CSED National Guidelines

Character.org published the National Guidelines for Character and Social-Emotional Development (CSED) to fuse together character and social-emotional development.

The CSED National Guidelines are an opportunity for states, school districts, and individual schools to adopt and use the most comprehensive framework that supports, nurtures, and fosters the whole child. These developmentally appropriate National Guidelines provide a roadmap for school leaders and teachers to help children and teens understand, care about, and consistently practice the SEL skills and character strengths that will enable them to flourish in school, in the workplace, and as citizens.

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Character and Social-Emotional Development

Character

The first section of the Guidelines identifies and explains the different character strengths within four areas of character development:

– Moral
– Performance
– Intellectual
– Civic

SEL

The second section of the Guidelines identifies and explains the five areas of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL):

– Self-awareness
– Self-management
– Social awareness
– Interpersonal/relationship skills
– Responsible & ethical decision-making

Commitment

Parents need to commit to model and reinforce to their children the core values and character strengths that mean the most to them. They also need to be creative and offer meaningful experiences that illuminate how important these character strengths are to the family’s core values.

Conversations

We know “We need to talk” freaks kids out, but too often parents avoid having conversations about character, especially as children get older. While it may not be easy to talk sometimes, we know from the research that parents who avoid talking to their children about serious matters quickly lose trust and connection.

Celebration

Parents need to find ways for their children to be active participants in their own character growth. Optimal character development occurs when children begin to make self-motivated commitments to consistently practice a core value (e.g. “I want to be the kind of person who is always honest and shows up on time.”) Parents need to celebrate these moments to shape and define individual character.