EDUA 5609 Children's Friendships
CHILDREN’S FRIENDSHIPS
Throughout preschool, elementary, middle, and high school, children’s friendships are growing, solidifying, and helping to define the way they see themselves and their social role. Gradually, relationships with those outside of the family become the primary means of social learning and interaction, as well as an anchor for acceptance and belonging.
Friendships provide children with joy, social skill practice, communication skills, and emotional growth. Yet they are also filled with risks and challenges. As children grow and change, so will their relationships with others. This course provides the educator with a thorough overview of emotional and social development, focusing on how the nature of friendship changes as children age. You will also learn how to help students harness the benefits of friendship, as well as to assist them in navigating the inevitable hurdles inherent in forging relationships with others.