Who We Are | Housman Institute

Moving Beyond Behavior Management to Support Learning & Emotional Intelligence

Kids can’t learn when they’re dysregulated. Teachers can’t teach when they’re burnt out.

When educators are supported, they can teach children emotional intelligence. 

The result? Smoother classrooms where kids can learn and thrive.

What We Do

Housman Institute offers research-proven training, tools, and curricula to support emotional intelligence in kids from birth to age 8—helping both students and their teachers.

Our Solutions

• Professional development courses for early childhood educators
• Curricula, tools, and books for teaching emotional intelligence from birth
• Support for educators, caregivers, and children

Hear from Our Founder

Watch the video below as Dr. Donna Housman, clinical psychologist and educator, shares what makes our work so meaningful.

Our Signature Approach

Our begin to ECSEL® (Emotional, Cognitive, and Social Early Learning) method is backed by nearly 40 years of research. 

It has impacted thousands of children and educators by applying neuroscience, child development, and education research to the classroom.

Proven Results

ECSEL students significantly outperform their peers in emotional competence, self-regulation, and empathy. 

Developed over decades, our program helps classrooms run smoothly and fosters lifetime achievement. Now, we bring these solutions to schools and daycare centers nationwide.

What Makes Us Different?

With countless teacher training programs and tools available, it's hard to separate claims from results. Here’s what sets ECSEL apart:

A Focus on Prevention

👶 Starting with infants, we focus on preventing emotional and behavioral issues by promoting educator emotionality and children's mental health.

➕ Our Causal Talk in the Emotional Experience approach teaches children about emotions both in and out of heated moments, creating joyful classrooms.

👨 We train educators and caregivers in emotional well-being—described as "transformative" and "life-changing."

Beyond Social and Emotional: Focus on Cognition

Cognitive development is key to learning. Children in our begin to ECSEL program outperform their peers in cognitive skills, boosting their ability to learn and succeed in school.

Standards Aligned and Nationally Recognized

✅ Aligned with CASEL, CDA, Head Start, NAEYC, and state standards.

✅ Educators can earn IACET CEUs through our courses. We're also approved providers in some non-IACET states. Learn more