Personal and Social Development

Personal and Social Development

What is Personal/Social Development? Personal development refers tochildren's perceptions of themselves and their capacity for self-regulation.

Social development refers to children's ability to interact with others.

Eight Personal and Social Development statements are evaluated for GKIDS(see page 145). For each of the eight statements, students will be evaluatedusing the following levels:

• Area of Concern. An area of concern would apply if a child rarely ornever demonstrated an attribute, if a child’s development issignificantly less than that of a typically developing four or five yearold, or if the child’s behavior or performance indicated that the childmight have a special need.

• Developing. The developing level would apply if the child does notconsistently demonstrate the specific attribute. That is, theattribute does not present an area for concern, but it is notconsistently demonstrated across time and learning contexts.

• Consistently Demonstrating. This level would apply to children whohave either consistent or advanced skills in personal and socialdevelopment. This rating does not imply that children must uniformlyor perfectly display this attribute, but rather that the child has thesocial and emotional maturity that is consistent across time andlearning contexts.

Personal and Social Development Menu

Demonstrates Self Confidence/ Positive Attitude:

Performance Levels

•Area of Concern: Child displays a lack of self-confidence such as learned helplessness. The child displays a negative attitude that is not intermittent such as “having a bad day” but behaviors such as opposition, using language that suggests negative attitudes toward an activity or others.

•Developing: Child generally displays a positive attitude and increasing confidence in his or her ability. Occasionally, child displays some behaviors like learned helplessness or states that he or she can not perform a task.

•Consistently Demonstrating: Child demonstrates confidence in his or her abilities. Child displays a positive attitude toward tasks that may be difficult. Child uses own ability to help other children in their class. Child encourages other children in their completion of tasks and activities.

Additional observable behaviors for demonstrating self confidence:

• Acknowledges accomplishments: Says, “I can hit the ball.”
• Stands up for rights (says, “But I had it first!”)
• Responds to other children, “I don’t like it when you call me names.”
• Initiates conversations with others.
• At mealtime, says, “Pass the peaches, because I love peaches!”
• Announces, “I can do it myself!”

Adjusts well to changes in routines and environments:

Performance Levels

•Area of Concern: Child has negative reaction to change in routine or environment. Behaviors such as withdrawal from the activity, crying, exhibiting defiant behaviors, refusal to cooperate.

•Developing: Child generally adjusts well to changes in the environment or routines. Child may take additional time to complete an activity or engage with a person unfamiliar in the environment, but eventually completes a give tasks or engages with others.

•Consistently Demonstrating: Child does not display any negativity or lack of cooperation when the routine or environment changes. Child may offer suggestions for how to change activity or encourage others to participate. Child demonstrates a maturity to new people or to the changing situation.

Additional observable behaviors for adjusting well to changes in routines and environments:

• Adapts: adjusts behavior in different settings (library, playground, school)
• Adjusts to daily schedules (calendar, centers, story-time, recess)
• Shows eagerness when teacher introduces a new activity
• Follows rules for a field trip
• Can handle changes or interruptions in school day (school guest, testing, rainy days)

Expresses emotions/needs through appropriate words and actions: Performance Levels:

Area of Concern: Child uses language that is immature or inappropriate for the situation. Child may throw a temper tantrum, refuse to cooperate, cry, refuse to participate with other children. The child exhibits behaviors that are not appropriate for four and five year old children.

Developing: Occasionally child demonstrates inappropriate emotions or refuses to participate in an activity. Child sometimes demonstrates emotions that are slightly immature for a kindergarten child.

Consistently Demonstrating: Child demonstrates age appropriate behaviors with adults and other children. Child uses self-regulation or reflective strategies to redirect self or problem solve.

Additional observable behaviors for expressing emotions/needs throughout appropriate words and actions:

•Begins to recognize, describe, and express own and others’ emotions through gestures, actions, and language.

•Identifies emotions: (“I’m really mad.” “The story made me sad.” )

•Raises hand instead of calling out or interrupting

•Grow in the capacity to avoid harming themselves, others, or things around them when expressing feelings, needs and opinions.

Treats others with respect in words and actions:

Performance Levels

•Area of Concern: Child uses inappropriate language. Child may be physically aggressive toward children and adults. Child does not listen to or accept the ideas of others.

•Developing: Child occasionally demonstrates stubbornness and disagrees with others without consideration of their ideas.

•Consistently Demonstrating: Child listens to the ideas of others and negotiates the best course of action. Child uses language that supports peers and adults (e.g., Thank you, that is a good idea, I like that!) Child demonstrates empathy when others are sad, mad, or hurt.

Additional observable behaviors for treating others with respect:

• Is sometimes a leader and sometimes a follower in small and large group activities.
• Offers to trade one toy for another. Listens while others are speaking.
• Takes turns.
• Respects the personal space of others.
• Controls temper
• Says “please,” “thank you,” “hello,” Goodbye” at appropriate times.
• Does not interrupt –

Shows Caring for Others:

Performance Levels:

Area of Concern: Child’s individual needs are paramount in all situations. Child does not share. Child uses physical aggression to meet his or her own needs. Child shows limited emotion when others are sad, mad or hurt.

Developing: Child occasionally needs to have own needs met before helping others. Child demonstrates some egocentrism in their actions.

Consistently Demonstrating: Child meets own needs but in relation to the larger needs of others. Child demonstrates empathy when others are sad, mad, or hurt. Child demonstrates empathy when others are sad, mad, or hurt.Child shares materials, opens doors for others, helps others with or without requests for assistance.

Additional Observable Behaviors for showing caring for others:

•Attempts to make amends (says, “I’m sorry.”)

•Includes children with differences (gender, special needs, culture, and language) in play.

•Tries to console a child who lost a game or is unhappy.

•Offers assistance to a peer

•Makes friends easily

•Gives compliments to others

Follows Directions and School Rules:
Performance Levels

•Area of Concern: Child demonstrates consistent disregard for rules. Child places self or others in danger as a result of not following school rules. Child infringes on the rights of peers or adults.

•Developing: Child occasionally breaks school rules or periodically fails to follow directions.

•Consistently Demonstrating: Child follows school rules, asks for clarification, or seeks help to comply with rules or directions. Child may help others understand rules or follow directions.

Additional observable behaviors for following directions and school rules:

• Follows adults’ safety guidelines.
• Follows class rules
• Follows directions to wash paint brushes, dry them and put them away on the art shelf
• Reminds classmates to wash hands before eating lunch
• Stops misbehaving with a verbal reminder from the teacher

Respects the property of others:
Performance Levels

• Area of Concern: Child demonstrates consistent disregard for property of others. Child breaks supplies or equipment, destroys property.
• Developing: Child occasionally usually materials or supplies without consent.
• Consistently Demonstrating: Child follows school rules, asks for permission for use of materials and supplies. Child shows deliberate consideration for the property of others (e.g., returns scissors of a peer that are left on a table, etc).

Additional observable behaviors for respecting the property of others:

•Using classroom materials purposefully and respectfully.

•Carefully handling toys and turning the pages of books.

•Putting away belongings and materials.

•Bringing a damaged object to teacher for repair after breaking it.

•Reminding teacher that the class pet needs food or water

Works cooperatively with others:
Performance Levels

• Area of Concern: Child refuses to cooperate with adults or peers in the classroom.
• Developing: Child occasionally prefers to work with some children but not with others. Intermittently does not work cooperatively in an activity or small or large group setting.
• Consistently Demonstrating: Child works well with other regardless of the composition of the group. Child supports the contributions of other children, asks opinion or needs of others, demonstrates initiative in facilitating group activities.

Additional observable behaviors for working cooperatively with others:

• Waits turn when working with peers
• Shares material with others.
• Encourages others to do their best.
• Accepts another child’s idea for building with blocks
• Offers to trade one toy for another
• Plays a game with several other children
• Helps another child open his milk at lunch