This book synthesizes current thinking about effective social and emotional education of young elementary school children. The book's chapters, by leading national experts, describe the range of programs and perspectives that can be used in elementary schools, focusing on concrete strategies and curricular-based programs that can be integrated into school life. The chapters are: (1) "Social and Emotional Education: Core Concepts and Practices" (Jonathan Cohen); (2) "Development in Context: Imagining the Child at Hand" (Barbara K. Eisold); (3) "School Climate and Social and Emotional Development in the Young Child" (Joy E. Fopiano and Norris M. Haynes); (4) "Helping Emotionally Vulnerable Children: Moving toward an Empathic Orientation in the Classroom" (Deborah Mugno and Donald Rosenblitt); (5) "Creating a Classroom Community Where Social Emotional Learning Thrives: The Case of the 'Cool Girls' List" (Ruth Charney and Roxann Kriete); (6) "Fostering Emotional Intelligence in the Classroom and School: Strategies from the Child Development Project" (Stefan Dasho, Catherine Lewis, and Marilyn Watson); (7) "Reach Out to Schools: A Social Competency Program" (Pamela Seigle); (8) "I Can Problem Solve (ICPS): A Cognitive Approach to the Prevention of Early High-Risk Behaviors" (Myrna B. Shure and Ann-Linn Glaser); (9) "PATHS in Your Classroom: Promoting Emotional Literacy and Alleviating Emotional Distress" (Carol A. Kusche and Mark T. Greenberg); (10) "Improving the Social and Intellectual Climate in Elementary Schools by Addressing Bully-Victim-Bystander Power Struggles" (Stuart W. Twemlow, Peter Fonagy, Frank C. Sacco, Martin L. Gies, and Debora Hess); (11) "Social and Emotional Learning: The Future Is Now" (Ronald J. Areglado); and (12) "Social and Emotional Literacy for All in the Twenty-First Century: A Challenge and a Necessity" (Jonathan Cohen). Each chapter contains references. (KB)