Social and Emotional Development

4, 5, and 6 Year Olds

What will we learn today?

• Standard:– ET-ECE-8: Explore the growth, development, and

care of the preschool child.• EQ:– How do 4, 5, and 6 year old children develop

emotionally?

Quick Review

• What is NATURE and what is NURTURE when it comes to child development?– Nature: Heredity – Nurture: Environment

• How long should 4-6 year-olds sleep at night?– 10-12 hours

• What may need to change if a child is overweight or underweight?– Their diet and physical

activity

• How long should you wash your hands for?– 20 seconds

Emotional Patterns:4-year-olds

• Very loving and affectionate at times • VERY self-centered, defiant, impatient, loud• Might be bossy or argue with adults/other

kids

Emotional Patterns:5-year-olds

• Eager to explore their world, but– Fearful of unfamiliar places/people/things

• Start to feel empathy– Makes them better able to play together and

cooperate because they can see another’s point of view

Emotional Patterns:6-year-olds (school age child)

• Experience rapid mood changes

• Crave praise and approval

• Easily hurt and discouraged

• Very stubborn• Begin to experience

deeper feelings of happiness/joy– Appreciate more

activities

Fear and Imagination Go Hand-In-Hand

• Imagination is a major emotional force in 4-6 year-olds– often leads them to fear various kinds of danger• Fear can lead imagination and play

• For example: preschoolers are often afraid of monsters and use this in their imaginative play

Caregivers can help children deal with fears by:

• Helping them develop self-confidence– Build self-confidence by

selecting activities that are challenging, but not overwhelming

• Being understanding of the fear

• Letting the child express the fear without ridicule

• Helping the child feel able to face the fear

Starting school is a huge social and emotional milestone for 4-6 year-olds

• For most, it is the first time they are around unfamiliar adults and large groups of other children

• Make them feel at ease about starting school by:– Explaining what they will

expect at school– Visiting the school and

meeting the teachers– Having playdates with

classmates

Going to school for the first time can cause:

• Toileting problems• Why?– not know where the

bathroom is and afraid to ask

– out of normal routine– fear of unfamiliar

environment

• Conflict with peers• Help children resolve

conflicts with peers by:– encouraging them to talk

about their feelings– modeling appropriate

ways to deal with conflict

• Children to express emotions– Fear/Anger/Jealousy

Some children (~2 million in the US) are diagnosed with ADHD in the early school years

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder• Most common characteristics:– Inability to pay attention– Hyperactivity– Acting on impulses

• Do you think a child with ADHD would be lazy?– NO!

Daily Grade Break

• You will work with a partner to find/create FOUR lesson plans.– A lesson plan for 4 year-

olds– A lesson plan for 5 year-

olds– A lesson plan for 6 year-

olds– A lesson plan for a child

with ADHD

• You must have four DIFFERENT lesson plans

• You MUST choose a math, science, language arts, history, music, or art lesson plan

• Your lesson plans MUST involve social interaction between the students

Lesson Plan Example

• Name of Lesson• Grade Level• Subject– Remember: each lesson

plan should have a different subject!

• Description of Lesson– Copy and paste link here– Write a short description

of the lesson

• Picture

1st Grade Math Lesson:“Candy Math”

In this lesson, students will use candy to review addition and subtraction

problems.

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