Promoting Childrens Social and Emotional Development through Preschool - An Example Paper

Promoting Childrens Social and Emotional Development through Preschool - An Example Paper Promoting Children’s Social and Emotional Development through Preschool An Example Paper Children usually improve their emotional and social capacities at young ages, typically between 3 and 6 years of age. These capacities provide them with skills required in the promotion of self-confidence, trust, empathy, language, interactions and other abilities necessary for the contemporary society. This phenomenon may also be described as emotional and social growth, and is closely related to infant mental health. It helps children in cultivating their ability to manage and express potentially positive and negative feelings. Through such growth, the children can establish close relationships to the people around them, such as parents and siblings. Similarly, social and emotional development enables children to efficiently transition to adult life. The social and emotional development of children is greatly influenced by relationships and their surrounding environments, amongst other factors. During their early lives, children’s’ environments may entail their homes, early education and their respective preschool. Environmental influences may vary in nature. For instance, the children may be exposed to pollutants, poverty in their backgrounds, violence at home, malnutrition or other forms of neglect. Continuous exposure to such factors may result into behavioral and emotional inabilities. Similarly, the experiences may develop stresses that result into a negative influence for the child. For instance, poverty may expose the child to criminal activity, a potentially negative influence for social development into adult life. It is therefore necessary to cultivate an environment that fosters their mental and social development .Children from the age of three have the right to peer group socialization, for at least four hours on each applicable day. However, environmental factors may hinder this from being carried out. Effective preschool organizations need to provide one hundred percent coverage to children of the target age group. Similarly, they need to subsidize the stay of children in the kindergarten. Strategies aimed at social and emotional development in preschool involve three steps. These are prevention, promotion and treatment. Prevention services are aimed at protecting children from exposure to high risk mental health disorders. Promotion services aim at improving the social and emotional wellbeing of the child. Treatment steps involve specialized services that seek to solve problems that have been identified in the early stages of a child’s development. Strategic Planning Approaches The promotion and maintenance of the social and emotional wellbeing of children is a horizontal process. It targets the children as well as people who share relationships with them, typically their family members. Promotion strategies are characterized by the development of protective factors that bring about positive characteristics in the children. For instance, the children may gain abilities such as positive self-esteem and success in education, through the process. Promotion strategies also provide opportunities that promote the mental wellness of children and their families. Through interactions with caregivers, emotional development is achieved in the children. For instance, bathing provides the children with an opportunity to develop their relationships with the caregivers. For effectiveness in promotion activities, the caregivers need to understand social and emotional development. Consequently, they can identify characteristics that require their attention in correction. In promotion of the relationship between caregivers and the children, various programs may be used. They need to include home visits and welfare, among other activities. They support healthy family development in a number of ways. For instance, parents can learn about what healthy development entails. Similarly, they can promote better parent-child relationships. Through such activities, problems such as food security and quality housing can be corrected. Public kindergartens are faced with many constraints. For instance, they are faced with problems in financing and capacity for the children. Consequently, a number of children are limited from participating in quality programs. In the promotion strategy, a number of activities may be carried out in line with this problem. Firstly, stakeholders that may assist in alternative financing should be determined. Encouragement may be provided to local communities. They are useful in providing finances, premises and other resources. Secondly, non-governmental organizations may be of great help. They may be useful in organizing and implementing programs that involve children from marginalized backgrounds. Similarly, they may be of assistance in providing parents and caregivers the skills required for developing healthy social and emotional states in the children. Prevention strategies are oriented towards children that may be potentially affected by social and mental health problems. Through early social-emotional prevention strategies, the effects of traumatic life experiences on the children can be limited. For instance, issues such as neglect, and domestic violence, among others, can be addressed. By taking steps towards their elimination, the risk of mental disorders and poor results in development can be minimized. The significance of prevention efforts has been observed in a number of studies. For instance, abused children that did not experience professional attention were more likely to be arrested for criminal offences, unlike those who experienced such attention.Caregivers are required to maintain the ability to diagnose and treat mental problems that may emerge during infancy to early childhood age. This is important in ensuring that such problems do not interfere with other learning and development areas. Following the diagnosis o f a child, a number of treatments may be provided to the affected child, and their family. The treatments may be targeted at a particular development aspect, such as their mental development. For instance, daycare programs may be used to address issues related to peer and adult relationships. Caregivers may also carry out interventions for the affected children. However, this may be carried out if they have a proper understanding of the child’s background and emotional requirements. Through such therapy, parents and guardians can learn ways of helping their children to develop a balance between their emotions and expression. Continuous Improvement Approaches Sustained change requires the development of a continuous improvement cycle. Consequently, problems in the processes that improve social and emotional development in the children can be determined. The first step involves the development of standards and definition of outcomes. For the children, the expected outcome is stable emotional and mental development during their early years. The caregivers are responsible for the development of the children. They should be held accountable to the stakeholders involved with the children’s development. For instance, they may be responsible to the parents and local educational authorities.  Consequently, assessments on the programs quality need to be carried out. Such examinations may be carried out through randomized surveys on the children, classroom observations and/or other forms. For instance, the Self-Assessment Validation System (SAVS) is useful in that respect. The child outcomes may be determined through measures that assess their se lf-outcomes. For instance, the Pierce-Harris scale may be adapted for the children’s’ requirements. According to Frede, scales such as Behavioral Adjustment (BEH), Intellectual and School Status (INT), Physical Appearance and Attributes (PHY) and Happiness and Satisfaction (HAP) may be used. Through such assessments, the caregivers can gain a comprehensive outlook on whether the identified outcomes are being achieved by the children. Through continuous improvement, previously unseen insights can be gained on the mental and social development of the children, under the caregivers. Consequently, new forms of assessment can be developed, which will be useful for further improvements in future.