Social/ Emotional Development
Social/emotional development speaks to how children interact and behave with one another. As children develop socially/emotionally they learn to synthesize their feelings, thoughts, and perceptions of the world by relating to others around them. The social/emotional development of a child is therefore influenced by many factors including socioeconomic status, race, culture, and more. Developmental psychologist Lev Vygotksy's work has become the foundation for much of our current understanding of how children develop socially and emotionally.
Vygotsky's theories stress social interaction as the key factor in the development of children's cognition. Through research, Vygotsky argued that "learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human psychological function" (1978, p. 90). Vygotsky's theories "focused on the connections between people and the cultural context in which they act and interact in shared experiences" (Crawford, 1996, p. 44).
Vygotsky's theories stress social interaction as the key factor in the development of children's cognition. Through research, Vygotsky argued that "learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human psychological function" (1978, p. 90). Vygotsky's theories "focused on the connections between people and the cultural context in which they act and interact in shared experiences" (Crawford, 1996, p. 44).
Teachers at the Junior division need to be aware that early childhood experiences play a significant role in the influence of a child's social/emotional development. Such influences can include the degree of enrollment in social situations (for example pre-school, daycare groups, etc.), cultural practices, family dynamics, and much more.
In planning lessons for Junior classroom, it is important we include a variety of activities that encourage student's social/emotional growth. Including activities which focus on emotions, feelings, decision making, and overall critical thinking/application is critical in order to best prepare children for future life experiences.
For example, designing a classroom debate would allow your students to see information from a variety of different perspectives while encouraging their social/emotional development. Giving Junior level students the opportunities to read about and understand topics from a variety of different viewpoints will help prepare them for their future. I believe this is especially important today because we currently live in a global society. In regards to social/emotional development our role as the Junior educator includes providing students with experiences that go beyond the curriculum by integrating life-skills into learning.
References
Crawford, Kathryn. (1996). Vygotskian approaches to human development in the information era. Educational Studies in Mathematics. (31) 43-62.
Francis, Melissa. (2013). Prezi presentation: Junior Basic Day Two. http://prezi.com/bazxazihuhht/junior-basic-day-2/?utm_source=prezi-view&utm_medium=ending-bar&utm_content=Title-link&utm_campaign=ending-bar-tryout
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.