As with all skills, the earlier a child develops them, the easier it will be for them to continue to build upon them as they continue to grow. “Social-emotional learning is important in early childhood development because it affects children’s ability to be successful in other areas of development,” Whittaker says, “If children are not able to understand and regulate their emotions and make meaningful connections with others they will struggle to function in their social world and school.” Additionally, she notes that SEL is specifically important in the preschool years because by the time kids reach kindergarten, teachers have a limited amount of time, most of which has to be focused on traditional academic teaching, leaving less (if any) time for SEL.