Combining Social–Emotional Learning Competencies and Contemporary Concerns Picturebooks to Foster Early Literacy Practices: An Interdisciplinary Approach

Abstract There is value in integrating social–emotional learning with academic development as a way to support children's abilities to effectively communicate ideas, collaboratively solve problems, and strengthen early literacy practices. In this article, we discuss suggestions for using picturebook read‐alouds as stepping stones for integrating social–emotional learning (SEL) competencies and core standards (ELA and SS) to address topics related to social justice, equity, and inclusion. We connect each SEL competency with a related topic for discussion and highlight lesson ideas for early grades to examine these themes, including potential prompts a teacher may use to foster curiosity and help students develop questions about each topic.