How We Teach Feelings
When emotional learning starts early, it shapes how a child grows, relates and thrives... for life.
Elm Sprouts is built on a gentle, evidence-based framework... nurturing emotional growth through story, connection and everyday practice.
SEL stands for
Social Emotional Learning
The term was coined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) in 1994. Since then it's become widely seen as essential from preschool through high school, and pioneered in over 200 countries.
It builds five core skills: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
These are the tools schools quietly hold. Elm Sprouts hands them to you... to use at home, where emotional learning actually begins.
The Research Behind Elm Sprouts
What Are Social Stories?
Elm Sprouts is inspired by the work of Carol Gray, founder of Social Stories. Where her approach was developed to support children on the autism spectrum, Elm Sprouts uses a dialogue-based format... developmentally suited to young children, and designed for families to read together.
The research backs it up. Children in SEL programs gain an average of 11 to 13 percentile points in academic achievement (CASEL).
And as Daniel Goleman, a pioneer of emotional intelligence, put it:
"Family life is our first school for emotional learning."
That's the heart of Elm Sprouts. You are your child's first teacher... and when you build these skills early, together, they last a lifetime.