The document discusses social and emotional development in early childhood, emphasizing the importance of social learning linked to academic success and the roles schools play in fostering social development. It explores self-awareness, self-concept, peer relationships, and moral development, while addressing how gender-role perceptions shape children's experiences and interactions. Additionally, it highlights the impact of both genetic and environmental factors on children's overall growth and emotional well-being.

1. Our last forum will look at social development. Please answer
the following three questions in your initial posting.
1-How is social learning linked to academic learning?
2-How are schools providing for social development for
children?
3-What are notable issues on gender-role development in
society today and how are we as a family and society reacting?
Emotional and Social Development in Early Childhood
The focus of this lesson is the emotional and social
development in early childhood. It is critical that, during a
child’s early years, he or she is exposed to great variety of
experiences that contribute to healthy social and emotional
growth. Furthermore, this lesson will focus on the ways in
which children develop a sense of self. When children interact
with peers, they also advance in their social skills and social
development. Finally, being aware of the different roles that
genetic and environmental influences play on gender-role
development will lead to greater understanding of gender
expectations for these young children.
TOPICS TO BE COVERED INCLUDE:
· The development of the aspects of the self
· Peer sociability
· Moral development

2. · Gender-role development
Development of Aspects of the Self
As children learn to talk and their language skills improve, they
become more self-aware as seen in the ways in which they
subjectively talk about themselves. As children become able to
understand their
self-concept
‒ their attributes, attitudes, abilities, and qualities that make
them unique ‒ they truly begin to develop a sense of self-
awareness. This self-awareness has a profound impact on a
child’s emotional and social life. Additionally,
self-esteem
is also affected by children’s awareness of self.
Self-Awareness
· RECOGNIZING SELF AS SEPARATE
·
SELF-AWARENESS GROWS
·
REFERRING TO SELF BY NAME
·
PREFERENCES AND EMOTIONS
In infancy children develop an awareness of their body. As
children continue to age, they begin to understand that they are
separate beings from others. For example, during late
toddlerhood, children learn that they have different emotional
states, different characteristics (physical and emotional) and
different actions or responses from others.

3. Psychosocial Developmental Stages
This self-awareness development corresponds to the second
stage of Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Development. Click on the
icons to read about the milestones for each stage.
Age
Erikson’s Stage
1 ½ to 3
Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt.
3 to 4
Initiative versus Guilt.
5
Superego
FREUD’S SUPEREGO

4. CONSCIOUS
PRIDE AND HAPPINESS
IF SUPEREGO IS OVERLY STRICT
SOME SHAME AND GUILT IS NEEDED
Self-Concept
Self-concept is the image that we hold about ourselves. These
ideas or images stem from the beliefs that a child has about him
or herself as well as how other individuals view that particular
child. Self-concept is what children think about themselves,
how they evaluate themselves, and perceives themselves.
‹
1/4
›
· The child’s self-concept, or the ideas that a child has about
himself or herself has a direct impact on emotional and social
well-being. The categorical self emerges when a child becomes
aware of himself or herself as a separate being from others, and
that they are an object in the world. It is here that children
continue to develop their self-concept.
Self-Esteem in Early Years
· SELF-ESTEEM
·
PREOPERATIONAL STAGE
·

5. EASY-GOING TEMPERAMENT
·
DIFFICULT TEMPERAMENT
Self-esteem, the judgements we make about our own worth and
the emotions that are associated with such judgements, is
another aspect of self concept. Self-esteem directly affects
emotional experiences, future behaviors, and long-term
psychological adjustments.
Self Esteem in Older Preschoolers
By the age of four, preschoolers have developed self awareness
and even self-judgements in several areas of their life, like
learning, relationships, play, etc.
SELF-JUDGMENTS
NO INTERRELATIONS
NO ASSIMILATION OF JUDGEMENTS FROM DIFFERENT
SOURCES
COMPETENCIES INCORRECTLY APPRAISED
Autobiographical Memory
‹
1/4
›
· As children’s self-awareness matures, so does their
autobiographical memory
, which is their remembered self. The remembered self includes
accounts of experiences as a child as well as memories that are

6. shared with the children by adults. The autobiographical
memory greatly influences a child’s self-concept and self-
esteem.
Peer Sociability
· PEER SOCIABILITY
·
PROSOCIAL EVENTS
·
COMMUNICATION ABILITY AND PEER RELATIONSHIPS
·
TEACHING SOCIAL SKILLS
There are several areas in a child’s life that greatly affect the
ways in which they interact socially with their peers. As
children age, their relationships with their peers and their
sociability advance. Peers play a critically important role in
children’s well-being, because as their sociability develops, so
does the children’s understanding of self and of others.
Peer sociability
is the interactions and friendships with others. Peer
relationships in early childhood have a long-term impact on
children. Positive peer relationships especially impact children
because they serve as a protective factor against later
psychological issues. On the other hand, negative peer
relationships, such as peer rejection, are connected to poorer
psychological and educational outcomes for children.
Levels of Peer Sociability
Peer sociability in the context of play affects children’s
emotional and social development. Since play is the major

7. activity of young children, much of what is known about
children is in this context. For example, Mildred Parten is one
of the first to study children in the context of play in 1930s. She
identified that peer sociability proceeds in four levels.
NON-SOCIAL ACTIVITY
PARALLEL
ASSOCIATIVE
COOPERATIVE
CHILDREN ENGAGE IN DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PLAY
Sociodramatic Play
‹
1/4
›
· Sociodramatic play, which is a type of Parten’s cooperative
level of play, is a more cognitively advanced form of play. This
play becomes more common in preschool years. This type of
play supports cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Gender and Cultural Differences in Play
· GENDER DIFFERENCES
·
PLAY IN INDIA
·
PLAY IN CHINA

8. ·
RURAL AND URBAN DIFFERENCES
Girls engage in more sociodramatic play and boys engage in
more rough and tumble types of interactions. Regardless of the
type, play requires children to understand the emotions of
themselves and others, exercise self-control, and respond to
others’ verbal and nonverbal cues.
Friendships
Friendships for toddlers and preschoolers differs greatly from
the components that make up a friendship for adult. Older
toddlers and preschoolers have friendships, but they do not have
the long-term enduring quality based on mutual trust, as adult
friendships and relationships do. Children’s friendships are
primarily based on pleasurable play and sharing toys, which
lasts approximately until the age of seven, which is also the end
of the psychosocial stage that Freud identified. Friendships are
typically related to proximity. Children form friendships with
other children at their daycare or preschool.
CHILDHOOD FRIENDSHIP
BENEFITS
INFLUENCE OF ADULTS AND PEERS
INFLUENCE OF TEACHERS
Moral Development
· MORALITY IN THE YOUNG CHILD
·
STANDARDS OF MORALITY

9. ·
MILESTONES OF MORALITY
·
THEORIES
Morality
in the young child is centered around the development of the
conscience, which is one of the superegos addressed earlier in
this lesson.
Psychoanalytic Theory
Psychoanalytic Theory
, developed by Sigmund Freud, stresses the emotional side of
conscience development, especially identification and guilt as
motivators of good conduct. This occurs in stages.
‹
1/4
›
· A child obeys superego to avoid guilt, a painful emotion
experienced when a child is tempted to misbehave.
Social Learning Theory
Social Learning Theory
focuses on how moral behavior is learned through
reinforcement and modeling. Unlike the psychoanalytic theory,
it does not have unique stages; rather, morality is acquired
gradually like other sets of responses
OPERANT CONDITIONING

10. MODELING
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD MODEL
CONSEQUENCES OF INADEQUATE MODELS
Cognitive Developmental Theory
· THINKING AND REASONING
·
SOME RULES ARE MORE IMPORTANT
·
SOME CHOICES ARE NEITHER GOOD NOR BAD
·
RIGID MORAL REASONING
Cognitive Development Theory
emphasizes thinking and a child’s ability to reason about
justice and fairness and other social rules. By preschool,
children make moral judgments about what is right or wrong.
Sometimes, children have well-developed ideas, like whether a
person intentionally wants to hurt or frighten or embarrass
another. They understand that this individual is more deserving
of punishment, compared to the child that unintentionally does
one of those things (hurt or embarrass). Children approve of
telling truth and disapprove of lying.
Gender-Role Development
Gender role development revolves around the child’s perception
of the characteristics and behaviors identified with being a
female or male. Children identify with a specific gender role
based on both biological and environmental factors and

11. influences.
GENDER-RELATED DEFINITIONS
‹
1/4
›
·
Gender Identity
: whether a child identifies as being a male or female; most
children identify with their biological sex but a small
percentage do not or gender identity is not clear to them.
Gender-Role Development
Similar to mannerisms, religious beliefs, and racism that stem
from the home environment, attitudes that drive gender role are
learned at home also. They are reinforced by peers, school, and
the media. Children as young as two have been known to have a
fairly well-developed understanding of gender roles.
TOYS
PERSONALITY
RIGID PERCEPTION OF GENDER ROLES
STEREOTYPES
INFLUENCES
Biological Influences on Gender Role Development
· ANIMAL STUDIES

12. ·
EVOLUTIONARY BASIS
·
PRENATAL HORMONE EXPOSURE
·
REDUCED ANDROGEN LEVELS
Sex differences in play and personality have been discussed and
viewed in cultures across the world. Studies of mammals show
that males tend to have higher amounts of physical aggression,
females tend to be more emotionally sensitive, and at young
ages, children prefer same-sex playmates.
Environmental Influences on Gender Role Development
Noticeable gender-typed behavior arises from ages two to
thirteen with the sharpest increase in young preschoolers.
Experiences at home build on genetic influences, leading to
stronger gender typing in early childhood. From birth, children
have different experiences based on their gender.
‹
1/7
›
· For example, parents create a different environment by their
choice of the color of the room, toys, clothes and how they
interact which continues throughout childhood. Boys tend to get
toys that involve action and/or competition.
Lesson Overview
The study of child development began in the 20th century, and
many of the original theories and ideas of the 20th century

13. continue to influence the study of child development today.
Nature via genetics shapes many aspects of children’s lives and
development, such as appearance, physical health, personality,
intelligence and more. Nurture, or environmental factors, also
plays a key role in the intellectual, emotional and physical
development of children. The first two to three years of life are
a time of rapid growth and development for children
emotionally, physically, and cognitively. These years provide
the basis for future learning. Physical or emotional harm during
this time can cause lifelong issues with cognition, emotional
control, impulse control, and motor skills. Both heredity and
environment impact the cognitive ability of growing children.
Emotional and social development begins at birth and continues
through infancy and toddlerhood. Basic emotions such as
happiness and fear are found early in infancy. These are related
to survival. Complex or higher-order emotions like shame and
pride emerge once the child has a sense of self. Between birth
and three years of age, children grow and develop rapidly.
Growth is driven by genetic, hormonal, and environmental
factors. In order for children’s language skill, development, and
acquisition to grow, they must be exposed to opportunities to
communicate with themselves, other children, and adults that
use rich vocabulary. Based on research, there are several
different stages (ages) at which we can expect children to start
participating in make-believe play, understanding
metacognition, communicating with others, and understanding
grammar. Exposure to these practices will improve language
skills and practices.
Key Terms:
SELF-AWARENESS
SELF-CONCEPT

14. SELF-ESTEEM
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MEMORY
PEER SOCIABILITY
SOCIODRAMATIC PLAY
MORALITY
PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY
GENDER IDENTITY
GENDER STEREOTYPES
GENDER-TYPING
GENDER ROLES
PROSOCIAL
Works Cited:
· Cherry, K. (2016, June 5). What is the superego. VeryWell.
Retrieved from
https://www.verywell.com/what-is-the-superego-2795876
· Cherry, K. (2016, June 21). Preoperational stage of cognitive
development. VeryWell. Retrieved from
https://www.verywell.com/preoperational-stage-of-cognitive-
development-2795461

15. Prosocial definition. (n.d.). Retrieved