Emotional Literacy

Worried that test scores and grades seem to label and limit the future potential of your daughter or son?  Be reassured:

“One of psychology’s open secrets is the relative inability of grades, IQ, or SAT scores, despite their popular mystiques, to predict unerringly who will succeed in life…There are widespread exceptions to the rule that IQ predicts success—many (or more) exceptions than cases that fit the rule.  At best, IQ contributes about 20 percent to the factors that determine life success, which leaves 80 percent to other forces” writes Daniel Goleman in his book, Working with Emotional Intelligence, [this excerpt quoted from the publication, LILIPOH, Spring 2009 Edition].

What are these other forces?  Social/Emotional Intelligence is a factor that more and more educators are starting to recognize as a significant indicator, not only for individual achievement but for school-wide success.  As a Program Coach for Emotional Literacy at Yale University, I am seeing results in classrooms of the Brooklyn Catholic Schools that are a testament to this research.   Through coaching ten teachers during the past school year, I’ve heard amazing results about how the curriculum of Emotional Literacy is able to transform disengaged and/or disinterested students into class leaders and achievers.

You may have a son or daughter who has a wonderful way of including other kids or taking a stand—but is frustrated and downhearted that these gifts are not recognized on the Honor Roll or during Achievement Night.  Please don’t underestimate the skill your child is directly demonstrating each and every day:  a type of intelligence that is valued on college campuses,  heavily considered for many prestigious scholarships, and sought by corporations with highly-prized internships. Social and emotional intelligence is actually often the ‘tipping point’ between the student with a stellar SAT score but mediocre faculty evaluations and the kid (Yours!) who didn’t perform as well on a standardized test but won rave reviews from his teacher recommendations.  For example, on a recent parent-post through a Yahoo group, I read again how The Beacon School in New York City uses grades and test scores as a starting place for considering student applications but that the personal portfolio and interview are even more strongly weighed for admission.  Being able to communicate effectively with an administrator during a school visit is what can—and often does—”seal the deal.”  The skills used during this discussion?  You got it:  emotional and social ones.

So fuel the long-term vision about the gifts of Your Unique Kid, and then find a way to recognize these contributions now—don’t expect an outside source or organization to take the lead!  You may want to design a special “Family Day” to honor their consistent  investment in emotional and social intelligence or create a space on your family bulletin board to highlight when and how your child is shaping the world.  Don’t underestimate the power of this recognition—I have a simple white board in my tutoring studio where kids can fill out a star or heart when they’ve accomplished a daunting task and they love posting this symbol for everyone to see.

For more discussion about these ideas and a glimpse of “My Honor Roll,” check out www.cliftoncorner.com and view the June Cornerstone through the menu link called “Currently at the Corner.”

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“There can be no knowledge without emotion.  We may be aware of a truth, yet until we have felt its force, it is not ours.  To the cognition of the brain must be added the experience of the soul.”

–Arnold Bennett, Britist critic & essayist, 1867-1931