4 Social Development in the Preschool Years
Chapter Objectives
After this chapter, you should be able to:
- Describe the continuum of development of social skills in preschoolers.
- Compare and contrast different styles of parenting.
- Discuss the role of siblings and peers.
- Describe the types of play.
- Discuss the development of social understanding in preschoolers.
- Summarize the influences on social and emotional competence.
Introduction
In the preschool years, children’s understanding of their role in the world expands greatly. Let’s examine some of the important interactions in social development between the ages of 2.5 and 6 years.
Continuum of Development
The Continuum of Development set out in Early Learning for Every Child Today: A framework for Ontario early childhood settings identifies several root social skills that are emerging in children between 2.5 and 6 years of age.
Seeking out and making friends gains importance during the preschool years. This is facilitated by improved skills in conflict resolution, social problem-solving skills, peer group entry skills and co-operation. Preschoolers are more competent at identifying emotions in others, taking another person’s point of view, empathizing and offering help. These emerging competencies improve the preschooler’s ability to interact with others positively and respectfully. Preschoolers often seek out adult attention and approval and have developed the social skills to do so in a positive manner (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2014).
Family Life
Relationships between parents and children continue to play a significant role in children’s development during early childhood. We will explore two models of parenting styles. Keep in mind that most parents do not follow any model completely. In reality, people tend to fall somewhere in between these styles. And sometimes parenting styles change from one child to the next or in times when the parent has more or less time and energy for parenting. Parenting styles can also be affected by concerns the parent has in other areas of their life. For example, parenting styles tend to become more authoritarian when parents are tired and perhaps more authoritative when they are more energetic. Sometimes, parents seem to change their parenting approach when others are around, maybe because they become more self-conscious as parents or are concerned with giving others the impression that they are a “tough” parent or an “easy-going” parent. And of course, parenting styles may reflect the type of parenting someone saw modelled while growing up.
Figure 11.1: A family playing outside together. (Image from Unsplash)
Indigenous Perspectives
Parenting styles are different in Indigenous people’s family life. For instance, in many nations, aunties and uncles are the ones who discipline the children to keep harmony in the home. Grandparents offer teachings and show cultural and traditional ways of life; they also sometimes discipline but in a different wa