Why attending to Social Emotional needs in the early environment matters
Not all children have the social competence needed for group play. In our childcare rooms we provide large periods of uninterrupted playtime in which children need specific social skills to get along.
We are actually creating stress for children if they are left to navigate on their own when interacting with others.
Research clearly tells us that
“Establishing relationships with other children is one of the major developmental tasks of early childhood… How well children fare at this task appears to matter…
It matters to the children themselves, creating a context in which they evaluate their self-worth, competence, and view of the world as pleasant or hostile….
It matters to their future, as the patterns of peer interaction in early childhood increasingly predict whether children will walk pathways to competence or deviance in the tasks of middle childhood and adolescence…
And it matters to the other children that a child comes into contact with, as the experience of children in peer groups depends in good measure on the nature of the other children with whom they interact…
... Yet playing nicely, making friends, and being a good friend are not all that easy for young children. These tasks confront them with increasing demands on their developing cognitive and emotional capacities” (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000, p. 162).
Why group play presents challenges for young children
“Conflict, arguments, and outright physical aggression disrupt the flow of play, indicate that something is wrong, and challenge children to figure out what needs to happen to get play back on track. When conflict happens, younger children, like older children and adults, can walk away, slug it out, give in, argue and negotiate, or appeal to higher powers.
Researchers who have observed what toddlers and preschool children actually do during conflicts find that most often play dissolves, either because the children stop trying to be together or an adult intervenes." (Hartup et al., 1988).
An intentional approach is needed, all day, every day.
It is not enough to just let social interactions within a play-based learning environment happen. Children who feel neglected or rejected will not benefit because of social stressors that interfere with their sense of “calm and alert” as Dr. Stuart Shankar reminds us. Other children may also feel stressed due to the unpredictability of their peers’ emotions and reactions.
What is the role of Early Childhood Educators?
“A groundbreaking study chaired by Dr. Jack Shonkoff, entitled From Neurons to Neighborhoods, (2000) synthesizes a variety of research studies and makes strong conclusions and sweeping recommendations.
The recommendations for essential changes in direction have implications for practice in the early years:
● How young children feel is just as important as how they think, particularly with regard to school readiness.
● Healthy early development depends on nurturing and dependable relationships.
● Early childhood programs must balance their longstanding focus on cognition and literacy skills with comparable attention to the emotional, regulatory, and social development of all children, including those with special needs”.
How we can support ECEs through
TFL Early Years Social Emotional Learning and Relationship-Building Strategies
We are two life-long Early Childhood Educators who are committed to promoting emotional and social development as the foundation of well-being, relationships and learning. For the past two decades, we have researched and taught the milestones and challenges of social-emotional development and the importance of relationship-based approaches to build the security, self and other awareness, and social skills that are key developmental tasks in the first five years of life. We have relied on the inter-professional wisdom of such important child advocates as David Elkind, Magda Gerber, Daniel Gartrell, Stanley Greenspan, Bruce Perry and Stuart Shanker.
The principles of psychology are a very close fit with the beliefs and practices of Early Childhood Educators.
We must meet children’s needs for safety and security in attachment relationships before they can trust others sufficiently to consider the perspective and needs of others.
Strong needs resulting from adverse circumstances, such as neglect, mental health issues, settlement and trauma, must be addressed, before expectations of other-awareness can be placed on children.
What is TFL Early Years Social Emotional Learning and Relationship Building?
A few years back, we became involved in a resource called Tools for Life Resources, which was developed over 20 years ago by a children’s mental health agency based in Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario. We were pleased to see the compatibility of the program with longstanding Early Childhood Education philosophy and also with our current Ministry of Education document How Does Learning Happen?
As the Early Years team, we were eager to develop an Early Years Version in 2020. We have edited and updated to create TFL Early Years Social Emotional Learning with an educator's manual and resources in both paper and digital format. Our training is available online or in person.
We would be happy to connect with you to discuss your interest in our training.
Janet Foster Jan Blaxall
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