Social Development & Friendship

By Kimberly Dinwiddie

¶     Children should achieve social competence/development by about the age 6, if not they have a high probability of being at risk throughout life

¶     The best childhood predictor of how they will act and adapt as adults is not IQ, not school grades, and not classroom behavior, but how the child gets along with the other children, in other words, social development

¶     Poor social development could cause life long consequences such as relationships with others

¶     The risks are:

o       Poor mental health

o       Dropping out of school

o       Low achievement and other school difficulties

o       Poor employment history

¶     Teachers should examine their students every 3-4 months for changes in their social behavior. The child should be viewed over a period of 3-4 weeks because all students have bad days.

¶     Each child is not required to be the “social butterfly” teachers should keep in mind that some children are shy and it may be worse to push them to where they are uncomfortable

¶     The following checklist is to be used at a guide not a list for “correct social behavior” it is to help teachers observe, understand, and support children as they grow and develop socially.

This information is from the ERIC Digest at www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed356100.html