Resources on Early Learning
FAQs
What Do I Need to Know about Social and Emotional Development in Young Children?
How does a child develop emotionally and socially from birth to 5?
The First Year
Although most babies go through similar stages as they develop emotionally and socially, during the first five years, adults will also see their children’s individual personalities begin to unfold.
During the first six months of life, babies will begin to smile at people, enjoy being talked to and played with, imitate some of the facial expressions and movements they see, and show a preference for some people, usually their parents, over others.
During the next six months, babies often become shy and fearful of strangers. They may cry when a parent leaves and may show a preference for one parent or caretaker over anyone else. Many will try out behaviors with a parent, such as dropping a toy or refusing to eat a certain food. Infants imitate not only sounds but also gestures, and they clearly enjoy the attention this behavior may bring. Many will begin to cooperate with feeding or dressing by picking up finger foods or holding out an arm for a sleeve.
The Second Year
A 1-year-old is still the center of her own world. She may enjoy playing beside another child, but she doesn’t really understand sharing. A toddler pokes an eye or pulls hair without realizing that this behavior hurts another child. By about 18 months, she may learn her own name and recognize her own reflection in a mirror. She may try to help a parent by imitating the parent’s actions in picking up toys or sweeping the floor. As children approach 2 years of age, parents notice them starting to pull away from the parents. For good reason, people call this the “NO” stage!
Two-year-olds often become insistently independent. They seem self-centered as they slowly learn about the world outside themselves. Many will not share or take turns and may not play easily with others. Aggressive behavior is more frequent and deliberate. A child may seem to refuse to listen but imitate his parent’s tone and words exactly when speaking to another child or his teddy bear. Emotional highs and lows are common. A 2-year-old may be on his worst behavior with the person he trusts the most. The limits he needs for his own safety, as well as for the rights of others, may bring on tantrums. However, he may also be an openly affectionate and enthusiastic companion.
The Third Year
Three-year-old children often are more willing to be apart from parents and enjoy playing with others. With encouragement, a child may develop the ability to take turns and share. She may pretend to be a character from a television show or a story. Many 3-year-olds show definite gender differences in activities. They begin to learn to work out minor disagreements with playmates so the game can continue. This is an age when many children have make-believe friends. At times, they need help knowing what is real and what is fantasy.
The Fourth Year
Between 3 and 5 years of age, children often enjoy friends enough to want to please them and be like them. They may agree more readily to rules. They may seem to care more about what their friends say and do than about their parents’ standards. They need to be taught the difference between accidents and deliberate misbehavior, between a bad action and a bad person. They usually understand what is real and what is make-believe. Many will show some empathy for others. At this age, children begin to show an interest in sexual differences and may seem to compete with a parent of the same sex for the attention of the other parent (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1993).
What should parents do if they are concerned about their child’s development?
Parents who wonder whether their child’s development is “normal” may want to compare their child’s progress to the milestones for typical children in books or in the Web resources listed below. If you think there may be a problem or if there is a substantial difference in your child’s development from what is suggested in these lists of milestones, contact the child’s pediatrician or other health provider and ask for an appointment. It may help to remember that, at times, a physical problem such as frequent ear infections or an eye problem may slow development.
Many communities have early intervention specialists to help young children who have special needs. A local school district or health facility may be able to assess the child and find the needed services (Ostrosky, 1997).
What resources are available in Illinois for children who may have special developmental needs?
Children whose parents suspect they may have special needs have many resources to help them in Illinois. You can contact:
- Early Interventions: Illinois Department of Human Services
This site contains information on finding regional Child and Family Connections Agencies as well as resources and contact information helpful to parents.
http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=32009 - Help Me Grow Helpline
This service from the Illinois Department of Human Services helps connect residents, particularly women and children, with the services they need. This service includes information and advocacy.
800-323-4769 - Illinois Local School Districts
Local school districts are responsible for seeking out and identifying all children from birth through age 21 years within the district who may be eligible for special education and related services. Local school districts are responsible for the provision of special education and related services for eligible children and youth ages 3 through 21 years.
http://www.isbe.net - Early Intervention Clearinghouse
The Early Childhood Intervention Clearinghouse provides library and information services. The Clearinghouse contains information on health, education, and developmental concerns of infancy and early childhood. Professionals, policy makers, students, and parents can use the services of this statewide project.
Call 800-852-4302, or email clearinghouse@eosinc.com for more information. - For more information regarding early childhood special education services, a parent or teacher may send an email message to Pamela Reising Rechner (email: preising@isbe.net).
- STARNET (Support and Technical Assistance Regionally)
The STARNET system serves young children, families, and communities in Illinois, working to develop more effective partnerships and linkages among families, professionals, and systems. STARNET provides training and technical assistance to early childhood special education preschool staff and families of young children.
http://www.isbe.net/spec-ed/html/sped_early_child.htm
References
- American Academy of Pediatrics. (1993). Caring for your baby and young child: Birth to age 5. New York: Bantam Books.
- Ostrosky, Michaelene M. (1997). Early education for children with special needs [Online]. Available: http://library.adoption.com/Special-Needs/Early-Education-for-Children-with-Special-Needs/article/3258/1.html [2005, June 3]. Editor's Note: this url is no longer active.
Illinois Early Learning Tip Sheets
- Bullying Hurts Everyone
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/bullying.htm - Children’s Social Competence Checklist
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/checklist.htm - Dealing with Distraction
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/distraction.htm - Ease Those First-Day Blues!
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/blues.htm - Encouraging Child-to-Child Conversation
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/conversation.htm - Encouraging Words
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/encouragingwords.htm - Fuss Management: Comforting the Irritable Child
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/fuss-comforting.htm - Fuss Management: Planning Ahead to Prevent Tantrums
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/fuss-planning.htm - Games for All Young Children
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/games.htm - He's Teasing Me!
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/teasing.htm - Helping Children Develop Impulse Control
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/impulsecontrol.htm - Helping Children Learn to Get Along
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/conflict.htm
- Helping Siblings Get Along
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/sibs.htm - Helping the Often-Angry Child
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/angry.htm - Kids Who Care
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/kidscare.htm - Making and Keeping Friends
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/makekeepfriends.htm - Manners and Preschoolers
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/manners.htm - Play Right—Don’t Bite!
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/biting.htm - Please Don't Go! Separation Anxiety and Children
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/sepanxiety.htm - Understanding and Accepting Differences: Why Can't Maria Walk?
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/accept-disabilities.htm - When Children Mourn
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/mourn.htm - Young Children’s Mental Health: What Is Essential?
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/mental-essential.htm
Web Resources
- Age 2 to 3 Years: Emotional Development
http://www.medem.com/search/article_display.cfm?
path=\\TANQUERAY\M_ContentItem&mstr=/M_ContentItem/
ZZZG71856DC.html&soc=AAP&srch_typ=NAV_SERCH - Assessing Young Children's Social Competence
http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/eecearchive/digests/2001/mcclel01.html - Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel. - Child Development
http://cyfernet.ces.ncsu.edu/cyfdb/browse_2pageAnncc.php?
subcat=Child+Development&search=NNCC&search_type=browse - Common Signs of Slow Development
http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=406 - Developmental Stages
http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/stages.cfm#inf - Dispositions: Definitions and Implications for Early Childhood Practice
http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/eecearchive/books/disposit.html - A Guide to Promoting Resilience in Children
http://resilnet.uiuc.edu/library/grotb95b.html - Having Friends, Making Friends, and Keeping Friends: Relationships as Educational Contexts
http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/eecearchive/digests/1992/hartup92.html - Healthy Start, Grow Smart Series
http://www.ed.gov/parents/earlychild/ready/healthystart/index.html - Helping Young Children Make New Friends at School
http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/pubs/ivpaguide/appendix/clark-helping.pdf - Illinois Early Childhood Special Education
http://www.isbe.net/spec-ed/html/sped_early_child.htm - Promoting Children’s Social and Emotional Development through Preschool
http://nieer.org/resources/policyreports/report7.pdf - Social and Emotional Milestones
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/ActEarly/interactive/milestones/social_index.html
Other Resources
- Brazelton, T. Berry. (1992). Touchpoints: Your child's emotional and behavioral development. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
- Brazelton, T. Berry. (2001). Touchpoints three to six: Your child's emotional and behavioral development. Cambridge: Perseus.
- Kagan, Jerome, & Gall, Susan B. (Eds.). (1998). The Gale encyclopedia of childhood and adolescence. Detroit: Gale Research.
- Spock, Benjamin. (2001). Dr. Spock's the first two years: The emotional and physical needs of children from birth to age two. Riverside, NJ: Simon & Schuster.
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