Chapter 10 - The Social Self: Encouraging Social Competence in Young Children

Social and Emotional Development – foster secure attachment with adults, maintain healthy relationships, regulate one’s behavior and emotions

The Importance to Helping Young Children Develop Social Competence – children do well in elementary school not because of previous academic training in subjects, but because their social skills (the ability to form caring relationships with others, to cooperate, to share, to listen to others, to use self-control, to pay attention, to follow directions and build self- esteem.)

How Do Children Become Socialized? Social learning theory (Albert Bandura): learning can also occur via observation, without directly experiencing reinforcement or conditioning. • Bandura- Bobo doll experiments Bandura- Bobo doll experiments )

Developmental Interactionist Theory (Piaget and Vygotsky) – learning between adults and children and child-child interaction. Quality of emotional attachment between mother and child is additional important influence on socialization – children tend to be compliant (respond better to instructions), accepted by the peers and more sensitive to other people’s feelings

Implications for Teachers Be a good role moder Reinforce positive social behaviors Provide opportunities for socialization Be aware of typical patterns of behavior for each age group

Helping Children Socially Competent: Suggestions for Teaching Appropriate Social Skills Goal 1: Help children develop empathy Encourage role playing Help the child understand how the other person feels Discuss feelings – show pictures of people expressing emotions

Goal 2: Help children learn to be generous, altruistic (unselfish), and able to share equipment, experiences, and people with other children Aim for regulation that comes from within the child (avoid timing play) Establish a climate of generosity (“when you’re done with the swing would you remember to tell Ashley?” Help children to share the teacher – children need to receive comfort when needed

Goal 3: Help children learn that being kind to other people feels good Helping other people The presence of children who have disabilities presents special opportunities for children to be kind and considerate Explain to children how unkind words hurt others

Goal 4: Teach children that everyone has rights and that these rights are respected by all Teach children that rules apply to everyone (teach fairness) Goal 5: Emphasize the value of cooperation and compromise rather than stress competition and winning In place of fostering competition, model cooperation and helping behavior yourself Teach the art of compromise Teach children to work together

Goal 6: Help children discover the pleasure of friendship Facilitate friendliness by using reinforcement to reduce isolated behavior Increase the social skills of friendless or excluded children Pair children together Help children when a friend departs or when they are rejected

Goal 7: Help children with special needs fit into the life of the group Help typical children learn that all children are more alike than different and feel comfortable around children with special needs Help children with special needs to learn to fit in with a group of ordinary peers and get along with them