Identifying Socioemotional Skills for the Digital Age: Foundations of an Early Childhood Literature-Based Program

Abstract

Rapid advancements in technology have changed the education landscape. Starting at a young age, individuals are exposed to new and emerging digital tools, requiring them to learn technical skills throughout their lives. The increasing digitalization of society also brought about new ways of expressing oneself and interacting with others. This means that learners should also be equipped with socioemotional skills to effectively navigate their environment. One of the challenges is identifying which skills should be included in learning programs. This chapter presents how we generated a roster of 12 socioemotional skills that we targeted when we designed a 10-week early childhood literature-based program promoting socioemotional development. We reviewed various research and policy documents from different institutions, taking into consideration socioeconomic as well as psycho-educational views.