Recommended Practices for Promoting Social Development of Young Children

This list outlines recommended programs and strategies to promote positive outcomes in young children's social development and how to reduce challenging behaviors.

• There is clear evidence that beginning intervention early makes a big difference in the cost of intervention and in its probable success (Dodge, 1993: Kazdin, 1995;  Strain & Timm, 2001).
• High-quality early education environments are related to positive outcomes in a children's social and emotional development and reduced problem behavior.  While providing a high -quality early education environment is not a stand-alone intervention practice, it is an essential foundation for the implementation of development promotion and intervention practices (Burchinal, Peisner-Feinberg, Bryant, & Clifford, 2000; Helburn et al. 1995; Love Meckstroth, & Sprachman, 1997; National Research Council. 2001; NICHD, 1999; Peisner-Feinberg et al., 1999; Phillips, McCartney,  & Scarr, 1987).
• Research indicates that a responsive, sensitive, and nurturing caregiver style of interaction is supportive of young children's social and emotional development. Children of mothers who are depressed and have less maternal sensitivity are more likely to have children who have problem behavior. In addition, there is a relationship among the use of harsh and punitive discipline and a negative or controlling style of parenting and the development of challenging behavior. Interventions that target improvement in parental sensitivity to children's behavior are effective in changing caregiver interaction style  (see review: Dunst & Kassow, 2004).
• Programs that provide high-risk families and their infants with home visiting, parent training, and the enrollment of children in high quality early childhood settings (when toddlers) show promising outcomes. (Brooks-Gunn, Berlin, & Fuligni, 2000; Love et al., 2002; Yoshikawa, 1995).  Parents who received these services are more emotionally supportive, less detached, and have more positive interactions with their children than control group families (Love et al., 2002).
• Effective early education programs include a parent-training component.  Parent instruction focuses on behavior management skills, increasing positive interactions, increasing children's prosocial behavior, and child guidance procedures (Feil, Severson, & Walker, 1998; Forness et al., 2000; Strain & Timm, 2001; Strain, Young, & Horowitz, 1981; Walker et al., 1998; Webster-Stratton, 1998; Webster-Stratton, Reid, & Hammond, 2001).

Source: Fox, L. Recommended Practices: Program Practices for Promoting the Social Development of Young Children and Addressing Challenging Behavior. www.challenging.behavior.org Used with permission.