CSET Practice Test On Human Development

Young Children's Social Development: A Checklist. ERIC
Digest. 

Early childhood educators have traditionally given high
priority to enhancing young children's social development.
During the last two decades a convincing body of evidence
has accumulated to indicate that unless children achieve
minimal social competence by about the age of six years,
they have a high probability of being at risk throughout
life. Hartup suggests that peer relationships contribute a
great deal to both social and cognitive development and to
the effectiveness with which we function as adults (1992).
He states that:

Indeed, the single best childhood predictor of adult
adaptation is NOT IQ, NOT school grades, and NOT classroom
behavior but, rather the adequacy with which the child
gets along with other children. Children who are generally
disliked, who are aggressive and disruptive, who are
unable to sustain close relationships with other children,
and who cannot establish a place for themselves in the
peer culture are seriously "at risk" (Hartup, 1991).

The risks are many: poor mental health, dropping out of
school, low achievement and other school difficulties,
poor employment history, and so forth (see Katz and
McClellan, 1991). Given the life-long consequences,
relationships should be counted as the first of the four
R's of education.

Because social development begins in the early years, it
is appropriate that all early childhood programs include
regular periodic formal and informal assessment. of
children's progress in the acquisition of social
competence. The set of items presented below is based
largely on research identifying elements of social
competence in young children, and on studies in which the
behavior of well-liked children has been compared to that
of less well-liked children (Katz and McClellan, 1991).

THE SOCIAL ATTRIBUTES CHECKLIST The checklist provided in
this digest includes attributes of a child's social
behavior and preschool experience which teachers should
examine every three or four months. Consultations with
parents and other caregivers help make the attributes and
assessments realistic and reliable.

In using the checklist, teachers should pay attention to
whether the attributes are typical. This requires sampling
the child's functioning over a period of about three or
four weeks. Any child can have one or two really bad days,
for a variety of reasons; if assessments are to be
reasonably reliable, judgments of the overall pattern of
functioning over a period of about a month is required.

Healthy social development does not require that a child
be a "social butterfly." The quality rather than quantity
of a child's friendships is the important index to note.
Keep in mind also that there is evidence that some
children are simply shyer than others, and it may be
counter-productive to push such children into social
relations which make them uncomfortable (Katz and
McClellan, 1991). Furthermore, unless that shyness is
severe enough to prevent a child from enjoying most of the
"good things of life," like birthday parties, picnics, and
family outings, it is reasonable to assume that, when
handled sensitively, the shyness will be spontaneously
outgrown.

Many of the attributes listed in the checklist in this
digest indicate adequate social growth if they USUALLY
characterize the child. This qualifier is included to
ensure that occasional fluctuations do not lead to over-
interpretation of children's temporary difficulties. On
the basis of frequent direct contact with the child,
observation in a variety of situations, and information
obtained from parents and other caregivers, a teacher or
caregiver can assess each child according to the
checklist.

Teachers can observe and monitor interactions among the
children and let children who rarely have difficulties
attempt to solve conflicts by themselves before
intervening. If a child appears to be doing well on most
of the attributes and characteristics in the checklist,
then it is reasonable to assume that occasional social
difficulties will be outgrown without intervention.

However, if a child seems to be doing poorly on many of
the items on the list, the adults responsible for his or
her care can implement strategies that will help the child
to overcome and outgrow social difficulties. We suggest
that this checklist be used as a guide among teachers and
parents. The intent is not to supply a prescription for
"correct social behavior," but rather to help teachers
observe, understand, and support children as they grow in
social skillfulness. If a child seems to be doing poorly
on many of the items on the list, the adults responsible
for his or her care can implement strategies that will
help the child to establish more satisfying relationships
with other children (Katz and McClellan, 1991).

Finally, it is also important to keep in mind that
children vary in social behavior for a variety of reasons.
Research indicates that children have distinct
personalities and temperaments from birth. In addition,
nuclear and extended family relationships obviously affect
social behavior. What is appropriate or effective social
behavior in one culture may be less effective in another
culture. Children from diverse cultural and family
backgrounds thus may need help in bridging their
differences and in finding ways to learn from and enjoy
the company of one another. Teachers have a responsibility
to be proactive rather than laissez faire in creating a
classroom community that is open, honest, and accepting.

THE SOCIAL ATTRIBUTES CHECKLIST

I. Individual Attributes 

The child: 

1. Is USUALLY in a positive mood 

2. Is not EXCESSIVELY dependent on the teacher, assistant
or other adults 

3. USUALLY comes to the program or setting willingly 

4. USUALLY copes with rebuffs and reverses adequately 

5. Shows the capacity to empathize 

6. Has positive relationship with one or two peers; shows
capacity to really care about them, miss them if absent,
etc. 

7. Displays the capacity for humor 

8. Does not seem to be acutely or chronically lonely

II. SOCIAL SKILL ATTRIBUTES

The child USUALLY: 

1. Approaches others positively 

2. Expresses wishes and preferences clearly; gives reasons
for actions and positions 

3. Asserts own rights and needs appropriately 

4. Is not easily intimidated by bullies 

5. Expresses frustrations and anger effectively and
without harming others or property 

6. Gains access to ongoing groups at play and work 

7. Enters ongoing discussion on the subject; makes
relevant contributions to ongoing activities 

8. Takes turns fairly easily 

9. Shows interest in others; exchanges information with
and requests information from others appropriately 

10. Negotiates and compromises with others appropriately 

11. Does not draw inappropriate attention to self 

12. Accepts and enjoys peers and adults of ethnic groups
other than his or her own. 

13. Gains access to ongoing groups at play and work 

14. Interacts non-verbally with other children with
smiles, waves, nods, etc.

III. PEER RELATIONSHIP ATTRIBUTES

The child is: 

1. USUALLY accepted versus neglected or rejected by other
children 

2. SOMETIMES invited by other children to join them in
play, friendship, and work.

Source: This digest is adapted from the article,
"Assessing the Social Development of Young Children. A
Checklist of Social Attributes," which appeared in the
Fall 1992 issue of DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD (pp. 9-
10).

Researchers have long sought factors that are regularly
associated with chronic delinquency. The strongest factor
is a history of antisocial behavior in childhood, but many
other early risk factors have also been linked to chronic
delinquency. These factors include perinatal difficulties,
neurological and biological factors, low verbal ability,
neighborhoods characterized by social disorganization and
violence, parental criminality and substance abuse,
inconsistent and/or harsh parenting practices, low
socioeconomic status, and exposure to media violence.

The most important of these factors appear to be low
socioeconomic status, having parents who have been
convicted of crimes, the child's low cognitive
ability(especially poor verbal ability), poor parental
child rearing, and the child's own history of antisocial
behavior, conduct disorder, or troublesomeness. In one
study of boys in London, for example, the 8- to 10-year-
olds with four or more of these predictors included 15 of
23 future chronic offenders (the 23 were to be responsible
for fully half of the convictions in the cohort of 411
youths).