What is social development? Why is it important to develop social skills among students?
Course: Human Development & Learning
Course code 8610
Level: B.Ed Solved Assignment
ANSWER
CONCEPT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Social development is an important aspect of
child development. It is the ability to form positive and pleasing
relationships with others (Cohen and others 2005). Social development includes
learning the values, knowledge, and skills that enable children to relate to
others effectively and to contribute in positive ways to family, school, and the
community.
This kind of learning is delivered to children by three means: directly by parents and teachers; indirectly through social relationships within the family or with friends, and through children’s participation in the culture around them. Through their relationships with others and their developing awareness of social norms, values, and expectations, children construct a sense of identity (who they are). As children develop socially, they not only learn how to react appropriately in a variety of situations but also play a role in shaping their relationships.
The development of the social and
emotional health of a child is important for the development of his appropriate
(right) behavior, understanding of life, and shift adulthood. Social-emotional
development helps shape a child into what he will become later in life by
teaching proper reactions to emotional matters. Social skills are all about a
child's ability to cooperate and play with others, pay attention to adults
and teachers, and make reasonable transitions from activity to activity.
Emotional development is the process of learning how to understand and control
emotions.
Social Development: Why is it important?
Human beings are naturally social. Developing skills in this domain increases a child’s capacity to be successful at school and in social life. Development in social skills enhances mental health, success at work, and the ability to be a useful citizen. Social skills include various abilities such as communication, problem-solving, decision-making, self-management, and peer relations.
These skills enable an individual to build and maintain positive social relationships with others. Extreme social behaviors interfere with learning, teaching, and the classroom's organization. Social competence is related to peer acceptance, teacher acceptance, present success, and future (post-school) success. If a child does not display appropriate social skills, other children don't like him and will not make friends with him. Sometimes children work hard to display the new and better behaviors they've been told to show, but are still excluded by others, perhaps due to past reputation or maybe because others don't like the newly learned behaviors that don't seem "natural."
At other times, students may
still fail because they have difficulty monitoring and controlling their
behavior when unexpected reactions occur. Teachers can help students how to cope
with such social problems and develop adjustment abilities in the circle. The
social contexts in which children live have important influences on their
development. According to Bronfenbrenner, three of the contexts in which
children spend much of their time are families, peers, and schools.
