Towards the
Curriculum for
Excellence:
Emotional Literacy
Dr Elizabeth Morris and
Irene Pandolfi

• “Each capacity in the Curriculum for
Excellence needs the core
competencies of emotional literacy in
order for it to be optimised.
We need to foster, nurture and facilitate
emotional understanding, self-
regulation, empathy, resilience, respect
and strong relational skills in order to
ensure future citizens who are effective,
involved, successful, positive, confident
and responsible.” Dr Elizabeth Morris 2006

Emotional Intelligence
• An intelligent use
of emotions?
• Emotions as a
form of
intelligence?

Where has it come from
• Brain research
• Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)
• Educational research
• Psychotherapy and psychiatric research
• Social and cognitive psychology
• Social and cultural shifts

‘Everyday’ Definition of Emotional
Intelligence
Recognising, understanding and
appropriately expressing and handling
emotional states in ourselves and other
people.
SEL 2001

Emotional Literacy
Definition for a 7 year old
I know what I feel.
I can say what I feel.
I am learning how to handle my feelings.
I know how they feel.
I can say how they feel.
I am learning to handle their feelings.

Terminology
• “Emotional Intelligence”
• “Emotional Literacy”
• “Social and Emotional Learning”
• “Emotional and Social well being”
• “Emotional & Social Competence”
• “Social and Emotional Behavioural
Skills”

Model framework for Emotional
Literacy
Intrapersonal Interpersonal
intelligence intelligence
Self-awareness Other awareness
Self-management Relationship
management

Translated into Educational
issues……. Academic Standards
Behaviour and Discipline
(motivation/attention)
Health Promotion
PSHE
Spiritual, Moral, Social, and
Cultural Development
Equal Opportunites
Citizenship
Social Inclusion
Crime and Disorder

4 Steps to Successful
Implementation
• Do a Readiness audit
• Staff and leadership development
• Appoint a coordinator
• Use an emotional literacy curriculum

EI T r a in c o r e
P r o f ilin g g ro u p o f
of s e n io r
le a d e r s h ip c h a m p io n s
C P D D ir e c to r y
C o re te a m
p r o v id e C o re te a m
p r o f ilin g f o r s u p p ly
s c h o o ls ; H T 's , t w ilig h t
s ta ff te a m , s e s s io n s o n
s ta ff m e m b e rs k e y t o p ic s

• Operating under the theory that having
emotionally literate and emotionally
resilient staff working with children will
be the easiest way to foster its
development in the children and young
people of the community the
Transforming Relationships programme
has developed and grown into a
powerful method for developing inner
strengths and all the 4 capacities.

Core team training
• Emotional literacy
• Learned Optimism
• Motivated
Classroom
• Developing Brain
• Accreditation to use
EI profiles

CPD Directory
• Leading and
learning with
Emotional Literacy
for HT’s
• Motivated
Classroom
• Self esteem
development
• Learned Optimism…

Successful Learners
With:
•Enthusiasm and motivation for learning
•Determination to reach high standards of achievement
•Openness to new thinking and ideas
and able to:
•Use literacy, communication and numeracy skills
•Use technology for learning
•Think creatively and independently
•Learn independently and as part of a group
•Make reasoned evaluations
•Link and apply different kinds of learning in new
situations.

Confident Individuals
With:
•Self-respect
•A sense of physical, mental and emotional well-being
•Secure values and beliefs
•Ambition
and able to:
•Relate to others and manage themselves
•Pursue a healthy and active lifestyle
•Be self-aware
•Develop and communicate their own beliefs and view
of the world
•Live as independently as they can
•Assess risk and make informed decisions
•Achieve success in different areas of activity.

Responsible Citizens
With:
•Respect for others
•Commitment to participate responsibly in political, economic,
social and cultural life
and able to:
•Develop knowledge and understanding of the world and
Scotland's place in it
•Understand different beliefs and cultures
•Make informed choices and decisions
•Evaluate environmental, scientific and technological issues
•Develop informed, ethical views of complex issues.

Effective Contributors
With:
•An enterprising attitude
•Resilience
•Self-reliance
and able to:
•Communicate in different ways and in different settings
•Work in partnership and in teams
•Take the initiative and lead
•Apply critical thinking in new contexts
•Create and develop
•Solve problems.

Recommended reading and
research
• Developing Emotionally Literate staff –
Elizabeth Morris and Julie Casey
• Developing an Emotionally Literate
School – Katherine Weare
• www.schoolofemotional-literacy.com
• www.casel.org
• www.csee.org
• www.dfes.gov.uk

Recommended websites
• http://www.healthpromotingschools.co.uk/
• http://www.headsupscotland.com/
• http://www.youngminds.org.uk/
• http://www.penumbra.org.uk/