KnowThink about how you use social skills every day. When you wait your turn to comment in a staff meeting, receive constructive criticism from your supervisor, apologize, spend time with a friend or accept others’ differences, you are using the social skills you learned as a child. You also use your social skills adjusting to new situations and getting to know new people. This can occur when you begin a new job or take a class by yourself. This can be difficult for many people, especially if transitions and changes are hard to accept. As a school-age staff member, it is important that you find ways to interact with other adults so that children can observe your use of social skills. When you interact with other staff members, family members or other adults, be sure to always model the skills you are teaching the children in your program. Show
Young children tend to focus on themselves and the world around them. They are working hard to learn and discover how their environment can help them learn, develop, and imagine. They are focused on how they can make the world around them translate and relate to themselves. As children grow, they are expected to develop a set of skills that allow them to interact more broadly. To do this, children must go outside of their own world and take other people’s emotions, cultures, and perspectives into consideration. MilestonesLet's look at school-age children's social-emotional development. The chart below provides an overview of the social-emotional developmental milestones in school-age children from the book What Teachers Need to Know about Social and emotional Development by Ros Leyden and Erin Shale: Typical Social-Emotional Development of School-Age ChildrenChildren Ages 5 to 12 Years Old5- to 7-Year-Olds
School-Age Children and Social-Emotional DevelopmentAs a school-age staff member, part of your role is to observe and assess the children in your care. You will accomplish this using a variety of developmental guidelines to support children and their families. Because having a solid foundation of social-emotional development is crucial for a child’s success in school and in life, it is important to observe children in their learning environment. When assessing a child’s social-emotional development, we will look at a variety of components such as: The Ability to Establish and Maintain RelationshipsRelationships are the core of social-emotional development. A child’s ability to establish and keep relationships is a very important aspect of their development. This is primarily seen in a child’s ability to make and keep friends. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, friendships allow children to “broaden their horizons beyond the family unit, begin to experience the outside world, form a self-image, and develop a social support system.” Because relationships are so vital to a child’s social-emotional development, a lesson will be dedicated to the topic later in this course. The Ability to Manage EmotionsAs children grow, they learn how to regulate their emotions and feelings. The emotional surges we see in young children, such as crying when separating from their family or hitting when they become frustrated, will begin to lessen as the children age. School-age children will begin to have a better understanding of what emotions are and will be able to discuss how they are feeling. Feeling of sympathy and empathy for others will also begin to develop. The Ability to Cope with StressAs adults, we know that stress can come from a variety of circumstances and can be overwhelming if we don’t find a way to cope with it. You might cope with stress by going for a walk, spending some time with friends, exercising, or taking some time for your favorite hobby. Other ways adults cope with stress are deep breathing, meditation exercises, or visiting a therapist or counselor. As adults, we know when a situation is causing too much stress and can decide to use one of these methods to help alleviate the stressor. School-age children are just learning how to identify and deal with stress in their lives. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the following are the most common circumstances that cause school-age children to worry:
School-age children are learning how to recognize what causes stress and how it affects their behavior. Some children may still openly act out their feelings, whereas others will keep their stress to themselves. We want children to learn how to manage their stress in a healthy and positive way. Keeping the lines of communication open with families will help you be on alert if a child may be experiencing a stressful situation at home or at school. As a school-age staff member, it is important to watch for signs that a child may be overloaded with stress so that you can help them cope with it in a healthy way. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, common signs of stress overload are when a child:
SeeSocial Emotional DevelopmentVideo not availableWatch this video to learn about social-emotional development across the school-age years.DoAs a school-age staff member, you will be supporting children and their social-emotional development. You can do this by:
Observing school-age children in the learning environment is the best way to see which children are developing strong social-emotional skills and which ones may need help. View and complete the Observing Social-Emotional Skills activity. Share your finished work with your trainer, coach, or administrator. How do you adapt your behavior to reflect values or norms related to a particular environment or situation? Children may have a difficult time learning this skill, and in order to support their learning it is important to reflect on how you use this skill in your own life. View and complete the Adapting to Environments form. Share your finished work with your trainer, coach, or administrator. References & Resources Council on Accreditation Standards for Child and Youth Development Programs. Retrieved from https://coanet.org/cyd-standards/ Dunlap, G., & Powell, D. (2009). Promoting Social Behavior of Young Children in Group Settings: A Summary of Research. Roadmap to Effective Intervention Practices #3. Tampa, Florida: University of South Florida, Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children. Durlak, J. A., & Weissberg, R. P. (2013). Afterschool programs that follow evidence-based practices to promote social and emotional development are effective. In T. K. Peterson (Ed.), Expanding minds and opportunities: Leveraging the power of afterschool and summer learning for student success (pp. 194-198). Collaborative Communications Group, Washington, D.C. Retrieved from http://www.expandinglearning.org/ National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2012). Teachers’ Lounge: Determining if behavior is bullying. Teaching Young Children, 5(5), 34. Sandall, S. R., & Schwartz, I. S. Helping Children with Challenging Behaviors Succeed in the Classroom. Excerpt from from S.R. Sandall & I.S. Schwartz with G.E. Joseph, H.-Y. Chou, E.M. Horn, J. Lieber, S.L. Odom, & R. Wolery, Building Blocks for Teaching Preschoolers with Special Needs (Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes, 2002), 49–50. Sandall, S., Hemmeter, M., Smith, B., & McLean, M. (Eds.) (2005). DEC Recommended Practices: A Comprehensive Guide for Practical Application. Longmont, CO: Sopris West Publishing. Schor, E., American Academy of Pediatrics. (2004). Caring for Your School Age Child: Ages 5-12. New York, NY: Bantam. Which of the following is characteristic of the psychosocial development of schoolWhat is a characteristic of the psychosocial development of school-age children? Feelings of inferiority or lack of worth can be derived from children themselves or from the environment.
What are the general physical characteristics of children in the primary schoolSchool-age children most often have smooth and strong motor skills. However, their coordination (especially eye-hand), endurance, balance, and physical abilities vary. Fine motor skills may also vary widely.
Which statement characterizes moral development in older schoolWhich statement characterizes moral development in older school-age children? a. They are able to judge an act by the intentions that prompted it rather than just by the consequences.
Which description of development best describes a schoolWhich description of development best describes a school-age child? She is able to work on resolving conflicts, and she is able to use symbols for reading and writing.
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