Day 10 - Play Years Psychosocial Development

4/10/19

ECE 31 / 131 ~ Spring 2019 1

Sense of self and socialization Play years psychosocial development

²Discuss Play Years observation results to date & collaborate with colleagues

²Chapters 9 & 10 due today

²Play Years Report due next week

²Planning ahead for Research Project #4 School Age Years

Today’s class

Significant changes take place between one and five years of age in all areas of development.

Think about what you observed.Work in pairs. Compare examples of:Ø Fine and gross motor skills,

balance and coordinationØ Language and communication skillsØ Experimentation and exploration

strategies Ø Social interactions• With peers• With adult primary caregivers

Ø Emotional expression and emotional self-regulation

Find someone who observed the same child as you

• From your observation notes make a list of exact examples of the child’s productive language.

• Relate examples to the sequence of language development and characteristic language achievements from age 2 to age 5.

Discuss in pairs, preferably with someone who observed the same child:

Compare and contrast some examples of their verbal skills in terms of:1.Length of sentences (# of words)

2.Grammatical structure3.Complexity of grammar4.Vocabulary

Focus on the language skills of two children you observed: the toddler and the play-years child

Based on your observations and assessment of the Children’s Center preschool classroom environment…

Discuss several ways in which the curriculum promotes language development through:Ø Richness of experiencesØ Conversation and dialogueØ Expansion of vocabulary Ø Emergent literacy

Offer specific examples.

Emotional self-regulation

The child you observed:Ø What emotions did

she/he express? Ø When and how?Ø Did you notice

examples of emotional regulation?

What is it?How is it evident in this photo?

Day 10 - Play Years Psychosocial Development

4/10/19

ECE 31 / 131 ~ Spring 2019 2

“Controlling the expression of emotions, called emotional regulation, is the preeminent social task between ages 2 and 6… Early childhood is a crucial period for its development.” (Berger, v.10, pp. 311-312)

Children who master this task, become more competent in every aspect of their lives, within every culture.

Those who do not may have many psychosocial problems later on.

What role does brain maturation

play in the development of

emotional regulation?

Review Berger, v.10, pp. 249-250+.

Ø Think about your observation of the Cabrillo Children’s Center Preschool.

Ø What aspects of the classroom environment promote socialization?

Ø How?

Socialization is a process

What’s included in “socialization”?Values, habits, belief systems,

expectations of behavior

Ø What is personality?Ø What factors, biological

and environmental, contribute to personality development?

Reviewing: What is personality?

Over time, we develop a personal sense of self and styles of social interaction, in stages that are gradual, fairly stable, and predictable.

Erik Erikson’ theory of personality development

Developmental theories provide a frame of reference for studying and understanding the development of emotions, social behavior and personality characteristics.

Psychodynamic approach to personality development according to Erik Erikson

There are universal subconscious impulses behind chidren’sbehavior. Examples?

Young children seem to be irrepressively optimistic about themselves … believe they are strong, smart and good-looking

A c c o r d i n g t o E r i k s o n :There are basic conflicts between:• The needs and impulses of the individual • The values and expectations of the social group

Think about your observations.What examples of conflicts did you observe?• Child-child?• Adult-child?

How were the conflicts resolved?

Day 10 - Play Years Psychosocial Development

4/10/19

ECE 31 / 131 ~ Spring 2019 3

What is initiative?Describe key characteristics of Erikson’sstage 3 of personality development.

InitiativeOffer

examples you

observed of a

child’s initiative

How does the curriculum

(environment and activities)

contribute to the child’s initiative?

Offer several examples.

Based on your

observations of the

Children’s Center

preschool environment

¿How are they related? Thinking about the child you observed, based on behaviors you noticed: How might she/he perceive herself or himself? Why?

Self-concept and self-esteemIn this photo, based on this child’s behavior, how might this child think of himself?

Prosocial behaviorWhat is it? Offer examples of prosocial behavior you observed.Did you observe any aggressive behavior? Describe the circumstances.

How does play evolve between ages 2 and 6?Explain and offer examples from your observations.

Children’s social play

Day 10 - Play Years Psychosocial Development

4/10/19

ECE 31 / 131 ~ Spring 2019 4

Categories of social play according to Mildred Parten

• Describe the various types of play.•Which were most evident in the child you observed?

Pretend play and socio-dramatic play

What’s the difference?What are the benefits? What do children learn through this type of play?

Symbolic play and sociodramatic play

According to Vygotsky, they constitute an ideal zone of proximal development where children move towards ever more advanced levels of social and cognitive skills.

Self concept and gender identity

What is gender identity?1. How does it

evolve over time during early childhood?

2. How does the environment contribute to a child’s sense of gender roles?

What’s the distinction between sex differences and gender differences?

What did you observe during your visit to the Children’s Center?How might the curriculum contribute to gender bias or anti-bias?

Gender identity and gender roles As a result of Research Project # 3 Observing a Child in the Play Years

What do you understand better than before?

What specific knowledge did you gain from evaluating the children’s center preschool classroom? How will it be useful?