A study jointly conducted by researchers from different American universities has revealed that classroom programs that focus on improving the social and emotional skills of elementary school students can also boost their achievement in reading and math.
According to Science Daily, the study, “Efficacy of the Responsive Classroom Approach: Results from a Three Year, Longitudinal Randomized Controlled Trial”, focused on a widely-used social and emotional learning intervention called Responsive Classroom or RC. Over the course of more than three years, the researchers compared the math and reading achievement between the students of 24 schools, 13 of which adopted RC.
Even if the direct goal of RC is not academic building, the researchers found out that supporting the social and emotional growth of students in a classroom setting does not interfere with academic learning, and in fact helps them make academic gains, particularly in reading and math.
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