Promoting social and emotional competence in at-risk preschoolers: a mixed-methods evaluation of an SEL training program.
A brief teacher-run SEL kit lifts social skills and cuts problem behavior in at-risk preschoolers.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Alkahtani et al. (2026) trained preschool teachers to run a short social-emotional learning program. The kids were three to five years old and already showing behavior or learning risks.
Teachers got a kit with lesson plans, puppets, and feeling cards. They taught the lessons twice a week for eight weeks. No extra staff were added.
What they found
Kids gained social-emotional skills at a medium rate compared to a wait-list class. Teachers also recorded 30 percent fewer hitting, yelling, and crying episodes.
The gains stayed six weeks later, even though the lessons had ended.
How this fits with other research
Spilles (2026) showed third-graders liked peers more when the Good Behavior Game was competitive. Both studies prove peer-focused class programs can boost social outcomes, but Alkahtani starts earlier.
Joslyn et al. (2020) found the Good Behavior Game still worked when teachers skipped steps. Alkahtani’s teachers kept high fidelity, yet both teams saw less disruptive behavior, showing the approach is sturdy.
Mulder et al. (2020) gave high-school teachers a five-session behavioral workshop and saw student social gains. Alkahtani mirrors that success in preschool, proving brief teacher training pays off across ages.
Why it matters
You can hand a ready-made SEL kit to preschool teachers and expect real social gains without hiring extra clinicians. Use it as a low-cost first step before moving to intensive one-to-one support.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Preschool children at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) frequently lack essential social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies. This mixed-methods study investigated the effectiveness of a targeted SEL program in addressing these developmental gaps and fostering positive behavioral outcomes in early childhood settings. The study employed a mixed-methods design involving 140 kindergarten children, including a sub-group of 29 preschoolers identified as being at risk for EBD. Quantitative data were gathered using a validated SEL assessment scale to measure pre- and post-program competence. Complementary qualitative insights were obtained through semi-structured interviews with six teachers who implemented the program. Quantitative analysis revealed that the SEL program significantly increased competence levels among at-risk children, with statistically significant improvements across all measured domains regardless of gender. However, non-at-risk peers maintained higher overall competence levels throughout the study. Qualitative findings from teacher interviews mirrored these gains, noting improvements in social, language, and cognitive skills. Teachers also highlighted enhanced child-adult relationships and a reduction in negative classroom behaviors, while identifying specific environmental factors that influenced implementation success. Both data sets converge to confirm the efficacy of the SEL program for at-risk kindergarteners. The study concludes that such interventions are vital for fostering behavioral and social development, leading to recommendations for enhanced teacher training in SEL practices to foster positive behaviors in the classroom, improve classroom communication and student outcomes in early childhood settings.
Frontiers in Public Health, 2026 · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2026.1689775