Search for Skills

There is a lack of agreement about how to define and label SEL and non-academic skills. Conflicting terminology is often confusing and can lead to misalignment between skills, strategies, measures, and desired outcomes.

Explore our thesaurus of 200+ social, emotional, and other non-academic terms to identify overlapping or related terms by how they are defined rather than named or labeled.

Big Five Personality Traits

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conscientiousness

neuroticism / emotional stability

openness to experience

Building Blocks for Learning

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academic tenacity

executive functions

relationship skills

relevance of school

self-regulation

sense of belonging

social awareness

stress management

CASEL

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relationship skills

responsible decision making

self-management

social awareness

Character Lab

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social/emotional intelligence

Clover Model

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active engagement

EDC Work Ready Now! Framework

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financial fitness

interpersonal communications

introduction to entrepreneurship

personal development

safety and health at work

work habits and conduct

worker and employer rights and responsibilities

EU NESET Framework for Social and Emotional Education

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self-management

social awareness

social management

Emotional Intelligence

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ability to discriminate between accurate and inaccurate, or honest versus dishonest expressions of feeling

ability to express emotions accurately, and to express needs related to those feelings

ability to identify emotion in one's physical states, feelings, and thoughts

ability to identify emotions in other people, designs, artwork, etc., through language, sound, appearance, and behavior

ability to interpret the meanings that emotions convey regarding relationships, such as that sadness often accompanies a loss

ability to label emotions and recognize relations among the words and the emotions themselves, such as the relation between liking and loving

ability to manage emotion in oneself and others by moderating negative emotions and enhancing pleasant ones, without repressing or exaggerating information they may convey

ability to recognize likely transitions among emotions, such as the transition from anger to satisfaction, or from anger to shame

ability to reflectively engage or detach from emotion depending upon ints judged informativeness or utility

ability to reflectively monitor emotions in relation to oneself and others, such as recognizing how clear, typical, influential, or reasonable they are

ability to stay open to feelings, both those that are pleasant and those that are unpleasant

ability to understand complex feelings; simultaneous feelings of love and hate, or blends such as awe as a combination of fear and surprise

emotional mood swings change the individual's perspective to pessimistic, encouraging consideration of multiple points of view

emotional states differentially encourage specific problem approaches such as when happiness facilitates inductive reasoning and creativity

emotions are sufficiently vivid and available that they can be generated as aids to judgment and memory concerning feelings

emotions prioritize thinking by directing attention to important information

Employability Skills

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adapts and shows flexibility

communicates verbally

comprehends written material

conveys information in writing

demonstrates a willingness to learn

demonstrates integrity

demonstrates professionalism

demonstrates responsibility and self-discipline

displays a positive attitude and sense of self-worth

exercises leadership

improves systems

listens actively

makes sound decisions

manages personnel

manages resources

math strategies/procedures

monitors systems

negotiates to resolve conflict

observes carefully

plans/organizes

respects individual differences

responds to customer needs

scientific principles/procedures

solves problems

takes initiative

takes responsibility for professional growth

thinks creatively

thinks critically

understands and uses systems

understands and uses technology

understands teamwork and works with others

works independently

Habits of Mind

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applying past knowledge to new situations

creating, imagining, and innovating

gathering data through all senses

learning continuously

listening to others with understanding and empathy

managing impulsivity

questioning and positing problems

responding with wonderment and awe

striving for accuracy and precision

taking responsible risks

thinking about our thinking (metacognition)

thinking and communicating with clarity and precision

thinking flexibly

thinking interdependently

Head Start

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child appropriately handles and takes care of classroom materials

child demonstrates an increasing ability to control impulses

child demonstrates flexibility in thinking and behavior

child demonstrates initiative and independence

child engages in and maintains positive interactions and relationships with other children

child engages in and maintains positive relationships and interactions with adults

child engages in cooperative play with other children

child engages in prosocial and cooperative behavior with adults

child expresses a broad range of emotions and recognizes these emotions in self and others

child expresses care and concern toward others

child expresses confidence in own skills and positive feelings about self

child expresses creativity in thinking and communication

child follows classroom rules and routines with increasing independence

child has sense of belonging to family, community, and other groups

child holds information in mind and manipulates it to perform tasks

child maintains focus and sustains attention with minimal adult support

child manages actions, words, and behavior with increasing independence

child manages emotions with increasing independence

child manages emotions with increasing independence

child persists in tasks

child recognizes self as a unique individual having own abilities, characteristics, emotions, and interests

child shows interest in and curiosity about the world around them

child uses basic problem-solving skills to resolve conflicts with other children

child uses imagination in play and interactions with others

Hilton & Pellegrino Clusters of 21st Century Competencies

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cognitive processes and strategies

intellectual openness

positive core self-evaluation

teamwork and collaboration

work ethic and conscientiousness

IB Learner Profile

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IRC Social and Emotional Learning Competencies

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conflict resolution skills

emotion regulation

positive social skills

K-12 SEL Standards (Anchorage)

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student demonstrates awareness of other people's emotions and perspectives

students can read social cues

students demonstrate ability to manage their emotions constructively

students demonstrate ability to set and achieve goals

students demonstrate an awareness of cultural issues and a respect for human dignity and differences

students demonstrate an awareness of their emotions

students demonstrate awareness of their external supports

students demonstrate awareness of their personal traits

students demonstrate consideration for others and a desire to positively contribute to their community

students demonstrate honestly/integrity

students demonstrate the ability to prevent, manage, and resolve interpersonal conflicts in constructive ways

students develop constructive relationships

students have a sense of personal responsibility

students use effective decision-making skills

students use positive communication and social skills to interact effectively with others

KIPP

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social intelligence

Kenya BECF Core Competencies for Basic Education

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communication and collaboration

creativity and imagination

critical thinking and problem solving

digital literacy

learning to learn

LEGO's Skills for Holistic Development

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cognitive skills

creative skills

emotional skills

physical skills

MELQO MODEL Framework

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emotional well-being

inhibitory control

self-regulation

social cognition

social competence

MESH

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self-management

social awareness

Pratham Life Skills Framework

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interpersonal skills

problem solving

self management

technical skills

Preparing Youth to Thrive

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emotion management

problem solving

Room to Read Life Skills Education Learning Outcomes

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creative problem-solving

critical thinking

decision-making

expressing & managing emotions

relationship building

self-competence

Sesame Workshop Global Framework for Learning

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emotional development and self-regulation

executive functioning

family and community

initiative and curiosity

reasoning and problem solving

respect and understanding

social relationships

Singapore Framework for 21CC and Student Outcomes

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active community life

global awareness

national and cultural identity

relationship management

responsible decision making

self-management

social awareness

socio-cultural sensitivity and awareness

Social, Emotional, and Ethical (SEE) Learning Framework

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The Five Cs Model of Positive Youth Development

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caring/compassion

The PRACTICE Model

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achievement motivation

problem solving

UNICEF India Comprehensive Life Skills Framework

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critical thinking

decision making

problem solving

UNICEF MENA Life Skills and Citizenship Education - Conceptual and Programmatic Framework

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critical thinking

decision-making

problem-solving

respect for diversity

self-management

USAID YouthPower Action Key Soft Skills for Cross-Sectoral Youth Outcomes

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goal orientation

higher order thinking skills

positive attitude

positive self-concept

Vision of the Haitian Child in Society: Social Emotional Framework

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collaboration/konbit

critical thought

emotional understanding/regulation

relationship skills

resilience/persistence

self-management

WHO Skills for Health

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advocacy skills

cooperation and teamwork

critical thinking skills

decision-making / problem-solving skills

empathy building

interpersonal communication skills

negotiation/refusal skills

skills for increasing personal confidence and abilities to assume control, take responsibility, make a difference, or bring about change

skills for managing feelings

skills for managing stress

Young Adult Success

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integrated identity

knowledge and skills

self-regulation