Social and Emotional Development 4, 5, and 6 Year Olds

What will we learn today? Standard: – ET-ECE-8: Explore the growth, development, and care of the preschool child. EQ: – How do 4, 5, and 6 year old children develop emotionally?

Quick Review What is NATURE and what is NURTURE when it comes to child development? – Nature: Heredity – Nurture: Environment How long should 4-6 year-olds sleep at night? – hours What may need to change if a child is overweight or underweight? – Their diet and physical activity How long should you wash your hands for? – 20 seconds

Emotional Patterns: 4-year-olds Very loving and affectionate at times VERY self-centered, defiant, impatient, loud Might be bossy or argue with adults/other kids

Emotional Patterns: 5-year-olds Eager to explore their world, but – Fearful of unfamiliar places/people/things Start to feel empathy – Makes them better able to play together and cooperate because they can see another’s point of view

Emotional Patterns: 6-year-olds (school age child) Experience rapid mood changes Crave praise and approval Easily hurt and discouraged Very stubborn Begin to experience deeper feelings of happiness/joy – Appreciate more activities

Fear and Imagination Go Hand-In- Hand Imagination is a major emotional force in 4-6 year-olds – often leads them to fear various kinds of danger Fear can lead imagination and play For example: preschoolers are often afraid of monsters and use this in their imaginative play

Caregivers can help children deal with fears by: Helping them develop self-confidence – Build self-confidence by selecting activities that are challenging, but not overwhelming Being understanding of the fear Letting the child express the fear without ridicule Helping the child feel able to face the fear

Starting school is a huge social and emotional milestone for 4-6 year-olds For most, it is the first time they are around unfamiliar adults and large groups of other children Make them feel at ease about starting school by: – Explaining what they will expect at school – Visiting the school and meeting the teachers – Having playdates with classmates

Going to school for the first time can cause: Toileting problems Why? – not know where the bathroom is and afraid to ask – out of normal routine – fear of unfamiliar environment Conflict with peers Help children resolve conflicts with peers by: – encouraging them to talk about their feelings – modeling appropriate ways to deal with conflict Children to express emotions – Fear/Anger/Jealousy

Some children (~2 million in the US) are diagnosed with ADHD in the early school years Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Most common characteristics: – Inability to pay attention – Hyperactivity – Acting on impulses Do you think a child with ADHD would be lazy? – NO!

Daily Grade Break You will work with a partner to find/create FOUR lesson plans. – A lesson plan for 4 year- olds – A lesson plan for 5 year- olds – A lesson plan for 6 year- olds – A lesson plan for a child with ADHD You must have four DIFFERENT lesson plans You MUST choose a math, science, language arts, history, music, or art lesson plan Your lesson plans MUST involve social interaction between the students

Lesson Plan Example Name of Lesson Grade Level Subject – Remember: each lesson plan should have a different subject! Description of Lesson – Copy and paste link here – Write a short description of the lesson Picture 1 st Grade Math Lesson: “Candy Math” In this lesson, students will use candy to review addition and subtraction problems. p/pages/3934?ref=search