Presented by: Saira khan Afridi & Sabreena Bari

Topic : Social Emotional Development

Department :psychology
 Social-emotional development
• Social development refers to a child's ability to create and sustain meaningful relationships with
adults and other children. Emotional development is a child's ability to express, recognize, and
manage his or her emotions, as well as respond appropriately to others' emotions
Concept of social-emotional development

• From 1987-1992, a group of educators and researchers, led by Timothy Shriver and Dr. Roger P.
Weissberg, began the New Haven Social Development program that pioneered SEL strategies
across K-12 classrooms.

• Social-emotional development covers 2 important concepts, including the development of self or

temperament and relationship to others or attachment
 Stages of socio-emotional
development
• 1 to 2 Months of Age:
The first measurable social milestone is around 1 to 2 months of age: infants begin to smile socially
in response to parental high-pitched vocalizations or smiles. They recognize the smells and voices of
their caregivers and respond to gentle touch. Infants can use a distinct facial expression to express
emotions in an appropriate context after 2 months of age.

• 2 to 3 Months of Age:
In the first 2 to 3 months, infants learn to regulate physiologically and need smooth routines. They
progressively know how to calm themselves, give a responsive smile, and respond to gentle calming.
 Stages of socio-emotional
development
• 4 to 5 Months of Age:
Sensitive cooperative interaction with caregivers helps infants learn how to manage tension. Around 4
months of age, turn-taking conversations (vocalizations) begin. Infants then learn to manipulate the
environment. They let their caregivers know whether taking away their toy upsets them or if they are
happy when held. A sensitive but firm response from the caregiver helps infants manage emotional
stress. They can recognize the primary caregiver by sight at around 5 months of age.
Stages of socio-emotional development

• 6 to 12 Months of Age:
In between 6 to 12 months effective attachment relationships establish with a responsive caregiver.
Stranger anxiety emerges as infants distinguish between the familiar and the unfamiliar. Infants
become mutually engaged in their interactions with caregivers and seek a caregiver for comfort,
help, and play. They show distress upon separation. Around 8 months of age, joint attention skills
develop. Infants look in the same direction as their caregivers and follow their gaze. Eventually,
they look back at the caregiver to show that they share the experience.
• 12 to 18 Months of Age

• Between 12 to 18 months, infants learn to explore their environment with support from a caregiver. By 12 months of
age, proto-imperative pointing emerges; in other words, infants request by pointing at the object of interest and
integrating it with eye contact between the object and the caregiver. Proto-declarative pointing follows at 16 months
of age when children point with eye-gaze coordination to show interest. Around 18 months of age, children bring
objects to show or give to the caregiver.

• Around 12 months of age, the child takes part in interactive play like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake. They use gestures to
wave bye-bye and communicate their interests and needs. At around 15 months of age, empathy and self-conscious
emotions emerge. A child reacts by looking upset when they see someone cry or feel pride when applauded for doing
a task. The child imitates his environment, helps with simple household tasks, and explores the environment more
independently.
 Components of socio emotional
development
• Self-awareness:
This is the ability to accurately recognize one’s emotions, thoughts and their influence on
behavior. This includes accurately assessing one’s strengths and limitations and possessing a well-
grounded sense of confidence and optimism.
We see evidence of this when a preschooler can recognize and identify their own emotions. For
example, a preschooler may manage their negative emotions by telling a teacher, “I am sad
because I do not want to share my toy from home.” Preschoolers also demonstrate self-awareness
when they use props, such as dolls, to identify and express their emotions.
 Self-management:
• This is the ability to control one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different
situations. This includes managing stress, controlling impulses, motivating oneself, and setting and
working toward achieving personal and academic goals.
• When preschoolers are able to wait their turn, accept reminders about free play ending and clean
up, and follow routines with simple reminders, these are examples of self-management.
Example:
• What different responses can I have to an event?
• How can I respond to an event as effectively as possible?
• Examples of questions someone who is self-aware may ask:
• What are my thoughts and feelings?
• What causes those thoughts and feelings?
• How can I express my thoughts and feelings respectfully?
 Social awareness:
• This is the ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others from diverse backgrounds
and cultures, to understand social norms for behavior, and to recognize family, school and
community resources and supports.

• A preschooler is developing their social awareness when they express sympathy for a friend who is
feeling sad, help another child rebuild their block town when it gets knocked over, or offer to help
a peer who is upset after spilling milk. Preschoolers who express concern for the needs of others
are demonstrating their social awareness skills.
• Example: How can I better understand other people’s thoughts and feelings?
• How can I better understand why people feel and think the way they do?
 Relationship skills
• This is the ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse
individuals and groups. This includes clear communication, active listening, cooperation, avoiding
social pressure, conflict resolution, and obtaining or providing help when needed.

• Preschoolers demonstrate their developing relationship skills by seeking support from a teacher
when a peer conflict starts or making suggestions to peers with ways they can work together.
Preschoolers also use words rather than actions to express strong feelings (e.g., “I don’t like it
when you push.”)
• Examples of questions someone who has good relationship skills may ask:

• What actions can I take in to improve my interactions with other people?

• How can I communicate my expectations to others?
• What can I say or do better to understand the expectations others have for me?
 Responsible decision-making:
• This is the ability to make constructive and respectful choices about personal behavior and
social interactions. This includes consideration of ethical standards, safety concerns, social
norms, the realistic evaluation of consequences of various actions, and the well-being of self
and others.
• When a preschooler waits until another child is done playing on a swing and then uses it,
offers to share their paint, or holds a bubble wand so a peer can blow bubbles, they are
displaying responsible decision-making.
• What consequences will my actions have on myself and others?
• How do my choices align with my values?
• How can I solve problems effectively?
 The Role of Family in Social-
Emotional Development
• Children develop social-emotional skills in the context of their relationships with their primary
caregivers and within their families and cultures. Consider how diverse our society is. You can
imagine that this diversity is also expressed in the ways families from different cultures teach
children to manage emotions, socialize, and engage with others. For example, in some cultures,
children are taught to avoid eye contact. For other cultures, eye contact is an essential component
of social interaction. Culture also affects parenting practices and how individuals are taught to deal
with emotions, including handling stress and coping with adversity.
• Family priorities affect social-emotional competence. For example, some families might place a
high value on talking about emotions and expressing them as they occur, whereas other families
may value doing the opposite. As a preschool teacher, you must be sensitive and respectful of
individual differences in social-emotional development when engaging with children in your care
and their families.
 Social-Emotional Growth and Young
Children’s Development
• Social-emotional health affects a person’s overall development and capacity to learn. Research
suggests that children who have positive social-emotional health tend to be happier, show greater
interest in learning, have a more positive attitude toward school, are more likely to participate in
classroom activities, and demonstrate higher academic performance than less socially and
emotionally competent peers. Therefore, children’s social-emotional health is equally as important
as their physical health.

• Since social-emotional development affects young children’s growth later in life, social-emotional
skills are central to children’s physical well-being, self-expression, learning, and development of
relationships. Consider the impact social emotional development has on various areas of
development.
 Social-Emotional Growth and Young
Children’s Development
• Learning to read involves regulating emotions and activity levels and requires the child to sit and
attend to a task
• Learning to walk, swim, run, or ride a bike involves regulating activity level, attending to adult
directions, focusing on muscle control, and controlling impulses.
• Learning to communicate involves using socially appropriate strategies for interaction.
• Learning self-help skills involves following directions, controlling emotions to complete
challenging tasks, and knowing when and how to ask for help.
• Being successful in school involves understanding classroom expectations and participating in
large- and small-group activities with peers.
• Success in school is strongly linked to early positive social-emotional development, thus, it is
critical to foster social-emotional learning during the early childhood years.
 The following are examples of social-emotional skills
preschool children engage in daily
• Singing along with peers during circle, center, or book time
• Holding hands while walking down the hall during transitions
• Hugging a friend who is sad
• Sharing a snack with a friend, sibling, or caregiver
• Taking turns while building a tower of blocks with a friend
• Passing out silverware to all children while preparing for lunch
• Making statements such as “I made this all by myself!” when accomplishing tasks
• Giving a friend a toy or object that they asked to use
• Telling a teacher they miss their Mom or Dad.