Against the backdrop of a policy shift in rural education from “academic remediation” to “whole-person development,” how to provide systematic, sustained, and contextually appropriate social-emotional learning (SEL) support for students with learning difficulties has become a key issue in basic education. Drawing on ecological systems theory and a risk–protection perspective, this article synthesizes recent international and Chinese research on SEL effectiveness, the psychosocial development of rural and left-behind children, and educational interventions. It focuses on the vulnerabilities of rural students with learning difficulties in emotional regulation, interpersonal relationships, self-efficacy, and learning motivation, and identifies the major gaps in support currently provided by schools, families, and communities. On this basis, the article proposes a rural SEL support system model centered on students with learning difficulties that integrates classroom instruction, school culture, and family–community collaboration. From the dual perspectives of “demand side” and “supply side,” the article analyzes the risk structure of rural students’ social-emotional development, elucidates the internal logic among a three-tier resource support structure, a bidirectional practice translation mechanism, and an integrated evaluation–feedback loop, and discusses three core driving mechanisms: institutional safeguards, teacher professional development, and the empowerment of digital tools. Finally, in light of China’s rural education modernization and common prosperity strategies, it offers several recommendations at the levels of policy guidance, curriculum standards, resource allocation, and research orientation.