DOCUMENTO DE REFERENCIA

an emerging ability of young children (ages 0–5 years) to form close and secure adult and peer relationships; experience, regulate and express emotions in socially and culturally appropriate ways and to explore the environment and learn—all in the context of family, community and culture (Yates, Ostrosky, Cheatham, Fettig, Shaffer & Santos, 2008, p. 2).

Child development professionals across disciplines have continued to recognise social– emotional skills as important to a child’s wellbeing and development, with the area of social– emotional competency continuing to gain momentum and public interest (Cooper, Masi & Vick, 2009; Isakson, Higgins, Davidson & Cooper, 2009).

Research has demonstrated that social–emotional growth and development during a child’s early years ultimately affects their health, wellbeing and overall competency throughout life (Denham, 2006). Experiences that offer a child opportunities for curiosity, self-confidence, engagement and satisfying reciprocal relationships have been strongly linked to improvements within the key areas of mental health, cognition, neurology and school performance. Each of these areas will now be examined.

2.2.1 Mental health

Social–emotional skills in early childhood appear pivotal in establishing positive benefits for mental health and wellbeing throughout the childhood period and into later life (Hertzman, 2004; Sosna & Mastergeorge, 2005). Research by Jones et al. (2015) demonstrated a significant association between measured social–emotional skills in kindergarten and key outcomes across multiple domains of education, employment, criminal activity, substance use

12 and mental health when children became young adults. Jones et al. (2015) concluded that early measures of social–emotional skills may be useful for assessing whether children are at risk of deficits in these areas later in life; thus, such measures can help identify those children in need of early interventions to improve their overall coping skills. Similarly, Denham and Holt (1993) reported that children who are encouraged to develop social–emotional skills such as listening, cooperation, appropriate help seeking and negotiating skills display crucial predictors of later good mental health and wellbeing.

2.2.2 Cognitive and neurological development

Through neuroscientific research into child brain development, it is now understood that social and emotional development is embedded into the architecture of young children’s brains and is influenced by the experiences and environments in which they live. Therefore, the social–emotional elements of the brain do not develop automatically from childhood but rather in response to the social experiences in which a child engages, ultimately becoming both neurologically wired and learned in early childhood development. This is illustrated by Immordino-Yang and Damasio (2007), who argued that the child’s brain develops in an active and dynamic process. As such, social, emotional and cognitive experiences are organised within children’s brains over time in interaction with their biology. Therefore, children’s world views and interactions are shaped by neuropsychological strengths and weaknesses as an intricate and complex pattern in their development (Fischer & Bidell, 2006). Studies by LeDoux (2000), Panksepp (2000) and Gunnar and Davis (2003) concurred that emotion possesses a biological basis that appears wired into several central nervous system regions.

While thought and memory development in early childhood has been shown to affect the development of social–emotional skills, inversely, social–emotional skills have also been shown to improve the overall development of thought and memory areas, through three key factors (Wilson & Wilson, 2014). The first factor suggests that children are able to think more

13 clearly about their feelings in the early childhood period than in their previous infancy stages and can remember their feelings over a longer period. Likewise, they are also capable of reflecting on their emotional expressions with others and how they intend to express themselves in social–emotional interactions. In alignment with Saarni’s (2008) functionalist and dynamic systems perspective, these developing thought and memory skills adapt to meet the social context of the child. The second factor explains how children’s theory of mind develops and thereby their ability to consider the thoughts and wishes of others. This can predict their behaviours and actions socially. The third factor explains how a child’s language skills develop as a symbolic system within which they may control and manipulate their social environment. Children’s developing social–emotional skills may also influence other strengthening cognitive and neurological abilities. Adolphs et al. (2000) reported that through the processes of regulation, attention, motivation and evaluation, emotion conversely modulates the recruitment of neural networks for domain-specific skills such as reading. Cohen et al. (2005) also noted other domains of development that are affected by strengthening social–emotional skills, including language, communication, early literacy and numeracy skills. Therefore, emotion and cognition are thought to act together to give rise to skills such as memory, formal learning and creativity (Fischer & Bidell, 2006; Immordino-Yang & Damasio, 2007).

2.2.3 Academic performance

Denham (2006) outlined the importance of social–emotional skills for school readiness, academic performance and success in interactions with peers and adults. Denham et al. (2013) similarly described social–emotionally competent students as those who demonstrate better school adjustment and academic achievement. In contrast, children who do not have opportunities to develop social–emotional skills, according to Raver and Knitzer (2002), demonstrate school adjustment and academic difficulties. Considering that positive relationships may be cultivated within the academic setting, research regarding early schooling

14 suggests that children’s relationships with teachers and peers are pivotal to academic success by way of establishing positive representations of self, emotion knowledge and regulatory abilities (Raver & Knitzer, 2002; Raver & Zigler, 2004). In addition, longitudinal studies with children in this key area demonstrate the link between early academic success and firm foundations in social–emotional skills (Raver, 2002; Stipek, 2006a). These skills are also recognised as important within academic and social settings throughout an individual’s lifespan (Thompson & Lagattuta, 2006).