What is social development?
The process by which a kid learns to interact with those around them is referred to as social development. They acquire the ability to interact with others and think critically about their behaviors as they grow and recognize their uniqueness within their group. The way a child forms friendships and other interactions, as well as how they resolve conflicts with their peers, are sometimes referred to as social development.
Why is social development so important?
In fact, a child’s social development can influence a lot of their other developmental experiences. Everything from acquiring new words as a toddler to being able to resist peer pressure as a high school student to successfully navigating the obstacles of adulthood can be impacted by a child’s capacity to engage with others in a healthy way. A child’s healthy social development can benefit from:
Develop language skills. Interacting with other kids makes it possible for them to have more opportunities to practice and acquire language and communication abilities. This is a beneficial cycle since a child’s ability to relate to and respond to others around him improves as his communication abilities develop.
Build self-esteem. A child gets some of her most thrilling and enjoyable experiences from other kids. A young child may experience pain or frustration if they are unable to make friends. A youngster feels more at ease with her uniqueness when she has a supportive group of pals.
Strengthen learning skills. Apart from the influence social development might have on overall communication abilities, a lot of researchers think that having positive peer interactions (starting from preschool) facilitates adjusting to new challenges and school environments. Research indicates that kids who struggle to get along with their classmates even in preschool are more likely to face academic challenges later in life.
Resolve conflicts Better linguistic abilities and higher self-esteem can eventually result in an improved capacity to settle disputes with peers.
Establish positive attitude. In the end, having a positive outlook fosters stronger interpersonal interactions and increases self-confidence.
Social Development in Early Childhood
The long-term health, happiness, and overall well-being of an individual are greatly influenced by their early social development.
The basis for forming relationships with others, managing stressful situations, and acquiring many other abilities is laid by the interconnection between social and cognitive development milestones and indicators. When a child starts school, healthy social development becomes even more crucial.
Children’s capacity to control their own conduct and engage with others is a key component of social development. If you are not familiar with these milestones, it can be challenging to recognize them in young children. For this reason, we have listed some of these markers along with certain warning signs.
Milestones of Social Development in Early Childhood
Between the age of three and four
As a youngster gains more independence in performing tasks, their self-confidence starts to grow.
At this age, the majority of kids usually start to:
- Share and take turns with toys
- start acting out scenarios
- Adhere to basic game rules
- Occasionally be dictatorial and defiant
- Demonstrate greater independence
- Possibly get attached to a single companion
Between the age of four and five
Youngsters begin to become more conscious of their uniqueness. Early in infancy, a child’s sense of self can establish patterns for the rest of their existence.
At this age, the majority of kids usually start to
- Become friends with other children
- Evaluate themselves against other kids and adults
- Start or partake in games and play with other kids
- Demonstrate a sense of right and wrong
- Listen to others when they speak.
Red Flags for Early Childhood Social Development
- The following list of signs points to potentially abnormal social development.
- Has little desire to play with other kids;
- Cannot share or take turns with other kids;
- Desires to rely solely on caretakers for everything;
- Is very “rigid” when it comes to routines and gets agitated when things change
- Has a great deal of trouble leaving parents or other caretakers
If any or all of these behaviors are displayed by your kid, you should consider having their executive function evaluated. You should also consult with your physician or another healthcare provider to find out what might be causing the behavior. A free, highly regarded Executive Function evaluation called EFgoTM️ is provided by Reflection Sciences to kids as young as two years old.
Preschoolers:
By now, a child’s early experiences have mostly been shaped by interactions with parents and other family members, setting the groundwork for later branching out. When school starts, your child will be able to:
- Investigate on your own
- Show affection freely, although not always accurately
- —your child may still be very frustrated at this stage of language development
- Maintain some apprehension around strangers
- Master the temper tantrum: although they might be upsetting
- Tantrums are a typical stage of a child’s growth
- Discover how to calm oneself
- Recognize the feelings of others more
- Work along with other kids
- Before a big event (like a doctor’s appointment)
- Express your dread or nervousness
School children:
A child’s social development reaches new heights by the age of five and beyond. At this age, the majority of kids will spend more time each day with other kids than with their parents. Normally, they would:
- Be nourished by friendships
- Desire to be more like their buddies and to win over their pals
- Acknowledge the power dynamics in relationships and the broader community
- Acknowledge and dread bullies, or act in a bully-like manner yourself
- Children may start to reject their parents’ opinions about friends and particular habits as early as age ten.
How Executive Function Skills Promote Healthy Social Development
All cognitive abilities are under the “controller” of executive function. People with EF abilities are better able to control their behavior, complete activities, and build relationships.
Researchers have discovered that social and emotional competencies are critical for students to be prepared for school, and executive function abilities are crucial to their growth. These abilities, which are all related to being ready for school, include the capacity to pay attention in class, go from one task to the next, and collaborate with other kids.
For educators who want to learn more about how to best support and strengthen children’s development of EF and SEL skills, Reflection Sciences has created online professional development courses.