Enhance your understanding of the sense of self and social-emotional development; this course will discuss social/emotional development stages and strategies to support a child’s sense of self and examine the classroom and curriculum for opportunities to support development. The early educator will gain skills to connect and assist with social-emotional development in their classroom.

1. Me First, Then Others:
Sense of Self and Social
Emotional Development

2. LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
• Review the stages of social/emotional
development
• Discuss strategies to support a child’s
sense of self
• Examine classroom and curriculum for
opportunities to support development

3. SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
“The change over time in children’s
ability to react to and interact with
their social environment.”
Trust and Emotional Security
Self-Awareness
Self-Regulation
Relationships with other

4. Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development
Age Developmental Stage Description
Birth -12 months Trust vs. Mistrust Determining the dependability of others
1-3 years Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt I am what I can do – asserting
independence, seeking greater control
over self
3-6 years Initiative vs. Guilt Sense of purposefulness – eager for new
tasks, to join in activities with peers, and
discover what they can do with the help of
adults.

5. TRUST V. MISTRUST
Birth – 18 months
“Can I trust the people around me?”
• Affection
• Comfort
• Food
Hope

6. AUTONOMY V.
SHAME & DOUBT
18 months – 2 to 3 years
“Can I do things myself?”
• Toilet training
• Self help skills
• Encouragement
• Guided choices
Will

7. INITIATIVE V. GUILT
3-5 years
“Am I good or bad?”
• Learning is making mistakes
• Independent play
Purpose

8. Curriculum Goals
Program Curriculum
Infants Exploring Everything
Toddlers Mastering Movement
Twos Autonomy/Self-Help
Preschool Socializing

9. Sense of Self
• Temperament
• Attachment
• Identity
• Power
• Voice

10. TEMPERAMENT
The way a person approaches or interacts
with the world
• Easy or flexible
• Difficult, active, feisty
• Slow-to-warm-up or cautious

11. SLIDE HEADING
Slide content Slide content

12. EMERGENCE OF
SELF ESTEEM
18 months of age, a child has a
clear notion that she has a
separate and specific identity
“Yuck your diaper is stinky,
gross!”
“It’s time for a diaper change”
“Everyone has a diaper”

13. A Place for Feelings
• How do our responses to
children’s feelings impact their
emotional development?
• Which feelings make you
uncomfortable?
• Which of your own feelings do you
make an effort to ignore or hide?
Don’t cry
Stop acting like a baby

14. GUIDING CHILDREN IN EMOTIONAL
REGULATION
1.
Help children assign a
name to their feeling.
2.
Start with identifying
the four basic
emotions:
• Happy
• Sad
• Angry
• Scared
3.
Give children lots of
opportunities to
identify feelings in
themselves and others.

16. “It’s okay”
alternatives
Accept what is, the moment as it is
• “I see that you’re upset, can you
tell me what’s happening?”
• “You were hoping that____”
• “It’s hard when_____”
• “Do you need some space?”
• “Can I help you?”
• “You can do it”

17. Developmentally Normal Behaviors
Behavior Onset Offset
Biting 6 months 2.5 years
Swatting 2 years 3.5 years
Pushing 2 years 3.5 years
Not sharing 0 months 4.5 years
Saying no 2 years 4 years
Screaming 1.5 years 3.5 years
Throwing/Dumping 12 months 2.5 years
Unfriending/Uninviting 3 years 5 years
Tattling 3 years 5 years

18. EMOTIONAL
REGULATION
INDICATORS:
• Begins to manage own behavior
and demonstrates increasing
control of emotion
• Shows ability to cope with stress
• Develops understanding of simple
routines, rules or limitations

19. SOCIAL SKILLS &
SOCIAL COMPETENCE
Children can be cooperative,
generous, expressive of their
feelings, and are able to
empathize with others.
• Model behavior
• Sharing from the heart
• Fairness
• Cooperation v. competition

20. FRIENDSHIPS
Early childhood teachers support
friendships by:
• Allowing ample time for child-
initiated play
• Giving children acceptable choices
• Helping children when they lose
control
• Help children develop socially
acceptable ways of behaving

21. CONNECT
• Slow down, stay in the
moment
• Learn about the children
• Listen to children
• Personalize your interactions
• Show respect
• Guide children’s behavior
• Keep trust growing

22. EXTEND LEARNING
• Help children see themselves as thinkers
• Respond to curiosity
• Use “Mirror talk”
• Have conversations
• Inspire imaginative play
• Solve problems together
• Use rich vocabulary
• Laugh with children
• Ask questions
• Link the new to the familiar

23. • What will you start in your practice?
• What will you Keep?
• What will you stop?
Action Plan
Questions?