Creating positive peer relationships: teaching for social competency

Although early childhood professionals have an essential role in creating positive peer relationships among the children they teach, this role is often overlooked. Harmonious peer relationships provide the basis for developing social and emotional well-being and augmenting the learning process. Early childhood learning environments should reflect a society which values interdependency and co-operation, and in which children can experience co-operative group activities that introduce and guide the development of social skills. These interactions develop social competencies in children which in turn, serve as lifelong social tools. Strategies to help educators build, maintain and monitor positive peer relationships are outlined with a case study illustrating the process of teaching for social competency.