Here’s an extract from my new book which will be published before Christmas.
Understanding and Managing Children’s Behaviour through Group Work Ages 5–7, A child-centred programme
“In order for children to achieve success at school they need a degree of healthy emotional and social development so that they are emotionally ready and able to learn. This involves being able to cope with success and failure and having the resilience to manage this, along with being able to ask for help when they need it. Children aged 5 – 7 years are often showing signs of becoming more independent and being able to manage separating from their carer, but their ability to do this well is dependent on their early experiences of this. They need to have positive experiences of this separation to be able to manage the school day and all it entails. (I will discuss this further in chapter five). Managing the school day includes having a sense of confidence and self-esteem, having self-reliance appropriate to their age, having a positive self-image and a strong sense of self, along with beginning to be able to understand their own feelings and express them. They need the stability and security to be able to manage change and unpredictability without it eroding their feelings of safety. They also need to have the social skills to develop, build and sustain relationships with both adults and children. How many children are equipped with all the skills to be able to do this?”