Outside of the family, schools are one of the more pervasive socializing contexts, helping children to acquire the appropriate behaviors and values needed to become acceptable and productive members of society. Traditionally, North American schools and teacher training programs have focused almost exclusively on the academic curriculum or what is sometimes referred to as the "three R's": reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic. Yet a growing body of research points to the importance of a fourth "R" of schooling: relationships (e.g., Jaffe, Wolfe, Crooks, Hughes, & Baker, 2004). Aside from academic competencies, social-emotional competencies are also important in determining one' success in life. In this paper, the authors present the case for addressing social and emotional learning as a primary focus in education. They consider five reasons for addressing social and emotional learning in schools and the research supporting such a focus. They then provide an overview of recent efforts to address this focus and consider future directions for such an emphasis. (Contains 3 tables.)