Children's Social Skills

Author: Keri K. Bowers

Social skills encompass a range of abilities that people need to get along with others, contribute actively and positively to social environments, and form and maintain relationships. These relationships can be with family members, friends, teammates or club members, classmates, teachers, community leaders, and even future coworkers. Social skills help children evaluate events and then choose actions appropriate for the situation or social interaction. Since social situations and expectations change based on the environment, it is important for children to learn a variety of behaviors, words, and actions. It is also important for them to be able to recognize that their words and actions affect those around them. Communication, turn-taking, cooperation, empathy, self-regulation, emotional control, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and other abilities fall under the umbrella of social skills. To successfully participate in social groups, children need not only to learn to convey their thoughts and feelings but also to recognize the thoughts and feelings of others through verbal and non-verbal communication such as body language and facial expressions. They also need to acquire skills related to cooperating with others, such as taking turns, sharing ideas, using materials, or working together to solve problems, whether they are social problems, academic problems, or challenges in team sports!