The Importance of
Facilitating Social Skills in Early Childhood
Why
should we
increase
social
skills?
Social skills
and stability
are at the
core of
human wellbeing.
Children suffer
because they do
not have
adequate social
skills with which
to navigate their
current and future
Social skill
environments. development has
School curriculum
has heavy
emphasis on
academic skills
such as reading,
mathematics and
handwriting, often
to the exclusion
social skills
taken a “back
seat” in
education.
Teachers need
to learn how to
build
communication
and social skills
both in
themselves and
in their students.
People need the
ability to interview
well, be a team
member in the
workplace, and
know how to
communicate well
with others.
Students need
solid social
skills in order to
be successful,
productive, and
happy.
Why do social
skills matter?
The Roles of Academics and Social Skills in Early Childhood
Education
* The social/emotional plays a large role in student wellbeing and achievement
* Social skills improve academic achievement
Brain Research and the Social/Emotional
*The field of neuroscience has proven:
* Development of social skills positively affects and changes
the brain
* Social skills can be learned at any time in life (Davidson, 2012)
Connection to Well-Being
*Learning is positively affected when emotions are positive (
Trigwell, Ellis & Han, 2012)
Implications for Educators
*We must connect cognitive & affective domains to ready
students for their future (Vela, 2007)
How can we facilitate the learning of social skills in schools?
Social skills can be increased through
innovative curriculum,
both intentional and emergent.
We must empower schools to intentionally take action
to augment the social stability of their students.
The Framework for 21st Century
Learning includes the following
as essential for preparing
students for the future:
communication
collaboration
flexibility
adaptability
social
and cross-cultural skills
Social skills play a key role in
these goals. Teachers need to
learn how to build
communication and social skills
both in themselves and in their
students.
Living in a global society involves:
* Understanding other cultures
* Learning respect and tolerance
* Focusing on social justice
* Creating a global climate which
enables all living creatures to
coexist in harmony and peace
Social skills and stability are at the
core of human well-being.
Resources
Davidson, R., & Begley, S. (2012). The emotional life of your brain: How its unique patterns affect the way you think,
feel, and live--and how you can change them. New York NY: Penguin Group, Inc.
Framework for 21st century learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.p.21.org/our-work/p21-framework
Jones, L., & Harcourt, D. (2013). Social competencies and the early years learning framework: Understanding critical
influences on educator capacity. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 38(1), 4-10.
McKenzie, B. (2010). Should education colleges better prepare teachers?. Retrieved from
http://educationfrontblog.dallasnews.com/2010/10/should-education-colleges-bett.html/
Preble, B., & Gordon, R. (2011). Transforming school climate and learning: Beyond bullying and compliance. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Rubin, K. (1983). The social problem-solving test-revised. Unpublished manual.
Trigwell, K., Ellis, R., & Han, F. (2012). Relations between students' approaches to
learning, experienced emotions and outcomes of learning. Studies in Higher Education, 37(7), 811-824. doi:
10.1080/03075079.2010.549220
Vela, Jr., R. (2007). Emotional intelligence: An education-based approach to improve
student achievement. National Forum of Applied Educational Research Journal, 20(1), 80-94.