Socio-Emotional

Development of
the Preschooler
- Maria Rita D. Lucas Phd.

Prepared by: Mica Gunio Valencia

“One test of the correctness
of educational procedure is
the happiness of the child”
- Maria Montessori
 LEARNING
OUTCOMES
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
• Explain Erikson’s “crisis” of early childhood, initiative
vs. guilt.
• Explain the development of the preschooler’s sense of
self and self-esteem.
• Discuss how children develops gender identity.
• Describe the stages of play and how it impacts socio-
emotional development.
• Discuss the different caregiving styles and their effect
on preschoolers.
• Describe how significant relationships with parents,
siblings and peers affect the preschooler.
Socio-Emotional
Development is crucial in the
preschool years.
• We hear a lot of parents and teachers
and preschool administrators says
that attending preschool is more for
“socialization” than formal
academic learning.
• During preschool years, children
learn about their widening
environment and discover their new
roles outside their home.
Big ideas
The development of initiative is crucial to the preschooler.

A healthy self-concept is needed for preschoolers to interact

with others.
Environmental factors influence gender identity in young
children.
Preschooler’s social development is shown through stages
of play.

The caregiving styles of parents and teachers affect the preschoolers’ socio-
emotional development.

Preschoolers are interested in building friendships.

PRESCHOOLERS’ INITIATIVE
• Erickson’s view of initiative aptly portrays the emotional and social
changes that happen during the preschool years.
• Preschoolers deal with the psychological conflict of “Initiative
versus guilt’’
• Erickson believed that healthy preschoolers develop “Initiative’’
- the tendency of preschoolers to want to take action and assert
themselves
• Preschoolers yearn to create, invent, pretend, take risks and engage
in lively and imaginative activities
• INITIATIVE – if adults will support them
• GUILT- if adults show overprotection, extreme restriction
and criticisms
PRESCHOOLERS’
• naughty or “makulit” INITIATIVE
• “MAKULIT” - naughty
• Parents and teachers- become overly restrictive, resorting to
treats, intimidation and other scary tactics and disrespect the
preschooler just to gain “control”. Consequently, the child may
develop excessive guilt.
• Although, a good amount of guilt helps in making children take
responsibility for their behavior, excessive guilt hampers emotional
growth.
• Children : always punished and criticized
“salbahe” bad
“bobo” dump
“walang kwenta” worthless
PRESCHOOLERS’
• naughty or “makulit” INITIATIVE

• “You don’t have to hit to hurt”

• Key thing to remember:
- Apply “Judicious permissiveness”

- Preschoolers will develop a healthy sense

of initiative in affirming, encouraging and
stimulating environment.
 SELF-CONCEPT AND THE
PRESCHOOLER
• By the end of toddlerhood, preschoolers come out with a clear sense
that they are separate and distinct person
• Ability to make representations = they can think and reflect about themselves
• SELF-CONCEPT refers to the way one sees himself, a general view about
one’s abilities, strengths and weaknesses.
“kaya ko na” – I can do it
• SELF-ESTEEM – important aspect of self-concept
- specifically refers to one’s judgments about one’s worth
• Preschoolers are naturally positive – evaluate their skills high and
underestimate the task
• Become negative- repeated frustration and disapproval.
• Need a lot of PATIENCE and ENCOURAGEMENT from adults.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND GENDER IN
THE PRESCHOOLERS’ SOCIO-EMOTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
• GENDER TYPING- the process of forming gender roles, gender-based preferences
and behavior accepted by society
- preschoolers became capable of it as their ability to create
schemas develop
. GENDER STEREOTYPES
• Begin to associate certain things like toys, tools, games, clothes, jobs, colors,
or even actions, or behaviors as being “only for boys” or “only for girls”
• They form their own GENDER IDENTITY
-the view of oneself as being masculine or
feminine
• Gender typing and Gender identity – influenced by environmental factors
such as family, teachers, peers, and the mass media. This is were
Bronfenbrenner’s model comes into play.
 PARTEN’S STAGES OF
PLAY
• PLAY- the main agenda of the preschool years
- child’s major business
- it has social dimension
• MILDRED PARTEN – did a study on children’s play behavior
(1930’s)
• Parten’s Stages of Play
- the stages describe the play development
of children and gradual increase of social
interaction as they go through these stages.
Parten’s Stages of
Play
1.
• Unoccupied
2.
• Onlooker
3.
• Solitary play
4.
• Parallel play
5.
• Associative play
6.
• Cooperative play
1. Unoccupied
• The child appears not to be playing but directs his
attention on anything that interests him.

2. Onlooker
• The child spends time watching others play. He may
talk to them but does not enter into play with them.

3. Solitary play
• The child starts to play on his own. He seems not to
notice other children playing nearby.
1. Parallel play
• The child plays with toys similar to those near him, but only
plays beside and not with them. No interaction takes place.

2. Associative play
• The child plays with others. There is interaction among
them, but no task assignment, rules and organizations are
agreed upon.

3. Cooperative play
• The child plays with others bound by some agreed upon
rules and roles. The goal is maybe to make something, play
a game or act out of something.
 FRIENSHIPS IN
PRESCHOOL
• Preschoolers become interested in having friends as they continue
to grow.
• FRIENDSHIP- benefit the preschoolers development by providing
stimulation, assistance, companionship, social comparison and
affection (Kostelnik, 2010)
• Practice different social roles like being a leader, a follower,
someone who take risk and someone who helps out and comforts.
• Parents and teachers- must expose children
to experiences that help them learn skills in
establishing friendships, maintaining positive
Relationships and resolving conflicts.
 FRIENSHIPS IN
PRESCHOOL
“ Tama na.. Ano ba yan….isa pa ha…..tama na..
Friends
na.. Friends
na kayo…
na kayo…say sorry
say sorry
na’’ na’’
- Responses like these does not foster social skills among
preschoolers
among preschoolers
- Parents and teachers need to take time
and process with children how to resolve
conflicts
- “An Integral Part of the Curriculum is to teach
children the important social skills”
 CAREGIVING STYLES
. – affect the socio-emotional development of the children.
• CAREGIVERS- both parents and teachers and even other adults that care for
“ Tama
the child na.. Ano ba yan….isa pa ha…..tama
•na.. Friends
BAUMRIND gave ana kayo…
model say the
that describes sorry na’’
different types of caregiving
styles based on longitudinal study that looked into the adult authority and the
- Responsesoflike
development these
children does not foster social skills
(1960’s)
amonglater,
• Decades preschoolers
she identified varying degrees of
- Parents andand
demandingness teachers need to
responsiveness take time
as determinants
of four styles of caregiving.
and process with children how to resolve
• Responsiveness – refers to caregiver behaviors that pertain to expression
conflicts
of affection and communication

• Demandingness – refers to the level of control and expectations

• Marlon (2007) expounded on these determining factors

Baumrind’s Caregiving Styles

• high • Low • High • Low

demandingn demandingn demandingn demandingn
ess/ high ess/ high ess/ low ess/ low
responsivene responsivene responsivene responsivene
ss ss ss ss
Authoritar Negligent/
Authoritat
Permissive ian Uninvolve
ive
d
Baumrind’s Caregiving Styles and Their
Effect on Children
Description Effect on the
The preschooler
Caregiving caregivers/parents/teache
Style rs with this caregiver
style has the following
description:

AUTHORITATIV POSITIVE:
. Expect behavior .Makes the preschooler fell
E appropriate to the age of the safe and secure
(high demandingness/ high child . Teaches the child to take
responsiveness) . Maintain reasonable and responsibility for his/her
fair limits actions
. Closely monitor the . Develops good self-control
activities of the child . Develops a realistic view of
. Warm and nurturing oneself
. Have realistic expectation . Builds the child’s capacity
to the child for empathy
. Communicate message in a
kind, firm and consistent
manner
Baumrind’s Caregiving Styles and Their
Effect on Children
Description Effect on the
The preschooler
Caregiving caregivers/parents/teache
Style rs with this caregiver
style has the following
description:

AUTHORITATIV NEGATIVE:
. Set subjective or . Lead to aggressive
E unreasonable limits behavior of the child
(high demandingness/ high Communicate messages . Brings about poor self-
responsiveness) . Strive to have strong control
psychological control, . Results in poor self-esteem
punishment, sarcasm,
withdrawal of love, threats
. Not able to teach children
a better way to behave

Authoritative vs. Authoritarian

Baumrind’s Caregiving Styles and Their
Effect on Children
Description Effect on the
The preschooler
Caregiving caregivers/parents/teache
Style rs with this caregiver
style has the following
description:
. Has difficulty controlling
AUTHORITARIA . Permit the preschoolers to
regulate their own behavior his/her impulses
N and make their own . Tends to be dependent
(HIGH demandingness/ decisions even when . Tends to be demanding of
LOW responsiveness) preschoolers are not yet their caregivers
ready to do so . Tends not to persist or
. Do not set rules or very few easily gives up on a task
if any . Does not easily follow
. Do not demand good . Maybe rebellious
behavior or task . Does not handle frustration
accomplishment well
. May lack of confidence in . Has inadequate emotional
their ability to influence the control
child . Difficulties in school
Baumrind’s Caregiving Styles and Their
Effect on Children
Description Effect on the
The preschooler
Caregiving caregivers/parents/teache
Style rs with this caregiver
style has the following
description:

AUTHORITARIA . shows undemanding,

indifferent and reacting
When parents’ behavior is
to the extreme or if child
N action towards the child experiences this style
(HIGH demandingness/ . Has little commitment to early, the child may have:
LOW responsiveness) their roles as parents/
caregivers . Attachment problems
. Maybe depressed or . Delayed cognitive
overburdened by many development
concerns like poverty, . Poor social and emotional
marital problems, or skills
absence of support from . Delinquent behavior later
others in adolescence
A Quick Look of What Preschoolers Can
Do

• From the
Philippine Early
Learning
Standards,
ECCD Council
(2010)
a).Expressions of Basic Emotions
37- 48 m0nths
( 3-4 years old)
SELF-REGULATION OF DISPLAY OF SELF-
FEELINGS/EMOTIONS APPRAISAL EMOTIONS
(shame, pride, guilt)
• Expresses what he/she • Willing to try something in • Plays to learn a game
likes order to learn more even if • Plays to gain mastery of a
• Expresses what he/she unsure of a successful game
dislikes outcome • Shows pleasure and
• Can talk about difficult • Perseveres when faced enjoyment over his/her
feelings (anger, sadness, with challenging or new successful attempts or
worry) he/she experiences tasks efforts
• Accepts brief delay in • Confidently joins small
gratification groups especially if
• Accepts defeat well; is not situation is competitive
a sore loser • Seek assistance from an
• May have some fears but adult or child to solve a
is not overly fearful, problem
anxious or nervous
• May feel sad at times but
not to the point where
he/she is depressed
b.)Receptivity to Other’s Emotions (having empathy)
37- 48
m0nths
( 3-4 years
old)
TALKS ABOUT FORMING INTERACTIONS
EMERGING PARTS OF THE ATTACHMENTS WITH OTHER
SENSE OF SELF BODY AND CHILDREN
THEIR
FUNCTIONS
• Feels other’s • Knowledge of • Talks about own • Shows • Plays with 2 or 3
distress and acts Self and basic specific abilities preference for children using
appropriately roles of people and the company of the same play
(helps, in his characteristics significant adults equipment
comports, gives, environment (sins, dances, is and children • Participates in
suggestions, helpful, (other than the game with other
etc.) studious, etc.) primary children but
• Describes what caregiver) over plays in his own
primary unfamiliar adults way
caregiver can and children • Chats/converses
do, what they with other
like and don’t children
like • Takes turn and
• Defends share toys with
c). Interaction with Adults
37- 48 m0nths
( 3-4 years old)

PAKIRAMDAM APPRECIATING
(SENSITIVITY) DIVERSITY
• Verbalized feelings related to • Knows when to stop asking • Ask questions that
events that arise in classroom, questions or when he is indicates he/ she notices
home and environment in a being “makulit” differences in socio-
positive way
• Cooperates to minimize economic status
• Speak respectfully with adults
using “po” and “opo” and/or conflict or tension • Asks questions about
appropriate titles new/different words
• Recognizes the importance of (dialects) and practices in
adult’s ideas and experiences the community
by listening and asking • Talks about gender
questions when they share differences and roles
these • Regards everyone
• Clarifies rules and routines
before abiding by them
respectfully, using proper
• Shares personal perspective titles/labels and does nit
when he/she does not agree refer to name-calling
with or see the value of a rule • Willing to make friends
or routine with other children and
• Can take on another person’s adults in different
THE ROLE OF CAREGIVERS IN
THE SOCIO-EMOTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Greet each child with his/her names each day. Be
1. sincere and respectful to each child.

Read storybooks that deal about friendships and

2. different feelings.

Develop routine in the home/school that

3. encourage working together and getting along.
THE ROLE OF CAREGIVERS IN THE
SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Help children learn to make rules and play simple
4. games by providing opportunities for them to play
in small groups.

Play games that involve social interaction and

5. team work.

Observe how a child plays with other children.

6. Teach him to request, bargain, negotiate, and
apologize.
THE ROLE OF CAREGIVERS IN THE
SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Help children understand and cope with strong
7. feelings by giving them words that they can use to
express how they feel

Use dolls, puppets or pictures to demonstrate to

8. children how to express feelings appropriately.

9. Acknowledge how the child feels.

THE ROLE OF CAREGIVERS IN THE
SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Catch children doing good. Affirm the efforts they
make to accomplish something. Be specific in
10. your praise. Do not just say “good job” and “very
good”.

11 Read storybooks that deals ab out friendships.

.

For teachers, develop routines that encourage

1 working together and getting along.
2.