Social Relationships - Social and Emotional Development: Ages 3-5

Widely Held Expectations

• Child interacts empathetically and cooperatively with adults and peers
  • Receives social support and shows loyalty to a friend
  • Solves problems with other children independently
  • Shows awareness of and responds to the feelings of others
  • Knows how to join a group of playing children

Learning in Action: Examples

The Child

• Uses words to express anger, such as “I don’t like it when you push me!” or “That makes me mad!”
• Responds to adults’ questions
• Notices who is absent from circle time and asks about it, showing concern for others
• Shares materials and toys with other children
• Develops close friendships with one or two children as well as plays with many children
• Initiates conversations with adults and other children

The Adult

• Provides opportunities for children to develop an awareness of feelings, ideas, and actions of others, such as “Susie looks really happy today!”
• Provides opportunities for children to practice listening and talking with others
• Provides opportunities and support to help children develop relationships with peers and adults
• Explains the power of words, that some words can hurt or can have both positive and negative meanings depending on how they are used

The Environment Includes

• Individual opportunities to discuss appropriate behavior in real situations, as they occur
• Constructive means of physically working off frustration