Young children need to have a foundation for understanding what careers are, and how the school day and workday are like, and understanding of their interest, and connection between what they are learning in school in the world of work before making links to post Secondary expectations.

Children between the ages of three and five are in the psychosocial stage, known as initiative versus guilt. During this time, the main cycle social task is to actively explore the environment to develop a sense of control over physical surroundings.

Negativity

Prosocial behavior is behavior, motivated by the intention of helping another person rather than oneself.

In early elementary, students begin to engage with other children through play, although much of their play is still side to side, rather than face-to-face play, and the major influence in the life of children in this age group is predominantly the family unit.

Around the transition. From kindergarten to first, children begin to enter the stage of industry verse and verity. The focus in this stage is on children, learning and mastering, academic task; students are continuously learning, new information, and, particularly in today’s educational environment, are tested to demonstrate their competence.

Teachers and counselors may begin to notice some children, and pre-K, K, and first grade starting to have negative thoughts about themselves, having doubts about their liability or attractiveness, or worrying that they are not smart enough. Self-esteem may be built through helping children have success experiences, and assisting them, and recognizing their own unique strengths.

During the early elementary years, two major feelings, develop that contribute to social emotional development; shame and guilt.

Shame

Guilt

guilt comes from feeling badly about hurting another person

Shame comes from feeling humiliated

shame can foster unhealthy emotional development

guilt may be essential to ensure that children learn that other peoples feelings matter

Learning to care about the feelings of others, but not to be consumed by focusing on others, is an important skill.

Prosocial behaviors may include

comforting others

assisting others

using manners

donating

sharing

engaging in cooperative work, or play

exhibiting kindness

displaying empathy

Such behaviors are largely for during early childhood years. In the context of a career in college readiness, social and emotional maturity is a crucial element for developing effective skills in college and in the workplace

Pre-K, K, and first grade are generally in the cognitive stage of development known as pre-occupational thought. During this stage, children have difficulty conceptualizing time and, therefore, may have difficulty projecting what their future lives may be like, including considering what careers they may want. This is not mean, however, that they can’t think about and learn about careers and college

Children in this stage generally do not display

logical linear thought

are often egocentric

Egocentrism in regards to pre-occupational thought refers to children’s lack of understanding that other people have world views, or perspectives that differ from their own.

Children in the preoperational stage may display influence by fantasy, or magical, thinking, and have some difficulty discerning what is real or not.

For children to learn during the pre-operational stage, adults need to break down the content into smaller, more manageable pieces of information, give students lots of opportunities to practice what is learned in order to achieve mastery and allow students an opportunity to engage in practical application of learned material through model, such as gradual release framework.

Gradual release

  1. I do
  1. we do
  1. You Do

Children use a working memory where they actively process formation based on prior learning or discard information that is not necessary to remember.

Adults may help children improve their memory, capacities by incorporating activities that involve repetition and practice. These skills are highly necessary for future academic success.

Problem based learning involves the student center approach where students generate questions about a topic and direct the learning process.

Social interaction and collaboration are key components of problem-based learning

Students in experimental problem based learning have significant gains of knowledge of stem content in critical thinking skills over students who do not.

Students in grades pre-K through first grade are very vulnerable to integrating judgments about careers and college based on perspectives of family or other adults

During this developmental period have an orientation to obedience and make choices based on what is denoted as right and wrong from authorities in their life

Stop Dream Squashers!

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