Trajectories of Social-Emotional Development Across Preschool and Early Primary School

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 24
  In Roundtable Session: Social and Emotional Learning Development in Preschool, Elementary School, and Middle School

Abstract

Social-emotional (SE) skills develop rapidly during early childhood and are considered important for success in school. Little is known about how SE skills emerge for children living in developing countries. We examine trajectories of SE development for 1,916 preschoolers in Ghana over two years and identify two meaningful growth trajectories: Low-Growth and Normative. Children in the Normative class had higher probabilities of being proficient in literacy and numeracy and were more likely to be rated by teachers as socially competent. Boys and poorer children were more likely to be classified in the Low-Growth class. This study presents the first results of social-emotional trajectories, and their implications for learning and development, for children in sub-Saharan Africa.

Authors

• Sharon Wolf, University of Pennsylvania

• Roland Reyes

• Emily Michelle Weiss, University of Pennsylvania

• Paul A. McDermott, University of Pennsylvania