive. Instead of aiming to clean the entire school, they can choose one area for the day. It is also crucial to assess their abilities and remind themselves that they are not old enough for some tasks, such as repainting the walls or washing high windows.

By the end of the lesson, kindergarten students establish group goals to work on together in their next meeting. They realize that accomplishing common objectives brings them closer and deepens their understanding of their own and others' emotions.

The development of social and emotional intelligence in children goes beyond academic achievements. It allows children to comprehend their feelings and manage them healthily. When children are empowered to address their emotions constructively and positively, they are less prone to emotional distress and better able to cope with challenges. Fostering emotional healing and improving mental health help them establish meaningful relationships and work on self-improvement.