Wise teachers of infants and toddlers know how concerned, helpful, empathic, cooperative, and friendly--that is, how prosocial--very young children can be. Teachers see older infants crawl or toddle over to "friends" arriving later in the morning and greet them as if they had not seen them in weeks. Teachers and families know that these young…

This study examined the social-emotional content and the quality of social interactions depicted in a sample of 58 DVDs marketed towards infants and toddlers. Infant-directed videos rarely used social interactions between caregiver and child or between peers to present content. Even when videos explicitly targeted social-emotional content,…

Discusses the importance of social skills in young children, and the need for "naturalistic" procedures rather than teacher direction to intervene in social development of children with disabilities. Presents strategies for supporting social behaviors in preschoolers that foster social skills development in areas including large- and…

Maintains that, because social development begins in the early years, it is appropriate for early childhood programs to include periodic formal and informal assessments of children's progress in the acquisition of social competence. A checklist of social attributes for teachers to use in examining children is provided. (BB)

This article presents a conceptual framework based on an intervention hierarchy to assist in deciding how to promote the peer interactions of young children with peer-related social competence difficulties in natural environments. It discusses making developmentally appropriate and inclusive early childhood programs the foundation for improved…

Examined the impact of computers on the social behavior of 14 preschoolers over a 2-month period. Found that there were a total of 91 peer interactions and 33 teacher interactions, including children acknowledging each other, children commenting and being ignored, and children sharing or helping each other. Boys used the computer more than girls.…

Describes characteristics of a high-quality school-age care program: resourceful, caring staff; recognition of the importance of peers; opportunities for mixed- and same-age grouping; children's selection of activities and experiences; guidance for children's social and emotional development; and environments that encourage a wide variety of…

This paper discusses cooperative learning as a teaching method that uses intrinsic rewards, or rewards that come from within a student, in the education of young children. The developmental perspective of cooperative learning, which suggests that peer interaction, without the use of extrinsic rewards, leads to intellectual and social growth, is…

Reviews and critiques past research that investigated the effects of various types of day-care provisions on the development of preschool children. Argues that, in view of the diversity of provisions offered in different countries, simple global generalizations about the effects of out-of-home preschool experiences on later development cannot be…

To ensure that children will be able to learn to resolve interpersonal conflicts, teachers need to examine the ways in which they resolve conflicts with the young children under their care. Teachers also need to ensure that children: (1) possess environments where they trust that they will be safe and well-cared for; (2) develop a sense of…

This early childhood curriculum (ages 3-6) uses games, music, art, drama, and storytelling to teach young children effective, nonviolent ways to resolve conflicts and provides caregivers with tools for helping young children develop key conflict resolution skills. Following an introductory chapter, Chapter 2 provides guidance in assessing the…