Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Children’s personal, social and emotional development (PSED) is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives, and is fundamental to their cognitive
development. Underpinning their personal development are the important attachments that shape their social world. Strong, warm and supportive
relationships with adults enable children to learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others. Children should be supported to manage
emotions, develop a positive sense of self, set themselves simple goals, have confidence in their own abilities, to persist and wait for what they want and
direct attention as necessary. Through adult modelling and guidance, they will learn how to look after their bodies, including healthy eating, and manage
personal needs independently. Through supported interaction with other children they learn how to make good friendships, co-operate and resolve conflicts
peaceably. These attributes will provide a secure platform from which children can achieve at school and in later life.
Key Skills and Learning Linked to PSED - Managing self:
Self-care – eating, drinking, making or helping to make own snacks,
personal hygiene, cleaning teeth, dressing undressing, takes care of own
belongings.
Safety – understand and follow rules on how to keep safe when using
and transporting tools, equipment and resources; understand rules linked
to road safety.
Keeping healthy – knowledge of food groups including healthy foods;
knowledge of importance of exercise to keep their body healthy.
Vocabulary – use vocabulary linked to: foods and food groups, body
parts, exercise and effects on body, dressing skills, road safety, safety
including using and transporting tools and equipment.
Communication – communicate own needs in relation to being thirsty,
hungry tired, use of toilet; communicate when they need help from
others including peers and adults.
Key Skills and Learning Linked to PSED - Building Relationships:
Build friendships – engage in positive interactions with adults and peers,
form relationships with others, seek others to share activities and
experiences, seek familiar adults and peers to engage in conversations,
ask for help.
Work together – understand and follow simple rules, share and take
turns, listen to others, be considerate to the needs of others, respect the
view point of others, take on ideas of others, work together in
collaboration.
Use language – to negotiate, co-operate, plan and organise play, resolve
conflict.
Social skills – observe others, initiate and understand the rules of social
interaction, negotiate, resolve conflict, able to compromise, take
responsibility for themselves and others.
Recognise the needs of others - show sensitivity to others, demonstrate
empathy, show awareness of how their actions may impact on others,
know that other children think and respond in different ways to them.
Communication – use gestures, non-verbal communication, facial
expressions, body language, appropriate language and vocabulary;
listen to others, speak to peers and adults and engage in discussions in a
positive way, reflect on experiences, explain reasons why, respond to
experiences and people, recall events, make suggestions.
Key Skills and Learning Linked to PSED - Self-Regulation:
Express feelings – show how they feel in response to different
experiences as appropriate (happy, sad, excited, upset, angry,
frustrated, worried,) show pride in their own achievements.
Communication – make choices, communicate what they need, listen to
others, maintain attention in familiar and unfamiliar situations, attend
to other people (adults, peers) both familiar and unfamiliar. Recall
experiences, initiate an apology when appropriate.
•Respond – Follow instructions, requests, and ideas in a range of
contexts and situations.
•Understand feelings – talk about and discuss with others how they feel;
explain why they are experiencing particular feelings.
Manage feelings and behaviour – understand and follow rules, share
with others, work with others, change and adapt their behaviour in
response to different situations, deal with anger and frustration,
negotiate with others to solve simple problems.
Understand how others feel – show care and concern for others, show
sensitivity to others, show awareness of how their actions may impact
on others, know that other children think and respond in different ways
to them.
Active learning – engage in challenges, show awareness of strengths
and what they need to learn, develop ability to plan, adapt, persist and
review their progress.