The Importance of Children's Peer Relationships

Children start working on peer relationships even before they are mobile. During the years between birth and six, children spend lots of time and energy working on social skills. As the article, 'Children's Peer Relationships Have Enormous Influence' indicates, a child's skills at entering a group of peers, self expression, assertion, listening, negotiation, empathy, and forgiveness are very important for a successful learning and a satisfying childhood.

CPSC's program focuses on supporting the development of good social skills. We recognize that there are all kinds of children. Some of them learn social skills very easily. For others, social skills come with difficulty. Our classroom communities provide a great environment for learning the social skills needed for mutually satisfying peer relationships which are so important in a child's development. Our teachers work continually in their classrooms at social problem solving skills, supporting self expression, helping children listen to one another, developing empathy for friends, and respecting their classmate's needs and preferences. Our goal is to send them off to the world of elementary school with good social skills firmly in place so they will be able to form positive, mutually respectful and supportive friendships that will provide them with the rich benefits of good social connections throughout their lives.