Social and Emotional Teaching for STEAM Through Read-Aloud

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to show how literacy-based social and emotional learning (SEL) can support students' engagement in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) fields. First, the unique social and emotional capacities needed to excel in STEAM fields are explored through the lens of disciplinary literacies. Then, the authors show how aligning read-aloud with one school's STEAM initiatives allowed a teacher to meet district goals while supporting her students. The authors also demonstrate how her use of practice-based research served a tool to support her reflective thinking as she integrated SEL in her teaching. The chapter concludes with recommendations for teacher educators, school and district leaders, and in-service teachers who wish to engage in the literacy-based integration of SEL across content areas.