Nurturing Prosocial Behaviours among Young Children

Q: How can preschools better nurture the development of prosocial behaviours among young children?

A: Helping young children to develop prosocial skills is one of the most important steps in preparing them for a healthy future. Prosocial skills have been found to play an important role in children’s social interactions, attentional regulation, and peer acceptance. In fact, kindergarten prosocial skills were found to predict key young adult outcomes across education, employment, and mental health. As such, developmental researchers have been particularly interested in exploring ways to promote prosocial behavior among young children.

Many prosocial behaviors training methods have incorporated the power of story-telling. Screen-based interventions, narrative training, and conversational training all appear to use the element of moral stories and lectures to effectively foster children’s emotional competence and their propensity to engage in prosocial behavior. For example, stories that show positive consequences as well the benefits of prosocial behavior have been successful in promoting behaviors such as sharing and being honest. Teacher and parent training programs in the form of professional development and workshops can also be sought out at schools, community centres, and online resources. Key words to look out for are “helping” “sharing” “comforting” “cooperating” and “empathy”.