The document discusses social emotional skills in early childhood. It covers environmental characteristics that support social emotional learning including developmentally appropriate materials. It also discusses children's temperament, parenting styles, developing self-esteem, teachable social emotional skills, and strategies teachers can use including children's literature, scripted stories, and mindfulness. Authoritative parenting is linked to better outcomes while permissive and uninvolved styles are less ideal. Activities, associations, and praise can boost self-esteem.

1. Social
Emotional Skills
in Early
Childhood
By: Serena Steuber

2. Environmental Characteristics to Support
Social-Emotional Learning
• Challenging and Developmentally Appropriate Materials
• Materials should encourage creative and flexible use and
practice in problem-solving.
• Appropriately Sized Small-Group Activities
• Aesthetically Appealing
• Public and Private Spaces
• Children need both public spaces that encourage peer
interaction and private spaces where children can take a
break from socializing.
• Display of Children’s Work
• Reflective of Diversity
• Space for Arrivals and Departures
• Supportive of Children’s Active Engagement

3. Children and
Temperament
• While children are shaped by their environments,
temperament is “biologically based, is evident early in
life and has some stability over time and situations.”
• Psychiatrists Thomas and Chess (1977) developed nine
dimensions of temperament:
• 1) Activity level
• 2) Rhythmicity
• 3) Approach/withdrawal
• 4) Adaptability
• 5) Threshold of responsiveness
• 6) Intensity of reaction
• 7) Quality of mood
• 8) Distractibility
• 9) Attention span/persistence

4. Children, Temperament,
and Behavior
• Thomas and Chess described three major types of
temperamentally different children:
• 1) Easy - characteristically adaptable, positive in mood
and moderate in the intensity of their reactions.
• 2) Difficult - tend to be negative in mood, tense, low in
adaptability, and withdrawing in new situations.
• 3) Slow to warm up - initially shy but tend to adapt well
when given time.
• Externalizing behavior is defined as “poor impulse control,
noncompliance, aggression towards peers, and tantrums”
• Internalizing behavior is defined as “anxiety, sadness,
social withdrawal, and fearfulness” (Paulusseen-
Hoogeboom et al., 2008).

5. Goodness-of-Fit
• “Goodness of fit” refers to the match
between a child’s characteristics and the
environment—including values,
expectations, demands and temperaments
of adults.
• A slow-to-warm up or easy child will have
an easier time in a structured and rigid
classroom. On the other hand, these
students may struggle in a high-energy and
noisy classroom environment.
• When educators and parents are aware of
individual differences in temperament, we
can better understand certain behaviors and
can make modifications in daily routines
that improve the goodness-of-fit.

6. Self-Awareness
• As self-awareness grows, preschoolers become more
skilled at sharing their thoughts or feelings, cooperating in
play or problem, solving, following instruction, asking for
assistance, and taking initiative in social interaction.
• Adults can designate learning areas to help children select
preferred sites for exploration.
• Adults should also observe individual children attentively
during activities to learn about their characteristics and
preferences.
• When adults are aware of a child’s likes or dislikes, they
can differentiate learning activities for individual children.
• Teachers can also incorporate artwork and play materials
that reflect children’s home cultures to make children and
families feel comfortable and welcome in the classroom.

7. Self-
Regulation
• Children with self-regulation skills are less impulsive
and less distractable.
• Teachers can support self-regulation by reinforcing
children’s good choices and link their actions to
positive outcomes.
• “Because my class was able to line up quickly and
quietly today, we will be the first class in the
lunchroom today.
• Teachers can also support self-regulation skills by
providing a consistent but flexible daily routine. This
facilitates trust and focus on the learning environment
because students know what to expect.
• Teachers can also promote self-regulation skills by
alternating between active and quiet activities for
varied levels of stimulation.

8. Developing Self-Esteem
• Singh defines self esteem as “a person’s
overall subjective emotional evaluation of his
or her own worth” (p. 1523).
• Parenting style makes a difference.
• Authoritative parenting is the preferred
style for developing self-esteem.
• Physically active learning activities can also
boost self-esteem in early childhood.
• Self-esteem can also be influenced in
belonging to certain groups, engaging in
activities, and hearing that one is valued by
others.

9. Parenting Style:
Authoritarian
Authoritarian parenting is characterized by “power
assertion without warmth, nurturance, or two-way
communication” (as cited in Paulusseen-
Hoogeboom et al., 2008).
The researchers noted that authoritarian parenting
styles are more present in lower SES households,
where family circumstances tend to be more
stressful.
Higher levels of child negative emotionality are
associated with more authoritarian parenting
behaviors.

10. Parenting Style:
Authoritative
• Authoritative parenting is
characterized by “a
combination of high warmth,
firm but fair control, and the
use of explanations and
reasoning (as cited in
Paulusseen-Hoogeboom et
al., 2008).
• When a child feels a close
bond with his or her parents,
the risk of mental health
disorders is reduced, and
self-esteem is developed.

11. Parenting Styles: Permissive and Uninvolved
• This style may also contribute to risky or
impulsive behaviors.
Permissive parents, or
indulgent parents, are
characterized by a lack of
demands—a permissive parent
feels more like a “friend” than
a parent.
• Children raised by uninvolved parents are
usually emotionally withdrawn, fearful, and
anxious. They tend to perform poorly at school
and are at increased risk of substance abuse.
Uninvolved parents are
characterized by limited
demands, low responsiveness,
and little communication.

12. Self-Esteem and Active
Engagement
• Research shows the positive effect of exercise
integration on self-esteem.
• However, physical activity alone is less effective
than integral interventions including physical
activity and socio-cognitive aspects together.
• Cámara-Martínez et al., state, “these kinds of
playful interventions could help children conduct a
positive self-image, evaluation and good feelings
about themselves in an open and experiential
context, essential for the growth of children’s
personalities and identities and consequently
beneficial to their self-concept and self-esteem.”
• Researchers recommend that teachers include at
least 30 minutes of active lessons per day for at
least 2 days a week.

13. Associative
Self-Esteem
• Associations refer to social
groups, family, peer groups,
and friends and children with
which children and
adolescents identify.
• When a child is associated
with a family with status, its
members may derive self-
esteem.

14. Activity-Based Self-
Esteem
• Some researchers have suggested
that self-esteem is derived from
achievement in activities.
• These activities may range from
cleaning, cooking, and other
domestic choirs to participation in
athletics, music, arts and crafts, to
working, volunteering, and
attending school.

15. Aural Self-Esteem
• Aural self-esteem refers to what is heard about
oneself.
• Self-esteem is gained through “positive verbal praise
that is expressed by significant others” (p. 128).
• Searcy notes that it is particularly important when
raising children, “when correcting children, it is
important to correct their behavior and chastise the
behavior, not the child” (as cited in Searcy, 2007, p.
129).
• Children who feel there is something innately
‘wrong’ in their character will struggle in building
positive self-esteem.

16. Teachable Skills
• Skills that can be explicitly taught in
early childhood include:
• Learning to take turns
• Helping each other
• Sharing
• Organizing a play situation
• Asking an adult for help
• Talking about feelings
• Sharing and helping
• Working together
• Problem solving

17. Practical Strategies:
Talking about Feelings
• Children need a vocabulary to understand what
their feelings are.
• There are several children’s books to help
children better understand these labels for their
emotions
• All About Feelings written by Felicity Brooks
& Frankie Allen, illustrated by Mar Ferrero
normalizes emotions, and discusses body
messages and clues, the changing of
emotions, and why emotions may occur.
• How Are You Feeling Today? By Molly Potter
and illustrated by Sarah Jennings gives
healthy coping strategy ideas for different
emotions, such as when a child is feeling
bored or sad.

18. Practical Strategies:
Managing Anger
• In CSEFSEL’s Practical Strategies
video, they demonstrated a lesson
called “The Turtle Technique” for
early childhood.
• In a story, the turtle is angry. When
the turtle feels anger triggers, he
stops, pulls into his shell, counts to
three, and then “thinks of a better
way” to respond, instead of yelling,
stomping, etc.
• The children use turtle puppets to
practice pulling into their shell.

19. Practical Strategies:
Self-Regulation
• Integrating meditation (and “mindful
moments”) into the school day is another
great tool for children to learn self-regulation
skills.
• Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey and Anni
Betts includes 30 mindful moment practices
for kids to feel calm and focused.
• There are short videos on YouTube with
guided mindful moments, and children can
follow along.
• Mindfulness can contribute to increased
focus, increased academic performance, and
decreased levels of stress.

20. Practical Strategies:
Solving a Problem
• In CSEFSEL’s Practical Strategies video,
problems in the early childhood classroom
include taking turns.
• In the video, a teacher placed labels on the
wall with different solutions for a problem:
Trade, Wait and Take Turns, Play Together,
and Share.
• When two children want to play with the
same toy, students are instructed to look at
these options and choose a solution.
• The labels provide visual cues of how
students can practice this skill.

21. Children’s Literature
• Books can be utilized to help teach positive
social emotional skills.
• Examples:
• Sad Monster, Glad Monster: A Book
About Feelings by Ed Emberly and
Anne Miranda
• All About Feelings by Felicity Brooks
and Frankie Allen and illustrated by
Mar Ferrero
• “I Have a Little Problem” said the bear
by Heinz Janisch and Silke Leffler
• I Can Share! by Karen Katz
• Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey and
illustrated by Anni Betts

22. Scripted Stories
• Teachers can create scripted stories for use in
the classroom to help improve social
emotional skills.
• These stories help children develop critical
thinking skills to determine how they should
behave in a given problem situation.
• Example: Tucker Turtle Takes Time to Tuck
and Think
More examples of scripted stories:
http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/strat
egies.html#scriptedstories

23. References
• Cámara-Martínez, A., Ruiz-Ariza, A., Suárez-Manzano, S., Cruz-Cantero, R. M., & Martínez-López, E. J. (2023).
Effect of an integrated active lessons programme through playful maths games on self-concept, self-esteem and social
skills in preschool children. Behavioral Sciences, 13(3), 260. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13030260
• Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning. (2007). Resources: Video: Practical Strategies. CSEFEL.
http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/practical_%20strategies.html
• Koegh, B. K. (2003). Understanding child temperament can have far-reaching impact on behavior and quality of life. The Brown
University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter. ISSN 0898-2562
• Paulussen-Hoogeboom, M. C., Stams, G. J., Hermanns, J. M. A., Peetsma, T. T. D., & van den Wittenboer, G. L. H. (2008). Parenting style
as a mediator between children’s negative emotionality and problematic behavior in early childhood. The Journal of Genetic
Psychology, 169(3), 209–226. https://doi.org/10.3200/gntp.169.3.09-226

24. References
• Missouri early learning standards. Missouri Early Learning Standards | Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education. (2021, February). https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/missouri-early-learning-standards
• Searcy, Y. D. (2006). Placing the horse in front of the wagon: Toward a conceptual understanding of the development of self-esteem in children
and adolescents. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-006-0070-9
• Singh, S. (2017). Parenting style in relation to children’s mental health and self-esteem: A review of literature. Indian Journal of Health &
Wellbeing, 8(12), 1522–1527.
• Wittenboer, G. L. H. (2008). Parenting style as a mediator between children’s negative emotionality and problematic behavior in early
childhood. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 169(3), 209–226. https://doi.org/10.3200/gntp.169.3.09-226