If you're unfamiliar with the CASEL framework, we highly recommend reading this article first, as it will greatly enhance your understanding of soft skills.
Check it out here.
Introduction to Supportiveness:
Supportiveness is the willingness to provide assistance, encouragement, and understanding to others. In daily life, individuals of all ages encounter opportunities to demonstrate supportiveness, whether in personal relationships, educational settings, or professional environments. From offering a helping hand to a friend in need to collaborating effectively as part of a team, supportiveness contributes to positive social interactions, emotional well-being, and collective success. By cultivating supportiveness, individuals enhance their capacity for empathy and cooperation and contribute to a more inclusive and compassionate society. From acts of kindness and generosity to active participation in community initiatives, supportiveness is vital in promoting social cohesion, resilience, and collective flourishing.
Core Area of Competence:
Supportiveness is found in the following core areas of competence, and more specifically under a core behavior of each area:
Relationship Management: Cultivate constructive relationships with others.
Social Awareness: Awareness and empathy for individuals, their emotions, experiences, and perspectives through a cross-cultural lens.
Core Behaviors that require the soft skill of Supportiveness:
The soft skill is manifested differently in each age group:
6-8 Years:
Relationship Management:
Building Friendship Bonds: Children in this age group begin to form friendships based on shared interests and experiences. They cultivate constructive relationships by engaging in cooperative play, sharing toys, and expressing kindness towards peers.
Example: A 7-year-old invites a classmate to play together during recess, sharing their favorite toys and including them in group activities, fostering a sense of belonging and friendship.
Social Awareness:
Understanding Emotions: At this stage, children develop basic empathy and awareness of others' emotions. They start recognizing facial expressions and verbal cues to understand how others feel, fostering empathy and consideration for their peers' experiences.
Example: A 6-year-old comforts a friend who fell and scraped their knee, offering words of encouragement and a hug to show empathy and support.
9-11 Years:
Relationship Management:
Peer Support: Offering support and encouragement to peers facing challenges or difficulties, demonstrating empathy and solidarity.
Example: A pre-teen helps a classmate who is struggling with a school assignment, offering guidance and encouragement to boost their confidence and motivation.
Social Awareness:
Cultural Appreciation: Children in this age group become more aware of cultural differences and similarities. They develop empathy for individuals from diverse backgrounds, recognizing and respecting cultural values, traditions, and perspectives.
Example: An 11-year-old learns about Diwali from a classmate and expresses curiosity about their traditions, showing respect and interest in cultural diversity.
12-14 Years:
Relationship Management:
Conflict Resolution: Adolescents navigate more complex social dynamics and conflicts within peer groups. They cultivate constructive relationships by resolving disagreements calmly and constructively, seeking mutually beneficial solutions, and preserving friendships.
Example: A teenager mediates a disagreement between friends, facilitating open communication, acknowledging each person's perspective, and finding a compromise that satisfies everyone.
Social Awareness:
Cross-Cultural Understanding: Teens deepen their understanding of cultural diversity and global perspectives. They develop empathy across cultures, engaging in respectful communication and adapting their behavior to foster mutual understanding and respect.
Example: A 14-year-old volunteers at a multicultural event, interacting with attendees from diverse backgrounds and learning about their customs and traditions with genuine interest and respect.
15-17 Years:
Relationship Management:
Mentoring and Support: Older teens take on leadership roles and mentorship responsibilities within peer groups and communities. They cultivate constructive relationships by providing guidance, support, and inspiration to younger peers, fostering a culture of mentorship and collaboration.
Example: A high school student mentors younger peers, offering academic support, career advice, and emotional encouragement to help them navigate challenges and achieve their goals.
Social Awareness:
Advocacy for Equity: Adolescents become more socially aware of systemic issues and inequalities. They develop empathy for marginalized individuals and advocate for social justice and equity, recognizing and addressing systemic barriers to inclusion and belonging.
Example: A 17-year-old leads a school-wide initiative to address disparities in access to education resources among students from underprivileged communities. Recognizing the unequal distribution of resources and opportunities, they organize fundraising events, volunteer drives, and tutoring programs to support students in need.
Promoting the Soft Skill:
For Parents and Care Givers:
Discover the ideal curriculum for your children on our platform, tailored to meet your unique learning needs and preferences.
Encourage Sibling and Friend Bonding: Facilitate activities that promote sibling and friend bonding and cooperation, such as collaborative games, shared hobbies, or joint projects. Encourage siblings and friends to support each other, resolve conflicts constructively, and celebrate each other's achievements.
Celebrate Diversity: Teach children to embrace diversity and appreciate the unique qualities and strengths of individuals from different backgrounds and cultures. Encourage them to show respect, acceptance, and support for others, regardless of differences.
Practice Random Acts of Kindness: Encourage children to perform random acts of kindness for others, such as helping a neighbor with chores, sharing toys with a friend, or writing a thoughtful note to a classmate. Celebrate these acts of kindness and reinforce the positive impact they have on others.
For Tutors:
Create a Collaborative Learning Environment: Design tutoring sessions that foster collaboration, active participation, and peer interaction. Incorporate group activities, discussions, and problem-solving exercises that require students to work together and support each other's learning.
Teach Active Listening Techniques: Provide guidance on active listening techniques, such as maintaining eye contact, nodding, paraphrasing, and asking clarifying questions. Encourage students to practice these skills when interacting with their peers to demonstrate support and understanding.
Encourage Peer Tutoring: Encourage students to take on the role of peer tutors and support their classmates in areas where they excel. Provide training and guidance to peer tutors to ensure they can effectively convey concepts and provide assistance to their peers.
Feedback and Reflection:
Encourage learners to reflect on their experiences of supportiveness, prompting them to consider how their actions and attitudes impact others and contribute to positive relationships and community well-being. Ask open-ended questions that promote self-reflection, such as: "Can you think of a time when you supported a classmate or friend? How did it make you feel? How do you think your support impacted the other person?"
Provide feedback that acknowledges and reinforces empathetic listening, collaborative efforts, and acts of kindness, fostering a culture of supportiveness and appreciation within the learning environment. Reinforce the importance of these behaviors in building trust, fostering positive relationships, and creating a supportive learning environment. Encourage reflection by asking questions like: “What made you decide to act as you did? How did that make you feel? How do you think the other person felt? What do you take from this experience and how can you apply your learnings in the future?”
Create structured opportunities for students to share their reflections on supportiveness, either through class discussions, journaling exercises, or group reflections. Encourage students to share specific strategies they've used to demonstrate supportiveness and reflect on the effectiveness of those strategies.
Foster a culture of peer feedback by incorporating activities where students provide constructive feedback to their peers on their supportive behaviors. Encourage students to learn from each other's experiences and perspectives, promoting mutual understanding and empathy.
Additional Resources:
Check out “3 Ways for Children to Support Children” on Big Life Journal.
Read “3 Reasons It's Important to Teach Kids to Help Others” on Backpacks USA.
Read “Kids Helping Kids: Leveraging the Power of the Classroom” on Lotsa Helping Hands.
Watch “How to help those we love” by The School of life.
Listen to the song “What do you love about supporting people” by Open Future Learning, a song made to celebrate National Direct Support Professional Recognition Week. It talks about what Direct Support Professionals love about their work, supporting people.
Practice your emotional support skills by playing the interactive game “what would you say” on Emotional Support Human.
Conclusion:
Understanding and developing supportiveness is vital for fostering empathy, collaboration, and inclusivity. Parents and tutors play key roles in facilitating skill development by modeling empathy and promoting inclusivity. Encouraging proactive engagement in nurturing these skills in diverse environments fosters a culture of empathy and cooperation, empowering individuals to make positive contributions to society.
References:
Frye, K. E., Boss, D. L., Anthony, C. J., Du, H., & Xing, W. (2022). Content analysis of the Casel framework using K–12 state SEL Standards. School Psychology Review, 1–15. doi:10.1080/2372966x.2022.2030193
Swain, H. H., & Chapman, M. R. (2017). Can we help?: kids volunteering to help their communities. Social Studies Research and Practice, 12(1), 9-21.
Roach, A., Thomas, S. P., Abdoli, S., Wright, M., & Yates, A. L. (2021). Kids helping kids: The lived experience of adolescents who support friends with mental health needs. Journal of child and adolescent psychiatric nursing, 34(1), 32-40.
Eisenberg, N. (2011). Eight tips to developing caring kids.