1. Introduction to social development LO: to explore how social development changes through the life stages.

2. Topic A - Human Growth and Development through Life Stages
A1: Physical development across the life stages
A2: Intellectual development across the life stages
A3: Emotional development across the life stages
A4: Social development across the life stages

3. Topic A4 - Social Development across the Life Stages
Social development means the learning of interacting socially with other individuals in both family and society.
Social development means different things across the life span, there are also cultural considerations as to the way individuals engage in social relationships throughout life span.
Cultural considerations include; attitudes values beliefs and behaviours shared by a group of people
How can these cultural considerations impact our social development?
Race and racial stereotypes
Parenting styles (conformity and obedience)
Ways of living
Social development gives the opportunities and skills to enable people to develop relationships.
Sharing/ turn taking
Communication
Body language
Compromise
Social cues

4. Topic A4 - Social Development across the Life Stages
The stages of play, in infancy and early childhood
Children learn and practise basic social skills through play. They develop a sense of self, learn to interact with other children, how to make friends and how to role play.
Piaget discussed the importance of play for learning and development.
Solo (solitary) Play
When infants play independently is known as solo (solitary) play.
This starts in infancy and provides a variety of learning opportunities for infants, allowing them to explore the environment at their own pace.
This allows infants/children to learn by their own mistakes and increases their self esteem.

5. Topic A4 - Social Development across the Life Stages
The stages of play, in infancy and early childhood
Parallel play
Between the ages of 2-3 infants move on from solo play to playing alongside others.
They do not yet share and take turns.
The child is engrossed in their own world /independent activity.
They have no interest in the others around them
However, although infants may appear not to interact with other infants and older children, they do show an interest in what other children are doing and still like to be in the presence of adults and other children.

6. Topic A4 - Social Development across the Life Stages
The stages of play, in infancy and early childhood
Co-operative play
Between 3-8 years children develop a wider social network and form relationships with their peers and other adults.
They become more cooperative in their play, helped by their language development.
By the age of seven, most children have established a number of important friendships and others may refer to one friend as their ‘best friend’
Play is essential for communication skills, negotiating roles and beginning to understand the feelings of others.

7. Hints and tips:
Consider the importance of senses for infants when they are absorbed in solo play (sensorimotor stage) and of symbolic play and language for children during cooperative play (pre-operational stage)

8. Social benefits of friendships
Topic A4 - Social Development across the Life Stages
Importance of Friendships and Friendship Groups Social benefits of friendships Mind-map all of the social benefits of having friendships, from each of your points give examples
Encouragement in:
Avoiding excessive drinking or junk food
Take regular exercise
Healthy lifestyle
Practical help to cope with traumatic events
Job loss
Serious illness
Bereavement
Relationship breakdown
Social benefits of friendships
Emotional
Friendship groups can:
Help people avoid loneliness
provide a sense of belonging
Self worth and self-confidence
Reduce levels of stress and depression
Boost happiness
Explain why friendships take a back seat when people get older
Changing interests or circumstances
Career and home commitments
Caring for children or vulnerable parents
Friendships could grow apart

9. Topic A4 - Social Development across the Life Stages
Importance of Friendships and Friendship Groups
Effects of peer pressure on social development
During adolescence, young people become more independent, socialising outside the family and gaining more freedom.
Peer groups play an important part in this stage of social development and begin to have a greater influence on values, views and opinions.
Peer pressure refers to the influence members of a peer group can have on an individual
Identify 5 forms/types of peer pressure
Explain how peer pressure can be emotionally challenging
Explain how peer pressure can impact the relationship teenagers have with their parents

10. Developing Relationships with Others
Developing relationships with others Friendship between young children is very different from friendship between older children, adolescents or adults. As children mature and start to think beyond their own needs and are able to see the world from other people’s viewpoints, they become able to develop meaningful relationships. Relationships with others may be informal or formal
Informal relationships develop
within families and significant people in individual’s lives. Informal relationships promote a positive self-concept that prepares adolescents and adults for developing intimate relationships that show mutual respect.
Formal relationships develop between people who are not related or friends, for instance between colleagues or between teacher and pupil. Formal relationships do not involve emotional attachments but are important to social development. They demand different skills,

11. Social development through the life stages
Highlight the key social changes made through each life stage. List the key terms identified in each life stage under each life stage heading

12. Social development through the life stages
Highlight the key social changes made through each life stage. List the key terms identified in each life stage under each life stage heading

13. Development of Independence through the Life Stages
Task Sheet 1 and 2
Activity – Independent Task
For each of the following stages:
Infancy and childhood
Adolescence (peer influence)
Young adulthood (starting employment, leaving home, starting a family)
Middle adulthood
Older adulthood
Describe the changes in independence and provide examples.
These can be positive and negative, that may occur at that life stage.
Add these notes onto your A3 fact sheets
Activity – Independent Task
There are a range of aids available to maintain their independence example mobility and sensory aids.
Find out what aids are available for older people and how they can be accessed.

14. Homework: Applying the PIES