february 2025
Diving Deeper into Social Interactions
Ever since the new year has started, we have noticed a drastic change in the ways that the children interact with one another, with their educators, and with their environment in social settings. This has been shown through play scenarios, communicating with one another with words and gestures, as well as in social/emotional scenarios. We have noticed that the children thrive off of collaborative play with one another, as well as collaborative play including the educators. This play has given the children a sense of belonging in play scenarios and in the classroom environment. However, with these play scenarios, the children have also been developing the skill of creating boundaries. Many of the children have developed strong language/expressive skills over the past few months and are able to communicate when they do not want something, such as saying “No, my turn”, “stop”, or by simply screaming. Additionally, the children have been communicating their boundaries non-verbally by shaking their head, pushing, and holding their hands out
Along with learning boundaries, the children have also strengthened their empathy skills. They have done this by helping one another when they are feeling upset by bringing a comfort item to the child or by giving them a hug. Along with these meaningful interactions, the children have been more open to accepting praise and positive reinforcement when they are displaying acts of kindness. When accepting positive reinforcement, we have noticed that the children are more likely to continue displaying empathy and care to one another. This has also been shown through transitional periods and self-help skills, such as helping each other get their outdoor gear, spoon feeding the younger children, as well as helping each other wash their hands and face.
Rachelle Minthorn RECE RT, Emily Merenda RECE, Swati Limbachia BA BEd MA
