Task 3: The importance of fostering childrens social competence

Is social competence really important in early childcare centres? Well lets take a look at what it means if we look up social it says “of, relating to, or characteristic of the experience, behaviour, and interaction of persons forming groups” (collinsdictionary, 2013, n.p). and competence gives a meaning of “the condition of being capable; ability” (collinsdictionary, 2013, n.p). Giving those two meanings my definition of social competence is “A person that has social skills and the ability to form positive relationships with another person”. In this essay there will be a few things discussed including why it is important for children under five to learn these skills, how they can learn these skills and and the factors that impact children under five.

Social competence is very important for children, it helps so many things develop and gives them a head start in life. Having a skill to be able to act well in situations will carry on until adulthood. “A child's long term social and emotional adaptation, academic and cognitive development and citizenship and enhanced by frequent opportunities to strengthen social competence during the childhood” (Hartup & Moore, 1990; Kinsey, 2000; Ladd & Profilet, 1996; McClellan & Kinsey, 1999; Parker & Asher, 1987; Rogoff, 1990 cited in McClellan & Katz, 2001).

When developing social competence children decide how to react when in a conflict, they decide who to play with and where to play. While they are making choices they decide if they are good or not good choices, this develops their social competence. Making these choices takes time, it does not happen overnight, it also takes some guidance by the adult. Asking the child how they can solve a problem instead of giving it to them helps them understand the problem at hand. You can help your child make the choice by brainstorming and listening to the child and the way they think they will work it out for themselves. Brainstorm with them again afterwards to see what happened and what they could do different next time (Fliess. S, 2008). Brainstorming is equipping the child with the tools they need to cope with decision making.

Children need to learn to make decisions about forming relationships, dealing with conflicts and dealing with emotions. It is important for infants, toddlers and young children to feel empowered when making decisions, giving them choices on good and not so good choices. Children are natural explorers and are going to want to explore the world at their pace and learning on the way, with and without others. A social competence child does not have to be a “social butterfly” but a child that has one close friend where they will start feeling positive about places, themselves and school (childcare) ( McClellan, D & Katz, L. 2001). Social competence is all about taking risks and letting them make choices lets them take safe risks at the same time.

Vygotsky believes we should scaffold a child's learning though zone of proximal development (ZPD) helping a child though something they have yet to master by giving them the tools to solve the problem and not doing it for them (Gonzalez-Mena, J. 2011). Children can help each other though this as well by peer interaction for example turn taking is a action children do all the time, sharing with each other with blocks, books or swings “older children help younger ones perform in ways they wouldn’t be able to on their own.” (Gonzalez-Mena, J. 2011. p. 174). Adults need to observe infants, toddlers and young children to see their strength and work with that, as they get stuck a helping hand is what they need to get to where they are wanting to get to. This can be just open ended questions to get the child thinking for themselves.

Bandura believes children observe positive role modelling from adults and this gives children the best social learning, helping them become social competence people. “Competence and power. Children admire and therefore tend to select competent, powerful models to imitate – the reason they are especially willing to copy the behaviour of older peers and adults” (Bandura,1977, cited it in Berk, L. ed.3 2003, p.254). When working in centres I notice young infants and toddlers will try and copy the older toddlers, following them around and doing what they do. I have also noticed they will copy and imitate the adults they are in close contact with, infants and toddlers tend to find a adult and stick with them as their “main” caregiver watching and learning about the world around them and learning social competence.

There are so many factors to consider with infants, toddlers and young children these can impact the child emotionally and social and can have affects positive or negative on the child. Peer relationships can impact a child, though to their adulthood “good peer relations are developmental forerunner of good adaptation in later life” (Hartup & Moore, 1990, p.15). Family play are huge part in peer relation for children, if there are problems in the family this can be make it hard for the child to gain positive peer relations finding it hard to make friends.

Children learn in an environment where it is set up for make believe and pretend, children getting into groups together and making peer relations over the same game, story or play they create on their own, using props given by the teachers. By doing this children develop socially and intellectually and building on their on social competence (Berk & Windslor, 1995, cited in McClellan & Katz, 2001). In my centre I work in we have dolls and bottles for the toddlers to access, we watch these children as they hold their “babies” like we hold the infants feeding them a bottle. Toddlers watch us teachers close and imitate what we do at bedtime when we sit next to one or two toddlers rubbing and patting their backs until they fall asleep, our toddlers do this with their “babies”.

Infants, toddlers and young children need to learn social competence it is important in the way of life, the way we talk to other people, the way we interact with our peers. Learning this at a young age will help them get through life, with positive role modelling they will watch and repeat. Coming from homes that do not have that role model of good behaviour can impact a child, they child may or may not learn social competence hoping when coming into a childcare centre they will learn this with their peers and watching their teachers interact with each other and the children. There are so many different factors that can impact the child such as the way they play, and the way they watch and who they watch, it is important for teachers to role model the behaviour they want the children to learn.

References

Berk, L. (2003) Development through the lifespan (3^rd ed). Boston, Ma: Pearson Education.

Collins. (2013). English Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/competence

Collins. (2013). English Dictionary. Retrieved from

http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/social

Education.com. (2013). Decisions, Decisons: Letting your child make his own. Retrieved from

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Decisions_Decisions_Letting_Your/

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2011). Foundations of early childhood education: Teaching children in a diverse society (5^th ed). Boston, Ma: McGraw Hill.

Hartup, W & Moore, S. (1990). Early Childhood Research Quarterly (5): Early peer relations: Developmental significance and prognostic implications. University of Minnesta.

McClellan,D & Katz, L. (2001). Eric Digest, Clearing house on elementary and early childhood education: Assessing young children's social competence. University of Illinois. Champaign, IL.