Changing Social Dynamics in Early Childhood Classrooms

Abstract

[764][765][766][767][768][769][770][771][772][773]. The purpose of this study was to analyze how social dynamics in early childhood classrooms change from fall to spring and from early to late preschool. The subjects were 92 preschoolers in age-stratified (3-year-old, 4-year-old, and 5-year-old) classrooms. Their sociometric ratings and peer contact pattems were recorded during the fall and spring. From early to late preschool, children's sociometric ratings became increasingly negative, especially toward cross-sex peers. Their contact patterns showed an analogous decrease in cross-sex contacts, although the changes were not as linear as those in the sociometric ratings. The analysis of group sizes showed that the 4-year-olds spent more time in larger groups than both their younger and older peers did. Group sociometric ratings and contact patterns changed from fall to spring, but individual children showed considerable stability in the sociometric ratings that they gave their peers and in the size and gender composition of their play groups.

Context Influences Preschool Children's Decisions to Include a Peer with a Physical Disability in Play

“…Interactions between young children reflect more than the demands of the activity; they also reflect the individual characteristics of each child, including shared interests in play activities and social interactions. In a study of children's social interactions in preschool, Ramsey (1995) found that children developed more selective peer preferences and interaction patterns over the course of the school year and that four-and five-year-old preschool children were significantly less likely to participate in mixed-gender play groups in the spring than in the fall. Results such as these highlight the importance of understanding the social contexts of inclusive classrooms along with the functional demands of classroom activities in understanding opportunities for interaction among children with disabilities and their typically developing peers.…”

Academic Competence in Preschool: Exploring the Role of Close Relationships and Anxiety

“…Individual interviews were conducted using Ramsey's (1995) ratings procedure, which is a modified version of the ratings method described by Asher, Singleton, Tinsley, and Hymel (1979). Sociometric ratings have been found to be superior to sociometric nominations in terms of validity coefficients in preschool children (Asher et al, 1979).…”

The Nature and Meaning of Social Integration for Young Children With Mild Developmental Delays in Inclusive Settings

“…However, even under seemingly ideal conditions (e .g ., high levels of social skills exhibited by children with disabilities and a supportive, quality program), social separation is apparent well into the school year (Ispa, 1981) . Relatedly, preference patterns for typically developing children, especially negative relationships, either remain stable or become increasingly selective and negative over the course of the preschool year (Ramsey, 1995).…”