QUESTION
Discuss the social skills of elementary-level students.
Course: Human Development & Learning
Course code 8610
Level: B.Ed Solved Assignment
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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