In addition to academic skills, K-3 children learn to interact with each other in age-appropriate, healthy, and productive ways. For some children, social skills come naturally, but for others, early patterns are established that reinforce low self-esteem and an inability to effectively interact with others. Teachers who explicitly teach children appropriate self and people skills ensure that early social patterns become a foundation for strong friendships and healthy interactions in and out of the classroom.
Most states have adopted social-emotional learning standards, but teachers are given little guidance about how to include these in an already overloaded curriculum, and the standards do little to promote the classroom culture necessary to help students mature in their dealings with others. Teachers who foster emotional intelligence by teaching lessons structured directly around self-awareness, mood management, motivation, empathy, and social skills promote acceptance and communication in their classrooms, which encourages appropriate social growth.
Establishing Positive Affect in the Classroom
Young children respond especially well to teachers who kindly but firmly establish a positive affect in their classrooms. Teachers who remind students daily that they are all there to learn and that they all can learn from each other, have a basis for correction when inappropriate behavior or comments occur: "Did this behavior or comment contribute to everyone's learning?" "What would have been a better choice?" "What can students do to help each other learn better?"
Teaching Appropriate Decision-Making
Children who have not matured in their social thinking often act without considering the consequences of their actions. They may behave inappropriately simply because they have not consciously made the decision to do otherwise. Children who are inexperienced in making decisions for themselves are especially at risk for impulsive behavior that may be hurtful to other children or prevent them from appropriate interactions with others.
Teachers should set a climate of personal responsibility in their classrooms, reminding students that no matter how another acts, they have the power to make a good choice for themselves. Whenever possible, allow students to make decisions about their work, free time, rewards, or other classroom-related activities. Model decision-making skills such as brainstorming alternatives, thinking about the consequences before deciding, and evaluating the quality of decisions once they have been made and acted upon.
Instructional Strategies That Promote Social Development
Children who are meaningfully engaged in learning have little time to behave inappropriately. In order to promote social development in a primary classroom, minimize down time by having established routines for transitioning between activities, reinforce positive behaviors such as helping one another or including others, and structure lessons regularly in ways that allow for explicit practice in social skills such as taking turns, active listening, and disagreeing with respect.
Teachers can use the principles of cooperative learning to put children into groups, actively involving each member in a way that celebrates their individual contributions, while helping them practice the social skills they need to get along with each other. Used regularly, cooperative learning can help even the most difficult group of children learn to interact more positively and to mature in their social development.
While some children will always struggle socially, teachers can help students appreciate the differences and special qualities that each child contributes to classroom learning experiences. Modeling and reinforcing emotional intelligence, structuring lessons to encourage cooperation instead of competition, teaching children to be independent in their thinking and to make appropriate decisions, and establishing a common purpose for learning are all ways teachers can make a positive difference in the social development of K-3 students.
Further Reading
Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ (10th Anniversary Edition). New York: Bantam, 2006.
Barbara Abromitis - Barbara Abromitis, Ed.D. is a freelance writer and educational consultant, with degrees in reading education and educational psychology, ...
Join the Conversation