EARLY SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Your Guide to Promoting Children's Positive Behavior

NICOLE M. EDWARDS

EARLY SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Your Guide to Promoting Children’s Positive Behavior

by Nicole M. Edwards, Ph.D.
Rowan University
Baltimore·London·Sydney

Contents

1. About the Author .vii
2. Foreword Susanne Denham .ix
3. Preface .xiii
4. Acknowledgments .xvii

Section I Overview: Early Social-Emotional Development and Intervention ..... 1

5. Chapter 1 The Impact of Early Social-Emotional Development ..... 3
6. Chapter 2 Environmental Influences and the Educator’s Role ..... 23

Section II Supporting Social-Emotional Growth ..... 53

7. Chapter 3 Guiding Principles ..... 55
8. Chapter 4 Strategies Supporting Social-Emotional Growth ..... 81

Section III We Can’t Do It Alone: Anticipating and Overcoming Obstacles ..... 103

9. Chapter 5 Potential Roadblocks to Implementing PBIS ..... 105

10. Chapter 6 Effective Family–Provider Communication ..... 127

11. Chapter 7 Next Steps for Sustaining Healthy Social-Emotional Development ..... 151

12. References ..... 175

13. Index ..... 197

About the Author

Nicole M. Edwards, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Special Education, James Hall College of Education, Department of Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028.

Developmental Domains in Early Childhood

For those who work in the fields of early childhood education or early childhood special education, it is essential to recognize and discuss various developmental domains:

• Fine motor skills: Activities such as picking up a crayon, holding a toy, or pushing a button.
• Gross motor skills: Activities like crawling, standing, running, or throwing a ball.
• Expressive language skills: Verbal communication of needs, wants, feelings, or information.
• Receptive language skills: Responding to one-step or multistep requests, like picking up a toy.
• Cognitive development: Problem-solving, memory tasks, and predicting outcomes based on actions.
• Adaptive development: Completing daily living tasks like getting dressed or using the bathroom.
• Social-emotional development: Effectively labeling, expressing, and regulating emotions, taking turns, and sharing.

The Role of Play in Early Development

In early childhood, development in each domain is fostered by play. Play helps children engage various skills across developmental domains, such as cognitive, motor, and social-emotional skills.

The Impact of Early Social-Emotional Development

Understanding emotional development helps in identifying and supporting children's behavior effectively. Early intervention is crucial to support emotional and social growth in children.

Emerging Competencies in Social-Emotional Development

Social development and emotional development are intertwined. Children need to learn to recognize their own emotions and those of others. Three components of emotional development include:

• Emotion knowledge: Identifying basic emotions from facial expressions.
• Emotion expression: Ways children display emotions behaviorally.
• Emotion regulation: Self-soothing and controlling impulses.

Conclusion

Ultimately, understanding and supporting the early social-emotional development of children is crucial for their growth and well-being. It requires collaboration from educators, caregivers, and families to create conducive environments for development.