Covid 19 impact on children′s social and emotional development

Supporting Early Childhood Social-Emotional Well Being: The Building Blocks for Early Learning and School Success

Aparna Bagdi 1,2

and John Vacca 1

The period of early childhood sets the stage for how well children view themselves, each other, and their world. Shared positive emotional experiences between caregivers and children serve

as building blocks for the development of social and emotional well-being in infants and toddlers. Incorporating the three principles of promotion, prevention, and intervention within a systems framework (child–parent–environment) will enable early childhood practitioners to

foster the emotional health and well-being of all children and families, especially those indi- vidual children who are more vulnerable due to the presence of multiple risk factors. The primary intent of the authors of this paper is to discuss the importance of attending to the

social and emotional well being of very young children as a primary focus of early learning and school success.

KEY WORDS: emotional well-being; infant-toddler mental health; early learning; school success; school readiness; promotion–prevention–intervention.

INTRODUCTION

The period of early childhood sets the stage for how well children view themselves, each other, and their world (Honig, 2002). Early experiences also provide a template for learning and are the true lit- mus test for how well children will do in school and manage the daily events in their environment (Mei- sels, 2001; Rosenkoetter & Barton, 2002). In an extensive review of current research on brain devel- opment, Caine and Caine (1991) conclude that ‘‘emotions and cognition cannot be separated’’ (p. 66). Along this line, increasing bodies of related re- search and literature also shed light on the signifi- cance of early childhood years in overall growth and development and highlights the importance of edu- cational practices to embody the principles of pro- motion, prevention, and intervention (Biggar &

Pizzolongo, 2004; Bonkowski & Yanos, 1992; Par- lakian & Seibel, 2002; Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000; Weatherston, 2001; Zeenah & Zeenah, 2001). Key pieces of legislation that seek to support and secure stability for all children during their early years are on the rise. One such piece of legislation, The No Child Left Behind Act, which was enacted on Janu- ary 8, 2002, promises to provide a high quality edu- cation to every child in the United States irrespective of income, ability, or background. While this law sets accountability standards for quality education, par- ents, education providers, and related professionals are recognizing the need to extend their knowledge of how children learn and in what contexts they learn best in order to ensure school success (Butterfield, 2002). It is because of this need that this paper is written. The primary intent of the authors of this paper is to discuss the importance of attending to the social and emotional well being of very young chil- dren as a key strategy in making sure children start school ready to learn but also to make sure that no child is left behind.

Social and emotional development in early childhood continues to be an area of great interest and

1 Department of Individual and Family Studies, University of

Delaware, Newark, DE, USA. 2 Correspondence should be directed to Aparna Bagdi, Department of

Individual and Family Studies, University of Delaware, 109 Alison

Hall West, Newark, DE 19716, USA; e-mail: [email protected]

Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 33, No. 3, December 2005 (� 2006) DOI: 10.1007/s10643-005-0038-y

145 1082-3301/05/1200-0145/0 � 2006 Springer ScienceþBusiness Media, Inc.

an area that is explored by researchers and practitio- ners from a variety of disciplines (DeGangi, 2000; Hyson, 1994). In their book, From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development (2000), Shonkoff & Phillips indicate that:

What happens during the first months and years of

life matters a lot, not because this period of devel-

opment provides an indelible blueprint for adult

well-being, but because it sets either a sturdy or

fragile stage for what follows. (p. 5)

Many theories have been postulated attempting to explain the origins of the young child�s mind and their rubric for problem solving and relationship building. Erikson and Vygotsky assert that children need a safe, predictable base for exploration. Autonomous thinking and participation is the fruit of such a base and the glowing product resulting from healthy infant-caregiver attachment. Additionally, The National Association for the Education of Young Children�s (NAEYC) Position Statement on School Readiness (1995) highlights the importance of regarding all developmental domains (i.e., social skills, physical development, intellectual develop- ment, and emotional adjustment) as equally impor- tant contributors to a child�s adaptation to school life. NAEYC�s position asserts further:

When readiness expectations are based on a narrow

range of skills competencies, and focus on only a

few dimensions of development, the true complexity

of growth is overlooked and children whose devel-

opment is well within the normal range may be

erroneously characterized as inadequate. (p. 2)

The National Association for the Education of Young Children and The National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education�s joint position on early learning standards takes this view further by asserting that early learning standards must be based on significant developmen- tally appropriate content and outcomes, multiple and diverse perspectives of families, early childhood pro- fessionals and community members, ethical and appropriate assessment and supportive environments where these standards can be implemented effectively (Executive Summary, 2002). An integrated curricu- lum geared towards the whole child and reflective of their abilities to handle transitions, manage their emotions, and develop meaningful relationships with others is key to promoting school success (Biggar & Pizzolongo, 2004). The goal of such a combined ap- proach supports the importance of infant-toddler mental health by examining how families of young children respond to their children�s cues, interpret

their children�s behavior, and establish a reciprocal social relationship (Fitzgerald & Montanez, 2001; Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000; Vacca, 2001). Underlying this approach is the recognition that the behaviors and values that children learn at home and in their community are carried with them as they enter school. For many children there is a mismatch be- tween acceptable and unacceptable behaviors in the home and school. In other words behaviors that may be perceived as inappropriate in the school setting are learned and/or sanctioned in the child�s home. In other cases, children have families who have taught and tried to support appropriate behavior, but be- cause of the children�s unique characteristics (e.g., high activity, attention problems), these children need additional support in the school setting. Therefore the integrated curriculum needs to embrace an understanding of how different contexts affect chil- dren�s behavior. Such an understanding helps pave the way for collaborative relationships between home and school, and helps the child learn acceptable patterns of behavior that cuts across a variety of settings in their natural environment.

The makeup of today�s generation of children coming into programs is dramatically different from the last. At some time or another, a majority of children are considered to be ‘‘at risk’’. James Comer states that ‘‘given increasing divorce rates, the growing numbers of single parent families and fami- lies in which both parents work, and the general complexity of modern life, even children of well- educated, middle-class parents can come to school unprepared because of the stress their families are undergoing’’ (as cited in Ascher, 1993, p. 2 ). Due to this, early childhood educators and related profes- sionals are faced with new and unique challenges for which traditional forms of teaching and intervention are ineffective (Chazan-Cohen, Jerald & Stark, 2001; Dozier, Chase Stovall, Albus, & Bates, 2001; Walker, Stiller, & Golly, 1999).

The Advisory Committee on Services for Fami- lies with Infants and Toddlers (1994) summarized more than three decades of research by noting that:

The child-caregiver relationships with the mother,

father, grandparent, and other caregivers are criti-

cal for providing infants and toddlers support,

engagement, continuity, and emotional nourishment

necessary for healthy development, and the devel-

opment of healthy attachments. Within the context

of caregiving relationships, the infant builds a sense

of what is expected, what feels right in the world,

as well as skills as incentives for social turn-taking,

reciprocity, and cooperation. (p. 7)

146 Bagdi and Vacca

It is clear that shared positive emotional experi- ences between parents and their children serve as building blocks for the development of social and emotional well-being in infants and toddlers Fur- thermore, a healthy sense of well being leads to the development of resilience, thereby supporting the child�s ability to interpret, experience, manage, and cope effectively with joyous as well as distressing events in their life. Child-caregiver relationships are multifaceted, however. In supporting this dynamic relationship it is important to recognize the risk fac- tors that influence the children�s emotional well- being. These risk factors include elements of the child, the parents, and the environment. Table I de- picts a list of wide ranging but not exhaustive po- tential risk factors for emotional wellness in young children. Examples within the three elements (child, parent, and environment) illustrate the overlapping nature of these risk factors.

A fundamental aspect to ensuring the social and emotional well being of children is the recognition of the interrelatedness of these risk factors for the child, the parents, and the environment (Emde, Bertacchi, & Mann, 2001). Therefore, a multisystems approach is warranted.

This multisystems approach is reflected in Schmeelk, Ponirakis, and Gariepy�s (2001) study involving 67 young mothers and their 3-year old children. Schmeelk et al. based their investigation on the assumption that stressors in the lives of pregnant and parenting woman are processes that affect pre- natal, postpartum, and concurrent maternal hor- mones and emotions and that these processes affect child temperament. Results of this study corroborate findings from similar studies providing biological evidence supporting the relationship between mater- nal well-being and child outcomes. It also under- scores the need to address the mother and child individually, and that serving the mother and helping her meet her needs and that of the family will in turn positively affect the subsequent outcomes of her child (Blair, 2002; Hammond-Ratzlaff & Fulton, 2001; Horowitz, Bell, Trybulski, Munro, Moser, Hartz, McCordic, & Sokol, 2001; Ong, Boo, & Chandran, 2001; Solchany & Barnard, 2001). It is important to note that mental health services for young children and their families should be designed and imple- mented within a culturally-informed framework that is responsive to the needs of all families (Fiese, 2002; Randolph & Koblinsky, 2001; Samartin, Segovia,

Table I. Potential Risk Factors for Emotional Wellness

Child Parents (family)

Environment

Natural environment

Community and

neighborhood

Social/cultural/ political

environment

Low birth weight/

Prematurity

Temperament Temperament

Physiological state

Developmental delays and

disabilities

Disabilities and special needs Disabilities and

special needs

Disabilities and

special needs

Disabilities and

special needs

Health and illness Health and illness Health and illness

Attachment

Social skills

Language and cognition

Internal locus of control Internal working model

Stress management and

coping skills

Stress management and

coping skills

Awareness of child health,

development, and well-being

Public awareness of

child health,

development, and

well-being

Public awareness

of child health,

development, and

well-being

Training and education Training and education Training and education

Legislative priorities Legislative priorities Legislative priorities

SES SES SES SES SES

Family Culture Family Culture Family Culture Cultural Competence Cultural Competence

Race and ethnicity Race and ethnicity Race and ethnicity Race and ethnicity Race and ethnicity

Abuse/neglect/ maltreatment Abuse/neglect/ maltreatment Abuse/neglect/

maltreatment

Abuse/neglect/

maltreatment

Abuse/neglect/

maltreatment

147Supporting Early Childhood Social-Emotional Well Being

Schmidt-Mendez, Campos, & Escamilla, 2001; Vacca & Feinberg, 2000). Early childhood providers are in a unique position in working with and supporting families. A responsive and collaborative approach among early childhood providers and parents is therefore warranted. Recent work in this area has revealed that collaborative work between early childhood providers, educators, and parents leads to better outcomes for all involved, including but not limited to fewer conduct problems for children, in- creased parenting skills for mothers, and better classroom management skills for teachers (Webster- Stratton, Reid, & Hammond, 2001).

When young children enter school without the abilities to work cooperatively with their peers, fol- low rules, listen to their teachers, and work inde- pendently, they are placed at greater risk for a wide range of negative outcomes including peer rejection and school failure (Parker & Asher, 1987; Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995). Pianta (1999) indicates that classroom relationships can be extremely influential in all children�s lives, and teachers can contribute to these relationships greatly. Nurturing and supportive educational environments can be especially important for children living in high-risk circumstances for whom relationships may be compromised. But Pianta further states that because adult–child relationships are a resource for development, strengthening these relationships in non-risk populations can have added benefits to development as well. In both risk and non- risk samples, then, a focus on enhancing child-teacher relationships can be expected to elevate competence levels and to help attenuate the rates of failure cur- rently present in public schools (Pianta, 1999, p. 12).

Dalton and Watson (1997) support Pianta�s arguments by noting the benefits of supportive classroom relationships. Their research indicates that children who perceive a strong sense of community in their classrooms and who sense that their schools and classrooms are places where their teachers and classmates care about them and where their ideas and concerns are valued and considered important are more likely to ‘‘like school, trust and respect their teachers, enjoy challenging learning activities, be concerned about and help others, and resolve con- flicts fairly and without force’’ (p. 164).

Systems that Promote Emotional Well-Being:

Recommendations for Policy and Practice

For every element, at every level, systems must be committed to creating and implementing a child

and family-centered, collaborative, and culturally competent service continuum that includes promo- tion, prevention, and intervention. Promotion includes approaches and activities that raise awareness regarding the importance of early brain development, nurturing early relationships, and healthy attach- ments on children�s emotional health and well-being. Prevention can be defined as proactive approaches and activities that recognize potential risk factors for emotional wellness and accordingly construct mean- ingful experiences for children and families that focus on healthy relationships, skill development and resiliency. Intervention includes holistic, collabora- tive, child and family centered approaches and activities that provide specific, individualized sup- ports to meet the unique needs of children and fam- ilies. Interventions may include strategies and/or treatment to assist children with specific difficulties as a result of developmental, emotional, or environ- mental variables.

Taken together, these three principles incorpo- rated within a systems framework (child-parent-envi- ronment) will enable early childhood practitioners to:

• Foster the emotional health and well-being of all children and families, especially those individual children who are

more vulnerable due to the presence of multiple risk factors;

• Support parents to feel confident as their child�s primary caregiver, teacher, and advocate;

• Help parents to access and utilize resources in order to en- hance their child�s emotional well-being and to promote healthy family functioning;

• Increase awareness among early care and education pro- viders and related professionals about recognizing the sig-

nificance of early emotional development and its

relationship with school success and lifelong learning;

• Help early childhood practitioners to access and utilize re- sources in order to enhance their children�s emotional well-being and to promote optimal functioning;

• Train early care and education providers and related pro- fessionals to identify children experiencing atypical emo-

tional and behavioral development and address their needs;

• Support collaborative and equitable relationships between parents and early childhood professionals so that they can

collectively support and learn from each other ways to

support children�s emotional development; • Pave the way for continued advocacy and support for all children and families at local, state, and national levels.

Early identification and intervention are essential in meeting the unique needs of all children and fam- ilies. The authors recognize that early intervention may go hand in hand with labeling children and therefore indirectly may lead to restricting rather than enlarging the range of services and options available to families. However, labels are often nec- essary to ensure efficient communication between

148 Bagdi and Vacca

professionals and families and between families and service systems. So as to not make labels a self-ful- filling prophecy, early care and education experts and early intervention specialists must keep in mind the unique and distinctive child and family that they are working with. In order to meet the diverse needs of all young children and families, professionals must gear their efforts towards a wide range of in-depth, long- term, and individualized approaches. Examples of specific strategies that both foster emotional wellness along the promotion–prevention–intervention contin- uum and impact all three elements (child–parent– environment) are portrayed in Table II.

Although impressive strides have been made in improving outcomes for young children with special needs, much more work still needs to continue in this area. Hunt and Marshall (2001) assert that too many young children and families fall through the cracks because they are not given the supports they need in order to be successful. Many young people identified as having learning disabilities and emotional dis- abilities suffer from the lack of support and drop out of school. Early care professionals and teachers are not adequately prepared to deal with the complex range of learning and emotional needs shown by children, nor are they properly trained in working with parents and early intervention specialists in supporting children and families. Now more than ever, investing in early childhood emotional well being and mental health should be our priority. If we want to ensure that no child is left behind and that all children will be able to start school ready to learn, then it is imperative for parents, early childhood professionals, legislators, policymakers, and advo-

cates to attend to the physical, cognitive, social and emotional health and well-being of young children. These efforts can be sustained and driven forward through multi-pronged, collaborative federal and state initiatives, partnerships between families and agencies such as mental health boards, schools, and health care professionals, and supported by creative financing, and ongoing budget allocations. Addi- tionally, increased efforts to create and maintain safe home and learning environments need to be made. It is the recommendation of the authors of this paper that emerging initiatives should not focus solely on children but on children within the context of fami- lies, neighborhoods, and communities at large.

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Table II. Sample Strategies for Involving the Child, Parent, and Environment at All Levels for Supporting Emotional Wellbeing

Promotion Prevention Intervention

Child Early screening and identification Early screening and identification Trained professionals to deal with

challenging behaviors

Developmentally appropriate

curriculum

Developmentally appropriate and

individualized assessment

Developmentally appropriate and

individualized assessment

Evidence-based practice Culturally sensitive assessment and

intervention

Parent Parent-professional training Parent-professional training Parent-professional training

Parent–pediatrician relationships Parent–pediatrician relationships Parent–pediatrician relationships

Parent–teacher relationships Parent–teacher relationships Parent–teacher relationships

Home visiting programs Home visiting programs

Environment

(Neighborhood, schools,

programs, services)

Interagency collaboration Interagency collaboration Interagency collaboration

Trained professionals to deal with

challenging behaviors

Trained professionals to deal with

challenging behaviors

Trained professionals to deal with

challenging behaviors

Staff training Staff training Staff training

149Supporting Early Childhood Social-Emotional Well Being

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