"What is social-emotional learning (SEL)?"

"Social-emotional learning is the process through which children develop skills in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship building, and responsible decision-making. Stories are one of the most natural ways to introduce these concepts — research shows that [social-themed picture books significantly improve prosocial behaviour](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1569925/full) in young children (Li et al., 2025)."

"How do picture books help children develop empathy?"

"When children follow characters through emotional situations — a disagreement with a friend, feeling left out, or showing courage — they practise perspective-taking in a safe context. Research shows that [narrative fiction helps children simulate social worlds](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10648-022-09667-4) and understand other people's intentions and feelings (Tabullo et al., 2022). Discussing the story afterwards deepens this effect."

"What SEL topics do these books cover?"

"The books explore themes including identifying and managing emotions, kindness, friendship, dealing with frustration, self-confidence, sharing, and inclusion. Each story is written in decodable text, so children build reading skills alongside social-emotional understanding."

"Can reading together improve my child's social skills?"

"Yes. Shared reading naturally prompts conversations about feelings and behaviour — research by Bus, van IJzendoorn, and Pellegrini (1995) found that joint book reading has a significant positive effect on children's language and emotional development. Reading an SEL story together gives you a starting point to talk about real situations your child might face. See our guide on [the benefits of reading aloud](/updates/how-do-children-learn-to-read/the-benefits-of-reading-aloud/)."

"Are SEL books available at different reading levels?"

"Yes. The SEL books here are organised by phonics level, from simple CVC words through advanced patterns, so children from first through third grade can find stories about feelings and relationships that match their reading ability."