The relationship between SE and development in mathematics and
vocabulary
Children’s SE, which encompasses self-awareness, social awareness,
self-management, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making
(CASEL , 2017), is a dynamic process where children engage with
their environments, resulting in effective interactions that promote
learning (Curby et al., 2015). Children with stronger SE tend to have
more opportunities for active classroom participation and are more
likely to receive constructive feedback from teachers (Denham & Brown,
2010). These interactions, in turn, foster children’s academic
development, encompassing areas such as mathematics and language skills
(Dobbs et al., 2006).
Research has consistently shown that SE significantly predicts
mathematics, even when accounting for children’s language (Denham et
al., 2012). Conversely, children facing challenges in SE tend to exhibit
lower early mathematics (Marsh et al., 2002). Moreover, SE exhibits
stability in predicting mathematics in both high- and low-risk children
(Doctoroff et al., 2016). Furthermore, SE is strongly correlated with
vocabulary. Even after adjusting for factors like age and attention,
children demonstrating higher SE in preschool tend to achieve
higher-quality language scores in primary school (Jerome et al., 2009).
SE emerges as a protective factor and a significant predictor of
long-term growth in children’s vocabulary (Mackintosh & Rowe, 2021).