4 results
14 - Friendships
- from Part 2 - Dimensions of health and wellbeing
- Edited by Susanne Garvis, Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria, Donna Pendergast, Griffith University, Queensland
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- Book:
- Health and Wellbeing in Childhood
- Published online:
- 08 March 2024
- Print publication:
- 04 March 2024, pp 224-238
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- Chapter
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Summary
This chapter investigates friendships and children’s wellbeing in the early years of schooling. Having a friend, and being a friend, is closely connected to children’s health and wellbeing in the early years. Friendship safeguards children from social isolation and is associated with academic attainment and social success. In early childhood, children most often make friends through play, having common interests and doing shared activities.Using children’s direct accounts and visual representations of their friendships, we explore characteristics of friendship and the strategies that children use to make friends and manage disputes as they negotiate their social and emotional relationships through play and shared spaces. Three aspects of friendships are evident in the children’s accounts: friendship is enduring; friendship is a mutual relationship; and friendship involves an emotional investment. This chapter provides educators with an understanding of the important role of friendships in young children’s everyday lives, and to their happiness and wellbeing in the early years.
18 - Friendships
- from Part III - Interaction and Inclusion
- Edited by Amelia Church, University of Melbourne, Amanda Bateman, Swansea University
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- Book:
- Talking with Children
- Published online:
- 16 June 2022
- Print publication:
- 30 June 2022, pp 368-387
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Summary
Responsive and respectful relationships are principal elements of early childhood curricula in many countries. Children seek to interact with peers, be included as part of a group, and make friends. Successful relationships in the early years lead to better communication skills, increased general knowledge, and feelings of wellbeing, all necessary for successful life and work outcomes. Making friends is often viewed as a ‘natural’ state of childhood, and consequently, assumes an individual’s social skills are the sole reason for a child’s ability to make friends or not. This chapter takes an interactional view to show that friendships are linked to ongoing and inter-dependent actions of the peer group. Seven examples of peer interactions highlight the ways in which children actively seek to participate and build friendships. It is these ‘implications for practice’ that demonstrate how early childhood educators might support children’s play and participation so as to develop responsive and respectful relationships. The chapter argues that when an interactional process approach, based on conversation analysis is adopted, educators can identify the criticality of the social context, and best support children’s opportunities to be included and make friends.
14 - Friendships
- from Part 2 - Dimensions of health and wellbeing
- Edited by Susanne Garvis, Donna Pendergast, Griffith University, Queensland
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- Book:
- Health and Wellbeing in Childhood
- Published online:
- 30 November 2020
- Print publication:
- 16 June 2020, pp 235-256
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- Chapter
- Export citation
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Summary
This chapter investigates friendships and children’s wellbeing in the early years of schooling. Having a friend, and being a friend, is closely connected to children’s health and wellbeing in the early years. Friendship safeguards children from social isolation and is associated with academic attainment and social success . In early childhood, children often make friends through play, having common interests, and doing shared activities.Through young children’s direct accounts and visual representations about their friendships, we explore characteristics of friendship and the strategies that children use to make friends and manage disputes as they negotiate their social and emotional relationships through play and shared spaces. Three aspects of friendships are evident in the children’s accounts: friendship is enduring, friendship is a mutual relationship, and friendship involves an emotional investment. This chapter provides educators with an understanding of the important role of friendships in young children’s everyday lives, and to their happiness and wellbeing in the early years.
Chapter 9 - Friendships
- from Part 2 - Dimensions of Health and Wellbeing
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- By Maryanne Theobald, Senior Lecturer in the School of Early Childhood at Queensland University of Technology, Australia., Susan Danby, Research Fellow and Professor in the School of Early Childhood, and Co-leader of the Childhoods in Changing Contexts Research Group, at Queensland University of Technology, Australia., Catherine Thompson, now retired from active research with Queensland University of Technology although still maintains a keen interest in research involving early childhood., Karen Thorpe, Professor at the Centre for Children's Health Research, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.
- Edited by Susanne Garvis, Göteborgs Universitet, Sweden, Donna Pendergast, Griffith University, Queensland
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- Book:
- Health and Wellbeing in Childhood
- Published online:
- 21 June 2018
- Print publication:
- 01 September 2017, pp 141-160
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Summary
Introduction
This chapter investigates friendships and children's wellbeing in the early years of schooling. Having a friend, and being a friend, is closely connected to children's health and wellbeing in the early years. Friendship safeguards children from social isolation and is associated with academic attainment and social success. In early childhood, children often make friends through play and other shared activities.
Through young children's direct accounts and visual representations about friendships, we explore characteristics of friendship and the strategies that children use to make friends and manage disputes as they negotiate their social and emotional relationships through play and shared spaces. Three aspects of friendships are evident in the children's accounts: friendship is enduring, friendship is a mutual relationship, and friendship involves an emotional investment. This chapter provides educators with an understanding of the important role of friendships in young children's everyday lives, and to their happiness and wellbeing in the early years.
Importance of Friendships in the Early Years
Children's friendships are accomplished in the social and educational spaces outside of family contexts, and include child care, preschool and school settings. These settings provide children with opportunities to interact with other children and offer opportunities to make friends.
Having a friend is associated with a child's success at school. Children with friends enjoy school more, and are happier to attend preschool and school (Buhs & Ladd, 2001). Friendships are particularly important when children attend their first year of school because children with friends tend to adjust more quickly and have more positive attitudes towards schooling (Dunn, Cutting & Fisher, 2002). When at preschool or school, children with friends join in with activities more often than those without friends (Tomada et al., 2005), and participation in class activities is associated with positive effects on children's achievement at school.
Friendships provide children with social and emotional support that is important for resilience in times of change, and feelings of happiness and wellbeing (Danby, 2008; Dunn, 2004). Friends offer strong supports that can reduce feelings of anxiety, confusion, angst and social isolation for children. In the early years, friendships facilitate positive outcomes for children and can reduce stress in times of change, such as transition to school (Dunn, 2004; Hartup, 1992).