Elementary school teachers have noticed that their students don’t have the coping strategies to self-regulate—or manage their emotions and behaviors—that previous generations had.
More than 8 in 10 public schools say they’re seeing stunted behavioral and socioemotional development in their students, according to May 2024 data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ School Pulse Panel, which surveys a nationally representative group of more than 1,500 schools from every state and the District of Columbia. Students’ poor self-regulation skills are negatively impacting learning, as well as teacher and staff morale, the survey found.
The COVID-19 pandemic is partly to blame, according to several studies on children’s self-regulation skills. Other contributing factors could include the increase in young people’s mental health challenges, as well as the increase in their screen time, experts say.
Below is a downloadable tip sheet that spells out practical strategies from elementary teachers, principals, counselors, and researchers that schools can put in place to teach students how to better manage their emotions and behaviors.
