Setting children up for social mastery: building young children's social capacity: looking through a teaching and learning lens

There is much debate in the literature and in the world of teachers and parents as to the most effective way of building young children's social capacity: laissez faire, authoritarian or authoritative. This study reports on the authoritative approach, the teaching and learning paradigm. Based on choice theory, this approach maintains that social behaviours are not intuitive. Children need to be intentionally taught and tutored in the performance of social behaviours. Behaviour expectations are realistic and consistent, children are supported as they learn new behaviours, and mistakes are viewed as opportunities for teaching and learning. The adults' role is non-coercive and non-judgemental, placing ownership of behaviour with the child. Participants in this preliminary study report their perceptions of an authoritative paradigm of behaviour teaching and learning. A total of 25 participants responded to the online survey, 7 staff (Female = 7, Male = 0) and 18 parents (Females = 17, Males = 1). The comparison between responses from staff and parents is tested with an independent sample t-test. The results indicate no significant differences in the views of the role of adults in building children's social capacity between parents and staff, t(23)=1.8, p>.05. However, results of an independent sample t-test comparing parents and staff show that parents (M=3.17) and staff (M=2.14) do differ significantly in their opinions of punishment and rewards in building young children's social competence, t(23)=3.02, p<.00