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Monday, September 4, 2023

Social Skills of Elementary-level Students | Human Development & Learning | Course code 8610 |

 

 QUESTION  

Discuss the social skills of elementary-level students.

CourseHuman Development & Learning

Course code 8610

Level: B.Ed Solved Assignment 

ANSWER 

Social Characteristics of learners at the elementary level

· At this level students may exhibit the following characteristics:

· The elementary children want to expand social relationships beyond the home environment.

· Peers become extremely important to elementary-aged children; they are constantly building relationships.

· They naturally form groups; they want to be with their friends. Their constant talking is really evidence of this focus on building relationships.

· These children want to be like their friends, and to be accepted by the group is extremely important.

· There is a cooperative, joint focus as opposed to a competitive one. This too is a sign that children are learning to build community.

· Elementary children are looking for people to admire. They may be inspired by older children, a family member, or their teachers.

 

Social skills at the elementary level

 Teachers play an important role at every level of schooling, including elementary schools (Mashburn & others, 2008; Pianta & others, 2008). In a series of studies from infancy through third grade, positive teacher-child relationships were linked to a number of positive child outcomes (Howes & Ritchie, 2002). Children who have warm, positive relationships with their teachers have a more positive attitude toward school, are more enthusiastic about learning, and achieve more in school (Thompson & Goodman, 2009).

Group skills are particularly important in a classroom setting. Studies suggest that children’s behavior in the classroom is as important to their school success as their intellectual ability is. Studies tell us that children typically do better in groups that consist of peers who share common characteristics. Helping children identify their interests (such as computers, the environment, community service, animals, etc.) is the first step in guiding them toward joining a group of children who are more like them.

 

 Classroom activities to develop Social skills

The following section will present classroom activities that can be used by a teacher to develop social skills among children at the elementary level.

 

Active listening

The most important social skill needed at all levels is listening.

Active listeners show speakers that they are paying attention. They do this through body language (offering appropriate eye contact, turning the body in the direction of the speaker, remaining quiet) and verbal feedback (restating, in their own words, what the speaker is trying to communicate).

One popular method of teaching active listening assigns people to one of three roles: A speaker, a listener, and an observer. The speaker is instructed to talk for a few minutes about something important to him. The listener attends quietly, providing cues to the speaker that she is paying attention. When the speaker is finished talking, the listener also repeats back, in her own words, the speaker’s points.

The observer’s job is to evaluate the speaker and listener. Did the speaker stay on topic? How did the listener indicate that she was paying attention? After the observer shares his observations with the others, the players change roles and try again.

 

The blindfolded walk

 To play this game, create a path with hurdles. Then assign players to one of two roles. Blinded players will wear blindfolds. Leaders will take blinded players by the hand and attempt to lead them through the course. Talking is encouraged, and, when they are finished, players should reverse their roles.

 

Joining a group

Learning Objective:

To help children find ways to reach others who have similar interests; to increase group inclusion.

Skill: Making Friends:

Ask the children to think of ways to find groups they might like to join. Suggest that they focus on their individual interests. Brainstorm ideas and write them on the blackboard or a large sheet of paper.

Tell them:

Throughout their lives, people participate in many different kinds of social groups: scout troops, sports teams, and many more. A class is also a kind of group. Your classmates are part of your group experience every day at school. A child’s life is filled with different kinds of groups

Distribute Activity Sheet:

 Children can write the answers or raise their hands and answer the questions aloud. Use their responses as the basis for a discussion about the different aspects of joining a group.


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