Post written by Sharon Lazich for Ashoka's Start Empathy Initiative, a whole child partner organization
In February President Obama laid out an ambitious agenda to invest in our young people, calling for early childhood education for every child in America. In his own words:
"Every dollar we invest in high-quality early education can save more than seven dollars later on—by boosting graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing violent crime. In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children, like Georgia or Oklahoma, studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, graduate high school, hold a job, and form more stable families of their own."
The President is absolutely right that the sooner a child begins learning, the further he or she is predicted to achieve professional and personal success. However, it's important not to limit those skills to science, literacy, and math. Emotional intelligence is critical, too, and should be woven into the rich tapestry of a student's education.
Studies increasingly link social and emotional intelligence with career and life success—and these must be cultivated early in a child's development. For example, we know that a child who masters empathy at the age of four is less likely to bully ten years later, and that, for students, having one supportive relationship with an adult outside the family can be the difference between success and failure when they grow up. This evidence is not anecdotal either.
Joshua Freedman, one of the founders of the Six Seconds EQ Network, and author of At the Heart of Leadership, is a worldwide advocate for this integration of what he dubs "head + heart + hands." As stated on the Six Seconds website, "The research is abundantly clear: social and emotional factors are the drivers or
