Sunday, September 03, 2006

Developing Social Competence and Responsibility

Through a variety of play situations, young learners become increasingly aware of the needs of others, respond to verbal and nonverbal social cues and learn responsibility and control over their own behaviors. Children begin to establish their separateness from others as they learn to distinguish their emotions from the emotions other children experiencing. As children begin to label their feelings they also begin to recognize feelings of sadness, distress and joy in adult peers.

In order to develop social competence, young children also must learn to cooperate with peers and act in socially responsible manner. Children develop a cooperative spirit through participating in a variety of dramatic play and small group activities. Children who are unable to cooperate and restrain their aggressive or egocentric impulses often have difficulty forming relationship and becoming accepted member of the group. Children who are positive, friendly and caring easily develop peer relationships and often are sought out by other children to participate in play. Children’s involvement in play fosters their ability to influence peers, understand another viewpoint, develop helping behaviors, learn cooperation, practice problem solving, become both leaders and followers and control their impulses. All of these skills characterize children who have successfully entered the world of social relationships.

Children’s playful interactions with peers in classrooms where social ambience affirms differences and avoids stereotypes create empathy and respect for others. Play provides an opportunity for building bridges across cultural, racial and ability lines and promotes the understanding that children can learn to care about every other’s person feelings, beliefs and welfare.

Expanding Children’s Curiosity

Young children are curios and they ask hard questions. Infants and toddlers learn about the world by active exploration. They frequently ask “Why” and “How come?” An early childhood educator who expects to follow a teaching manual or a lesson-planning guide to teach young children will have many surprises. Young children are just as likely to ask a question about the cosmos as they are to ask why blue and yellow paint mixed together make green. Teachers do not need to know all the answers to children’s questions but must appreciate their inquiring minds and spirits and be prepared to help children become involved in a learning process to find the answers they seek. Teachers of young children must be intelligent, knowledgeable, sensitive, curios and respectful of children’s needs to know. These teachers will create a classroom environment where children can learn concepts and ideas through play as well as explore situations and solve problems together through play. Children do not make an idea or concept fully their own by just hearing about it. They must have the opportunity to touch, taste, smell, move, manipulate and explore in order to completely grasp the meaning of a new concept.

Play allow young children to manipulate objects, participate in activities, try out new ideas, practice solutions to problems, satisfy their curiosity, create new inventions and develop their recall of events. A flexible and open atmosphere also support children’s sense of playfulness and delight in learning. Have you ever seen a child who wanted to stop playing?