Supporting Children’s Social and Emotional Competence

Competence

Social and emotional competence for children is the ability to interact positively with others, regulate emotions and behaviour, solve problems and communicate effectively with others (Innis, 2018).

In the kindergarten environment the social and emotional development of your child goes hand in hand with other aspects of learning and gives a firm foundation for your child to conquer many of the challenges faced in day to day issues both in the kindergarten and at home. A child who has developed skills in social and emotional competence will have the ability to make decisions and participate in activities.

The educator in your kindergarten setting will not just be developing your child’s intellectual competencies but looking at holistic development to provide the best possible outcome for your child’s needs. Research shows a strong link between social-emotional competence and cognitive development, language acquisition, mental health and general academic success (Houseman, 2017).

This chapter will provide more insight of a competent child and ways of supporting your child as a parent to provide best possible outcomes.