Abstract
Development is typically conceptualized in the areas of cognitive, social, language, emotion, and physical. In the early childhood years, development is interwoven and happens simultaneously. For example, socially, children learn to take turns with other children; emotionally, preschoolers learn how to express empathy; cognitively, children learn rules of a game; starting conversations with peers demonstrates language development; and physical play with others demonstrates physical development. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many young children were not afforded typical paths to social-emotional development with their peers. This may be attributed to “shut downs,” child care and school closures, or familial or personal parental decisions to name a few. As many young children return to group care and educational facilities, stakeholders should explore options for ways to meet their social-emotional needs. It will be important for educators to meet both the academic and social-emotional needs of the whole child.
Top2.2 Addressing Social Emotional Concerns In Early Childhood
Social emotional development can be defined as “children’s ability to experience, regulate, and express emotions; form close and secure relationships; explore the environment and learn” (Parlakian, 2003, p. 2). These concepts are inextricably connected since the ability to successfully manage and express emotions has significant implications for social functioning. Taking each separately, emotional development is, at its core, the ability to identify and understand feelings in oneself and others, to manage strong emotions and respond in appropriate ways, to regulate one’s own behavior and have empathy for others, and to establish and maintain relationships (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004). Relationships with caregivers and peers are key components for developing social competence. Social competence involves acquiring and honing skills that allow for effective and appropriate interactions with others (Han & Kemple, 2006). The ability to engage in perspective taking, self-regulation, understanding the needs and feelings of others, reading and responding to social cues, and the ability to interact appropriately with others are core components of social competence (Han & Kemple, 2006).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Clearinghouse Websites: Website that allow stakeholders to find information related to various programs including social emotional learning programs. Information found here may include evidence base, cost, age range, training needed, and general descriptions among others.
Social-Emotional Screening Tool: An assessment that provides a quick, low-cost method of obtaining standardized ratings of children’s functioning in the social emotional domains.
Social-Emotional Learning Program: A comprehensive program, preferably evidenced based that is used in group settings to support children’s learning in the social emotional domains. Training is typically required for administrators and pre and post measures to gauge growth should be included in most evidenced based programs.
Social-Emotional Development: The process through which young children develop relationships, learn to understand their own emotions and other people’s emotions, begin to self-regulate, and use these skills to grow within and learn about their environments.
Continuous Improvement Process Framework: Consistently working towards specific goals and gathering evidence to determine if those goals are being reached or if changes should be made to accomplish said goals. The process should include the five steps of informing (gathering data to start process), selecting a process for moving towards the goal, planning the approach, implementing the procedures, and analyzing the results.
Evidence-Based Program: A program which has established a degree of rigor of scientific evidence that demonstrates that the program works with a given population or presenting issue. The range of evidence typically moves from expert opinions at the base, through metanalyses at the upper level of rigor.
Multi-Tiered System of Support: A multi-level prevention system that is informed through screening and progress monitoring, which should be culturally responsive and evidenced-based. It is used to inform data-based decision making about the best method for an education site to use to improve student outcomes.