Teaching Emotional Skills to Kids

Parents, teachers, and counselors of school-age children and teens will welcome this free set of emotional skill-building activities available from MHS. Five different workbooks provide age-appropriate games and exercises based on the Youth Version of the world’s most popular EI measure, the EQ-i.

Here you’ll find activities that can help build awareness of emotions and character-building concepts such as Self-Regard and Assertiveness. These activities have been used with young people ages 2–18 since 2002, and offer an excellent resource for anyone interested in building emotional awareness.

Download your free Emotional Intelligence Activities here:

• Children ages 2–4 [PDF]
• Children ages 5–7 [PDF]
• Children ages 8–10 [PDF]
• Children ages 11–12 [PDF]
• Teens ages 13–18 [PDF]

For more information on the EQ-i:YV assessment, please visit our website.

EI, Emotional Self-Efficacy and Academic Success in British Secondary Schools

The significant progress that educators in the United Kingdom have made in recognizing the importance of Emotional Intelligence and integrating it into school curriculums can be seen in the success of the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) program, on which we have often reported here in the EI Insider. The following study, submitted by Pamela Qualter, a lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Lancashire, is further evidence of this dedication to providing students with far more than book smarts.

This study examined the long-term effects of Emotional Intelligence and emotional self-efficacy on scholastic achievement in British adolescents. Participants were 628 male and female secondary school students. They completed the following tests during the first few weeks of secondary school (Year 7): an assessment of EI (MSCEIT YV) and cognitive ability, an assessment of emotional self-efficacy (EQ-i: YV) and personality questionnaires. Academic achievement data were collected at Year 9 and Year 11. Structural equation modeling analyses showed that EI has direct effects on Standard Assessment Tests (SAT) and General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) English performance for boys, but not girls.  In contrast, emotional self efficacy directly predicts SAT and GCSE English scores for girls, but not boys.  In science, EI and emotional self-efficacy do not predict SAT or GCSE performance for boys; for girls, EI directly impacts on SAT scores, and indirectly predicts GCSE Science performance via its relationship with SAT performance. 

Further analysis showed that emotional self-efficacy and EI act as moderators of the effects of cognitive ability on academic achievement.  For example, it was found that boys who have high emotional self-efficacy and high cognitive abilities outperform all other males in GCSE English language and English literature; girls high on EI and cognitive ability perform better than girls of a similar cognitive ability, but lower EI, on GCSE maths, English literature, English language and science. It was therefore concluded that opportunities to develop EI and increase emotional self efficacy may offer educators significant opportunities to improve educational achievement.

Bullying and Emotional Intelligence: Is there a link?

Is there any relationship between bullies or their victims and Emotional Intelligence? If so, what would the relationship look like? This was the subject of Stacy Vogel’s doctoral dissertation at Northcentral University in Arizona. Surveys have found that as many as 23% of school children report being bullied over a three-month period.

Stacy’s study included 235 fourth and fifth grade students who were tested with several bully/victim questionnaires and the Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQ-i:YV^™). Peer nominations were used to identify both bullies and victims. Bullying/victimization questionnaire scores were highly related to the peer nominations. The study supported a relationship between EI and bullying (but not as complete as expected), but failed to support a prediction that gender would moderate the EI-bullying relationships.

The Intrapersonal scale, for example, did not relate significantly to bullying or victimization. One explanation was that bullies may not see their behavior as being aware of or expressing their feelings to others. Instead, they may view their behavior as simply picking on another classmate.

The Interpersonal scale was significantly related to the bullys’ scores, but not the victims’ scores. As previous studies have found, bullies lack empathy and compassion, have low social competence, and poor interpersonal relationships. Victims, on the other hand, may have fewer friends, but seem to find the quality of their relationships satisfying.

The Stress Management scale was negatively correlated with all the bully/victimization measures except peer-nominated victim. Thus, both bullies and victims seemed to have difficulty performing well under pressure and controlling impulses.

Adaptability did not correlate with being a victim or a bully. It was suggested that some of the questions on this scale may have been interpreted to be more related to academic rather than social situations.

The General Mood scale was negatively correlated with the bullying/victimization scales. Students who scored high as either bullies or victims came out as more unhappy and pessimistic.

Finally, the Total EQ scales came out as significantly negative in relation to both bullies and victims, which can be best explained through the subscales described above.

As seen in other studies, bullying was found to occur more frequently between boys than girls. The study made some suggestions related to EI programs in schools and perhaps how they might be streamlined to focus on those areas that were found most relevant to bullying and victimization. The study also suggested using additional measures, like the soon-to-be-released MSCEIT Youth Version (MSCEIT:YV), to see how EI abilities contribute to bullying/victimization.

Reference:
Vogel, Stacey W. (January, 2006). The Relationship Between Bullying and Emotional Intelligence. A doctoral dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Department of Psychology at Northcentral University, Prescott, Arizona.