Lessons From the Playground
One of the more enjoyable activities I was assigned when I taught was that of supervising pre-kindergarteners and kindergarteners on the play ground.
Now some people might find that strange.
After all who wants to be out there on cold windy days or on hot stifling days with all those kids? I found that I learned a lot about children and their development on the playground.
This unstructured time was a golden opportunity to observe how well children could problem solve, be imaginative, be accepting of children who were different than they and how well they could handle the social emotional demands of being in a group of children.
To me, social emotional development is a key component to a child's ability to succeed in the early years of school and beyond.
While some people might believe it is their ability to learn to read or do math problem solving, I would strongly disagree.
Social emotional development is a strong indicator of a child's ability to sustain attention and compete with his peers.
A child should to be growing adequately in this area so they can succeed.
Now what does social emotional development have to do with a child's success? Plenty.
Social emotional development is the ability of a child to relate with his peers and the adults in his life.
While this area is looked at as one domain of development, it is actually divided into two key parts - social and emotional development.
A child who is able to express himself in an appropriate manner emotionally will be able to get his needs more fully met.
Basic emotions of happiness, sadness, anger and fear and learning to express and regulate these emotions can determine how well a child is accepted by his peers and teachers.
When children are not able to express themselves in an appropriate manner the consequences can be dire.
If a child is working on a group project and someone does not let him have is way, the child might react adversely - sometimes with anger.
Or the child who is not able to regulate emotions of excitement and happiness may have problems transitioning from the playground to classroom.
When this happens, he is at risk for not being able to absorb key information the teacher may be presenting right after recess.
This puts him behind his peers.
So regulation of emotions, which develops with age, becomes a problem.
Socially, a child who is developing normally will be able to establish relationships with peers and teachers.
These relationships will enable him to grow and learn.
A child who can successfully interact with peers and adults feels comfortable asking questions, expressing opinions and getting information he needs to understand what is being taught.
When observing children in kindergarten classrooms, the level of inquisitiveness is so exciting! But the child who is not socially able to keep up with his peers begins to lag behind in getting his needs met and learning important information.
Children of kindergarten age can be so open to others, showing empathy for companions and even strangers.
When children are able to comprehend empathy and relationships, they are able to learn better in the classroom.
Children who have developed these skills can relate to characters in books, to others during play time and characters in story problems with ease.
After all, relating to a character's emotions in a story helps us to understand what that character may be feeling or even how he will solve a problem.
The skills in the area of social emotional development are interdependent.
Children who have difficulty with these, especially in the early years, are put at a disadvantage when competing with their peers.
If they are not at the same level in this development, they run the threat of being isolated and developing behaviors that put them at risk in later years.
What can parents to do to help in this area of development? It is important for parents to recognize that this area is as critical as the academic areas.
Too often the emphasis is placed on academics rather than looking at the child as a whole.
Research has indicated that children develop in this area very rapidly through the preschool years.
These social emotional skills are learned in good quality group programs such as preschool and pre-kindergarten programs.
Observe your child in play situations.
Look to see if he is ready to compete with others his age in this key area of development.
Now some people might find that strange.
After all who wants to be out there on cold windy days or on hot stifling days with all those kids? I found that I learned a lot about children and their development on the playground.
This unstructured time was a golden opportunity to observe how well children could problem solve, be imaginative, be accepting of children who were different than they and how well they could handle the social emotional demands of being in a group of children.
To me, social emotional development is a key component to a child's ability to succeed in the early years of school and beyond.
While some people might believe it is their ability to learn to read or do math problem solving, I would strongly disagree.
Social emotional development is a strong indicator of a child's ability to sustain attention and compete with his peers.
A child should to be growing adequately in this area so they can succeed.
Now what does social emotional development have to do with a child's success? Plenty.
Social emotional development is the ability of a child to relate with his peers and the adults in his life.
While this area is looked at as one domain of development, it is actually divided into two key parts - social and emotional development.
A child who is able to express himself in an appropriate manner emotionally will be able to get his needs more fully met.
Basic emotions of happiness, sadness, anger and fear and learning to express and regulate these emotions can determine how well a child is accepted by his peers and teachers.
When children are not able to express themselves in an appropriate manner the consequences can be dire.
If a child is working on a group project and someone does not let him have is way, the child might react adversely - sometimes with anger.
Or the child who is not able to regulate emotions of excitement and happiness may have problems transitioning from the playground to classroom.
When this happens, he is at risk for not being able to absorb key information the teacher may be presenting right after recess.
This puts him behind his peers.
So regulation of emotions, which develops with age, becomes a problem.
Socially, a child who is developing normally will be able to establish relationships with peers and teachers.
These relationships will enable him to grow and learn.
A child who can successfully interact with peers and adults feels comfortable asking questions, expressing opinions and getting information he needs to understand what is being taught.
When observing children in kindergarten classrooms, the level of inquisitiveness is so exciting! But the child who is not socially able to keep up with his peers begins to lag behind in getting his needs met and learning important information.
Children of kindergarten age can be so open to others, showing empathy for companions and even strangers.
When children are able to comprehend empathy and relationships, they are able to learn better in the classroom.
Children who have developed these skills can relate to characters in books, to others during play time and characters in story problems with ease.
After all, relating to a character's emotions in a story helps us to understand what that character may be feeling or even how he will solve a problem.
The skills in the area of social emotional development are interdependent.
Children who have difficulty with these, especially in the early years, are put at a disadvantage when competing with their peers.
If they are not at the same level in this development, they run the threat of being isolated and developing behaviors that put them at risk in later years.
What can parents to do to help in this area of development? It is important for parents to recognize that this area is as critical as the academic areas.
Too often the emphasis is placed on academics rather than looking at the child as a whole.
Research has indicated that children develop in this area very rapidly through the preschool years.
These social emotional skills are learned in good quality group programs such as preschool and pre-kindergarten programs.
Observe your child in play situations.
Look to see if he is ready to compete with others his age in this key area of development.
