By Lane Jabaay
Editor’s Note: This is the first installment in a series on why Applied Educational Neuroscience is essential for improving how we support children’s social and emotional development.
Schools and districts exist to educate students. To fulfill that mission, education must continually evolve so that schools equip young people with the academic knowledge and skills they need to thrive in the world they will inherit.
Yet academic skill alone is no longer sufficient. As the World Economic Forum noted in its Future of Jobs Report, emotional intelligence has become one of the key competencies required for work and life. Coupled with the growing emotional stresses children face today, this reality makes it imperative for schools to intentionally prioritize social and emotional development.
Promoting students’ social and emotional growth must be a systemwide priority, driven from district leadership through individual classrooms, if we hope to realize the academic outcomes we value.
Why this is urgent now
Across the United States, several large-scale social forces are converging and creating an urgent need for stronger social and emotional supports for children.
Years of research into Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have documented the harmful effects of childhood adversity on cognitive development. That evidence is particularly pressing given the recent, historical increase in the number of children living in poverty—a condition strongly correlated with adversity—and new ACEs research that highlights collective, racial, and intergenerational trauma.
The COVID-19 pandemic has added new layers of challenge. Remote learning and social isolation have produced unprecedented mental health concerns for young people, including depression, disengagement, and anxiety. Many students have been out of school for extended periods, facing increased food and housing insecurity, unemployment within their families, and the loss of the safe, connected environments schools often provide.
All of these factors mean that many children arrive at school emotionally overwhelmed or “dysregulated.” If we want them to learn, we must help them develop the social and emotional tools to regulate, connect, and engage.
There has never been a more important moment to embed social and emotional learning throughout our schools. If we could view the current landscape from above, we would see a “perfect storm” of pressures that demand a thoughtful, science-informed response.
Emotional intelligence and academic success
Research consistently links emotional intelligence to better academic outcomes. Children who develop strong emotional awareness and self-management skills tend to perform better in school and are more likely to succeed in the workforce and contribute positively to society.
Conversely, signs of emotional struggle—frequent behavioral outbursts, difficulty self-regulating, or an inability to form connections with teachers and peers—should alert adults that a child needs support. Without effective intervention, these children often face greater barriers to educational success and future opportunity.
What Educational Neuroscience and Applied Educational Neuroscience add
The Centre for Educational Neuroscience describes the relationship clearly: education focuses on enhancing learning, while neuroscience helps us understand the mental processes that support learning.
Put simply, education defines what children learn and how we teach it; educational neuroscience explains how children learn and the brain mechanisms behind learning.
Applied Educational Neuroscience (AEN), a certificate program taught at Butler University, moves beyond basic brain science. AEN combines the foundational “what”—neuroanatomy, brain states, triggers, and stress responses—with the practical “how”—evidence-informed strategies such as breathwork, movement, and co-regulation. AEN investigates why these techniques work, describing what changes in the brain when students are brought into a state conducive to learning.
How SEL and AEN differ and complement each other
Most social and emotional learning (SEL) curricula align with CASEL’s five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. These domains teach students to identify emotions, practice empathy, and apply critical thinking in social contexts—skills that are essential for life.
AEN focuses on the neuroscience behind these competencies. Where SEL may teach that breathing helps calm you, AEN explains the biological mechanisms that make breathwork effective. Where SEL emphasizes the value of critical thinking, AEN provides the strategies to move a student into a brain state where critical thinking is possible.
That added layer of explanation can be transformative. When students understand why a practice works in their brains, they are more likely to take ownership of it and use it proactively. Rather than simply being told to “breathe,” students who understand the science behind breathwork are empowered to regulate their emotions on their own terms. These skills not only improve learning conditions in the classroom but also prepare students to manage stress and make thoughtful choices outside school.
Both SEL and AEN are most effective when students have repeated opportunities to practice new skills through role-playing, modeling, and supportive feedback. Repetition and motivation help students integrate these strategies into their daily lives and social interactions.
Coming up next: In the next installment, we will explore how SEL and AEN concepts are merging in classrooms, the teacher’s role in this integration, and how students can take responsibility for their own wellbeing.
About the author
Lane JaBaay is the founder and CEO of The H2 Group, an educational technology company focused on the social and emotional development of children. The company creates engaging curricula that use storytelling, gameplay, and animation to teach SEL and encourage pro-social behavior. Lane is certified in Applied Educational Neuroscience from Butler University. Her curriculum, SHAKTI Warriors, has been implemented in large districts across the country, including Los Angeles, Chicago, the greater Washington, D.C. area, and Indianapolis, where she lives.
Note: This article was originally published by The Learning Counsel, a research and news organization focused on the shift to digital curriculum in education.