EDU 667-Proposal Action Research Presentation Name:
Item
Title slide
Introduction (1 slide that tells the purpose
of your action research and your action
research questions)
Literature Review (1 or more slides that
summarizes the key researchers that
related to your study
Methodology (5 slides-theoretical
framework, participants, setting, data
collection plan describing each tool)
Results and Discussion (1 slide summary)
Data Analysis and Interpretation (1 slide
summary)
Conclusion (1 slide about
recommendations)
Anticipated Action (1 slide about what you
could do with your research to share it to
the world)
Speaker’s Notes
Reference Slide
APA (on reference slide)
Total
Points Possible
2
5
5
5
5
10
5
5
4
2
2
50
Points Earned
RUNNING HEAD: Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
Paramount Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience in Young Children
Reem ALshamri
Dr. Kathy Hoover
EDT667
University of Dayton
Dayton, OH
December 2016
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Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
Abstract
When children engage is social and academic settings, fights, disagreements, and
arguments are common. For young children, a balance between learning at home and learning at
school is very important. The research focused on observing 15-20 children of ages, 4 to 5 years
with mixed genders and from the various ethnic background. The participants were observed in
some educational and play settings. Children were also observed at home during their individual
play as well as in schools during their activities in groups. A qualitative approach was implemented
for this study to understand the ways that prevented resilience in children. Children were also asked
informal questions about their behavioral engagements. Best ways to foster resilience in children
was identified using intervention techniques applied in the research.
Keywords: Resilience, Social Development, Cognitive Development
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Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
Children are the future of any nation. The positive development of children at young ages
matters most because that is when children learn the quickest and can adapt to things around them.
Development of resilience leads to children’s well-being and academic achievement in the early
years of their lives (Ashdown and Bernard, 2002). Can Explicit Instruction in Social and Emotional
Learning Skills Benefit the Social-Emotional Development, Well-being, and Academic
Achievement of Young Children?, My research paper focused on the social, emotional, and
academic learning of young children to identify the best ways to develop resilience. Teaching at
home or in early child care schools where children spent most of their time learning and developing
skills.
Statement of the Problem
Parents play a significant role in children’s early development and learning at home
(Macfarlane and Cartmel, 2008). Home culture has a substantial effect on children’s positive (or
not so positive) development and learning. While some children are shy and sensitive, others are
confident and outgoing. As they transition from home to school, teaching has to be aimed at the
child’s long-term success for schools and society (Israelashvili and Rozi, 2003). The achievement
strategies including social, emotional, cognitive, and academic achievements were focused on
effective learning in all areas (Pizzolongo and Amy Hunter, 2011). The emergence of resilient
behavior in and outside of the classroom and the ways in which to achieve it are the main focus of
this research.
Purpose
The purpose of my action research study was to find out about resilience in 4-5-year-olds
through competence, motivation, and play.
Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
4
1) How did resilience emerge in young children and what behavioral aspects are drove
forces for resiliency?
2) How did notions of motivation, competence, and achievement played out in the
positive development of young children?
3) What were some of the best ways to foster resilience social academic learning
preschool?
Literature Review
Resilience is very essential in all settings of interaction. Usually, children get their early
childhood education at home where parents are the primary teachers and caretakers. At early ages,
children get a sense of attention from many different people at home which decrease in number as
the child gets older (Israelashvili and Wegman-Rozi, 2003). There are some books, articles and
studies in the literature that shed light on the importance of resilience in children in every setting.
This section of the document is intended to provide an in-depth review of the literature related to
childhood education and resilience in a variety of everyday settings.
Resilience in Children
According to the American Psychological Association, “resilience is the ability to adapt
well to adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or even significant sources of stress” ( Pizzolongo and
Amy Hunter, 2011). In today’s world, children are more often than not exposed to complex
interactions among peers, classmates, teachers and people around them. These issues have been
addressed by education, counseling, training, and effective intervention techniques. (Embury and
Saklofske, 2014) Have shown a three-factor theory of personal resiliency which revealed some of
the important attributes of resilient behavior. The authors showed that developmental systems,
Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
5
Sense of Mastery, Sense of Relatedness, and Emotional Reactivity were important. The three
developmental systems are described in this section.
Sense of Mastery
All children are unique and their sense of mastery and efficacy towards a certain event.
Children tend to compete in a competitive environment to not only fulfill their natural desires but
also to accomplish something among their peers (Macfarlane and Cartmel, 2008). Researches have
shown that the sense of competence is very important for children because it prevents them from
developing social, behavioral and emotional problems when interacting with people. The sense of
mastery initiates self-confidence and determination in children who then tend to be much more
resilient in different settings.
When children are challenged in different ways, they tend to show their full potential to
overcome those challenges. This ability enhances the resilience within them and prepares them for
future challenges in life. When children master something, they not only understand the process
of learning but also see those challenges as positive challenges rather than adversities.
Sense of Relatedness
Children at young ages tend to relate their learning and experiences to people around them
including their parents, teachers, and peers. During the early childhood development, parents build
a sense of trust and harmony with their children (Macfarlane and Cartmel, 2008). The moral and
ethical values, tolerance, and respect is much needed from parent’s side to ensure that children are
much more resilient in their daily interactions with teachers at schools, or their peers within the
classrooms. These strategies serve as the first step in social support of a child.
Emotional Reactivity
Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
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The researchers defined emotional reactivity as one of the most important aspects of
resilience because it showed how an individual will react to the adverse circumstances or tolerance
issues when they experienced it (Pizzolongo and Amy Hunter, 2011). The children’s ability to
express their feelings and have a negative emotional response to a certain event hold significant
importance. It is very important for the parents, as early childhood educators, to aim at reducing
emotional reactivity in children to increase personal resiliency. While it is normal for some
children to express their negative emotions at times, parents and teachers should be able to address
those emotions to guide children towards the positive personal development.
Some children are very sensitive while others are more confident and outgoing. It is the
responsibility of the parents and school teachers to understand the strengths and weaknesses of
children and to address them accordingly. Based on the type of situation, the counseling and
activities should be initiated to break negative emotional reactivity. This would allow the children
to be less vulnerable to the effects of rigidness and be more resilient in their behavior towards
others.
The Emergence and Importance of Resilience
It is natural that people face many difficulties and challenges in life. While humans have
the capacity to face those life challenges, necessary practices, learnings, and training are important
to ensure resilient behavior in every walk of life. Young children are more vulnerable to hightempered and intolerant behaviors. This is because their ability to think things through and
understand them is much less developed than an adult. Children have unique cognitive, behavioral,
social, and emotional tendencies (Ashdown and Bernard, 2012). They do face stress and trauma at
different stages of life. This can be due to poor attention from their parents, not having many
friends, inferiority complex, or other reasons. Resilient behavior helps them overcome the negative
Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
7
effects of trauma and stress (Pizzolongo and Amy Hunter, 2011). Researchers have proved that the
early childhood period is the best time to learn and promote resilient behavior (Masten and
Gewirtz, 2006). This is the period when children are involved in early childhood education at home
and in school (Aina and Cameron, 2011). The responsibility lies on early educators such as parents,
guardians and teachers to develop resilience to foster positive interactions and relationships.
Healthy cognitive, social, emotional and physical development help the children to adapt to
adversities in life.
Fostering resilience in children
Some children are strong and resilient when it comes to interacting with others, learning,
facing life challenges, and establishing their educational and career paths (Aina and Cameron,
2011). Others tend to express negative emotions and intolerant behaviors when they face adversity
in their lives. Social and emotional trauma is something that can only be achieved if resiliency is
learned and established in the first place (Ashdown and Bernard, 2012). Without that, children are
more vulnerable to collapse or making bad choices for themselves. Some ways to foster resiliency
in children is shown in the literature. Some of the best ways are presented in detail in this section.
Self-Awareness and Confidence
Self-awareness starts at home when children start to learn their strengths and weaknesses
when experiencing small activities and tasks. The involvement of a caring adult, parent, teacher or
a caretaker is very important in building the sense of self-identification and confidence. The
caretaker has to serve as a role model because children tend to learn by observing actions
happening around them. Being there for children’s challenges and their ability to react to different
situations is very essential for a caretaker (Petty, 2014). Children should know that there is
Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
8
somebody around them who could to help them, correct them, or assist them in any difficulty they
faced. Constant supervision and mentorship help the children to learn their own abilities and be
confident in what they do. This is because their positive actions and achievements are somehow
endorsed by the caretaker.
Listening and Empathy
Being a good listener and being available to the children is another way of establishing
resilience in young children. Children tend to find adults who can answer their questions or listen
to their stories. The empathetic emotions toward the child from the caregiver are important for
children’s positive development and resilient behavior (Petty, 2014). They author suggests that the
caregiver should use phrases such as “I have got a whole minute to listen to you, and I want to
hear your story.” or, “Sometimes I went too fast so ask me to slow down and hear your words.”
(Petty, 2014). These positive instances allow the children to not only build a level of trust and
acknowledgment, but also learn to be resilient by seeing an example around them.
Responsibility
Early childhood educators should teach the children to learn and develop a sense of
responsibility to themselves and others around them. As children grow older, parents teach them
to participate in actions that show the responsibility of self, others, and the environment. Children
are taught to keep their spaces cleaned, to care for public spaces, to help one another, and to care
for pets and natural resources (Petty, 2014). For children to learn resilience in their lives, they have
to be taught their responsibility towards themselves, people around them, and the society they live
in.
Accountability
Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
9
Self-accountability and evaluation is a key aspect of learning and developing positive
attitudes and behaviors. These attitudes and behaviors help share one’s interpersonal and
intrapersonal relationships and ideologies (Aina and Cameron, 2011). Researchers have shown
that children should practice accountability of their own actions and others around them when
involved in different tasks (Mykkanen, Kronqvist, and Jarvela, 2013). In the event of a sudden
change or adverse circumstances, accountability is very important. Expectations at each stage of
learning and development are given for the children to know what they are accountable for.
Children become more resilient when they practice accountability of their negative behavior
towards others.
Participation and Teamwork
Participation in classroom and outdoor activities gives the children a sense of competition
and responsibility towards achievements and goals. Caregivers should ensure that children
participate in activities, and sports where they make themselves stand out from others based on
their performance (Petty, 2014). Teamwork allows the children to be more patient with others and
learn to compromise when necessary. Understanding and appreciating others’ perspectives and
opinions promotes a sense of resilience and flexibility at early ages.
Family involvement in learning
In today’s fast world of technology and communication, parents and family members
ignore the importance of their involvement in their children’s everyday life. Parents and family
members are the closest to a child, and they can understand child’s psychology and strengths.
Family involvement nurtures children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development especially
in the midst of fewer life resources (Morrison, Storey, and Zhang, 2015). For well-off families
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Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
where availability of resources is not a problem, parents and family members tend to provide all
the luxuries of life to their children except for their own time. Children get more involved in the
worldly things not realizing the importance of resilience, patience, and relationships in their lives.
In classroom settings, teachers should be able to incorporate and promote learning
environments where the family members of the children are involved. This allows the children to
be confident of their work and they tend to achieve higher goals to make their family happy and
proud (Morrison, Storey, and Zhang, 2015).
Role of Teachers/Administrators
Teachers and administrators of the educational institutions play a vital role in building
resilience in children. Teachers and administrators’ relationship with the parents of children has to
be fostered to have a positive effect on the development of young children. Researchers suggest
that the family’s involvement and communication with teachers and staff members are grouped
into four components; staff and family communication, family-child collaboration, teacher-family
relationship, and community connections (Morrison, Storey, and Zhang, 2015). It is the teachers’
responsibility to incorporate these four components when engaged in the learning process for
children. There has to be a strong connection between the teachers, staff, and the family members.
Events such as family bulletin boards, family-teacher conferences, and so on must be designed and
organized as part of classroom learning.
Methodology
The research methodology for this study was based on the qualitative approach. Numerous
children were observed in some specific settings which would be analyzed regarding quality of the
Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
11
observations. Those observations were analyzed regarding children’s responses to certain plays
and activities. For this study, the quantitative approach cannot be applied because it is difficult to
formally get survey responses from young children. However, informal questions and observations
would reveal qualitative data for this study.
Participants
The participants in this study were four to five years old children. About 15-20 young
children were observed for this study. Participants were selected as a combination of both male
and female gender. Additionally, the participants were selected randomly regardless of the
ethnicity or cultural background of the children. To address the behavioral aspects about resilience
in young children. At these young ages, children show exploration, motivation, and competence
which were significant in answering the research questions of this study.
Setting
For this study, the observations for the children took place at multiple settings such as
during play, during kindergarten class settings, and other educational activities. Initially, the
children were observed in the classroom while studying. They were also observed during their
break time in school when they interacted with other children. Observations and informal
interviews were conducted during an outdoor activity children were involved in. Children were
observed during their interaction with their parents. These diverse settings provided a better way
of analyzing resilience in children.
Most of the observations in the school were done during the day time (morning and
afternoon) when children were in school. This was only possible during the week days. As far as
the observations of the family and outdoor activities, those were done during evening hours and
Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
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on the weekends. The exact timings were discussed with the teachers in schools. Similarly, parents
were contacted to inquire the timings on the weekends that suits them for observation.
Ethics-Fair and Unbiased Research
In the light of the instruction and the policies from the University Institutional Review
Board (IRB), all participants were treated fairly during the observation and the interview process.
A set of observations were written ahead of time which was the same for all children. Additionally,
the interview questions and conversations were also the same for all children. There was no
discrimination among the children based on their behaviors, actions, and answers to questions
(Mykkanen, Kronqvist, & Jarvela, 2013). The privacy of the children’s actions, their views and
answers were kept, and the data was only used for research purposes. Also, the teachers at school
and the parents of children were kept in the loop for any permissions and information about the
children.
Permission to conduct this research was acquired by the University Institutional Review
Board (IRB). Similarly, permission from schools to observe children in class setting was obtained
as well. The observation strategies and interview questions were shared with the teachers to ensure
they are in agreement to that. Parents of children were contacted to get their permissions and
arrange observations for the research. Parents were also given many details about the study and
about being fair to all children chosen for the study. This allowed fair and honest participation
from all the participants in addition to the willingness of their parents and teachers.
Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
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Data Collection
Teacher Interview
Data was collected based on observation and interviews from teachers (Prince-Embury,
2015). According to the research question for this research, the questions were prepared. There
was both closed, and open-ended questions to give the interviewee a flexibility in their answers.
Additionally, the interviewer was also able to gain much information which was not predicted
from the questions. This enlarged the scope of the research and better findings of students and their
behavior and resilience in classroom and outdoor activities were obtained from the teachers.
Teachers’ experiences were audio recorded as well as regarding notes. The notes had a rough
structure to it which changed a bit depending on the answers from the interviewees. These methods
enabled me to get good data from the interviews pertaining to child-teacher relationship and
resilience in children in the classroom (Petty, 2014). The impact of the data was shown when
teachers participated in data collection. The interview questionnaire consisted of approximately
10-12 questions, and each interview lasted about 30-40 minutes. The selected time was to ensure
that teachers were comfortable speaking about the children and their behavior in a concise time
limit.
Observation
In order to understand the extent of resilience, I also looked for things or actions that
showed aggressive behavior towards others. When children were playing in a group, their
leadership, inclusive nature, and behavior were observed to understand the personality of each
child. When I observed the children in the classroom, I looked for their engagement with others,
their behavior, and how they handled rejections of their work. Additionally, I looked for the
Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
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passion towards working in a team, their participation, leadership, and their ability to communicate
with others in the group.
Student Work Samples
For the student work samples in their portfolio, I looked for their work in an art class. In
their drawing art, I also considered things that showed inclusive behavior towards others especially
friends and family. This informed me about how much importance they gave to the people around
them. Also, the art work also revealed equality and appreciation including other children. The
relationship of the children with their teachers was very important for my research, so also focused
on the things children wrote about their teachers (Prince-Embury, 2015). The love and affection
for teachers were revealed form the writings and artwork of the children.
Field Journal
Keeping a field journal in research can be very helpful especially in an action research
when you are observing children and constantly gaining information from people. It is important
to be equipped with a journal where things are somewhat structured before observing children,
their activities, and actions. The significant amount or quality data can be lost if a field journal is
not prepared and used every time. In the literature, the importance of field journal was shown while
collecting different types of data for qualitative and quantitative research (Ashdown and Bernard,
2012). Findings were summarized at short intervals which ensured that everything required for the
research was covered promptly.
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Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
Results
Teacher Interview
The teacher was interviewed to obtain the data about children’s behavior and actions in the
classroom. The teacher was asked about children’s general behavior in class, to which she
responded that the children are helped to develop skills by showing them breathing strategies,
standing up for selves by using words and working out conflicts with each other. The teacher was
also asked about the children’s interaction with one another; the teacher responded that they call
names to line up or transition to another area. Also, during the shared day, children brought a toy
from home and talked about it in the class. The teacher was also asked whether or not children
were resilient during play, the teacher responded that some children were and some were not
resilient. About the social comfort level of the children in the class, the teacher responded that the
children seemed comfortable because they knew them most and they have been here for two years
or more. Most children had grown up with each other from birth in the classroom, so they were
pretty comfortable.
When the teacher was asked about children’s ability to interact with others, the teacher
could not interpret that unless children told her, however, within the class, all children interacted
with one another, they talked and played. The teacher was inquired about the demographics of the
class which turned out to be children of ages 3 to 5 years having an equal number of boys and
girls. The teacher was asked about how children enjoyed their experience at home and in school,
the teacher responded that they enjoyed very much during the shared day and the birthday they
celebrated in school. The teacher was asked about how the children learned to be patient with
others, the teacher responded that the children waited for their turn on the shared day, they
Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
16
experienced where the practice waited. Additionally, during the birthdays, the children waited to
eat until we all sang the birthday song.
The teacher was asked if the children showed resilience during the play in the classroom,
the teacher responded that when another child took the toy, one cried but then they worked out and
gave the toy back. The teacher was asked about their and the school’s approach to accommodation
and inclusivity for others, and the teacher responded that the development learned through play
was done. The children gained experiences through activities they were interested in by noticing
what they did during the day. The actions and interests of the children during play and activities
informed teachers where children are developed mentally and what their needs were.
Observation
In order to collect data for this section, a young girl was observed during her play. She was
given a game to play along with other kids around her. She took the game, and she started playing
by herself without offering other to join. Other children who came to her and asked to join her
possibly, she refused them and said that she wanted to play alone. The child did show any resilience
towards other children. She did not share what she had with them and she also became mean to
some children who wanted to play with her. The teacher took the girl outside to play because she
did not work with others during the play.
Student Work Samples
For this section, the work sampled from a 5-years-old boy who drew himself. It was noticed
that the child was very confident not only about himself but also about his work. He drew himself
big image in size and drew in the center of the paper. The boy drew his head’s picture larger than
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Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
the arms and legs. He also drew his eyes very clear and prominent on the face, where he focused
more on his head and face rather than the over body.
Another 5-years old boy was observed drawing a picture of himself and his family
members. The child drew his mother next to himself and then his father on the far right, and then
his younger sister on the farthest right end. He also divided the family members into what seemed
to be two teams as if they were playing a game. He also drew his father’s picture larger than the
mother’s and himself slightly larger than his younger sister.
Discussion
Teacher Interview
From the teacher interview, it was discussed that the demographics of the children were of
equal amounts of boys and girls of aged between 3 and five years. The children showed good
interaction and social skills in the classroom when participating in class activities and play but the
interactions outside of the classroom or with strangers were unknown. The teachers involved all
children in the class by working on their behavioral and social developmental skills. Children
seemed to enjoy the shared day where they all got the chance to talk about a toy to the class. In
doing so, they showed patience and experienced waiting for their turn. Additionally, they learned
to be patient in other activities such as birthday celebrations.
While some children showed resilience towards each other, not all who seemed to show
resilience and flexibility to others. However, all children seemed to be comfortable in the school
environment in general and specifically in their classroom because they knew each other for two
years. The teachers frequently learned from what are likes and interests of the children to be able
Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
18
to find and organize activities based on their needs. The aim of the teachers was to ensure that all
children’s needs are addressed individually as well as a group.
Observation
The observation of the young girl during her play revealed that she did not show any
resilience towards other children because she wanted to play with the game alone and not to share
it with others. The girl also did not seem to be patient with others, she refused other children and
wanted to get them away from her.
Student Work Samples
For the first work sample where a 5-years old boy was observed, it was found that the child
was very confident about himself and seemed to have a strong personality. He never seemed to be
afraid of himself or how he looked. Drawing of the head and the eyes clearly and prominently
showed that he knew how he looked.
Work sample from the other five years old boy who drew himself along with his family
members revealed that the child always wanted to be closer to his mother. It can also be inferred
that he was more attached to his mother than father. This was apparently the reason he drew his
mother right next to himself in the picture. Also, there was a sense of connection between his
younger sister and his father who were both together in the picture. They family time that was seen
in the picture reflected strong family connection. The size proportion between the mother and
father and himself and his younger sisters were taken into account and drawn accordingly. This
showed the cognitive abilities of the child when understanding individual relationships with family
members.
Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
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Data Analysis
The demographics of the children including age and gender was recorded to ensure the
structural integrity of the results. This information was analyzed based on the quantitative analysis
which was done through a computer program such as Microsoft Excel. This analysis made
conclusions about children behaviors based on their age and gender. Additionally, charts were
used to plot certain things depending on the responses from the participants. Moreover, the
percentage differences were calculated based on the responses. Gender differences were also taken
into account when making conclusions. Resilience in children and their social interaction and
behavior differed in some instances based on the gender and age (Aina and Cameron, 2011).
Data was also analyzed in a qualitative way where the data from the observations and
teacher interviews were analyzed. Based on the teacher interview, the answers to the questions
were analyzed based on the emphasis of the teacher in specific things. For the action research
question, how does resilience emerge in young children and what behavioral aspects are driving
forces for resiliency? The collected information from the teacher interview was compiled along
with the transcripts of the observation data. This method is evident in the literature where multiple
forms of data are evaluated in a theoretical framework (Morrison, Storey, and Zhang, 2015).
Combining the two forms of data revealed the level of resilience in young children along with their
respective behaviors in the classroom.
The action research question based on the notions of motivation, competence, and
achievement as it pertains to the positive development of young children was analyzed based on
the data from teacher interview (Ashdown and Bernard, 2012). This was beneficial because similar
methods have been seen in the literature where explicit instructional and motivational techniques
have proved to be beneficial for the academic, social, and emotional development of the children.
Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
20
The data from the teacher interview will explicitly be analyzed to understand what instructional
techniques were given to the children and how they positively benefitted from each (Mykkanen,
Kronqvist, & Jarvela, 2013). An analysis of learning before and after the explicit instructional
strategies was drawn.
In order to find best ways to foster resilience in schools, data from both the teacher
interviews and observations was analyzed. The level of interest that children showed in their
activities and played along with the resilience-practices initiated by the teachers will be analyzed
(Macfarlane and Cartmel, 2008). The authors of the cited study have shown positive results
regarding resilience, inclusivity and patience among young children through competence and
effective instructional practices. Teacher’s perspective of what helped young children learn
resilience socially was analyzed and compared to what actually works with young children.
Interpretation
The most important thing inferred from the data analysis was establishing and practicing
ways to foster resilience in young children. This was done through instructional practices, family
involvement, child-centric activities, and building relationships among children. The improvement
in building relationships with other children and teachers was based on the social-economic theory
as evident in the literature (Prince-Embury and Saklofske, 2014). This was very effective because
teachers were able to provide activities that allowed all children to come together as groups and
involved in a combined activity. This not only helped the children develop socially but also build
strong relationship with their teachers (Petty, 2014). Fostering resilience through practice in
classrooms and including classroom activities to the real world activities, play, and social networks
was essential. These findings were definitely in-line with the literature.
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Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
Conclusions
A literature research review was conducted to identify best ways in establishing and
promoting resilience in young children. While personal characteristics such as social, emotional,
and cognitive attitudes play a significant role in resilient behaviors, some of the ways to promote
resilience in different settings were identified in the literature. Family involvement in the
learning process, self-awareness, responsibility, accountability, and teamwork are some of the
ways to increase resilience in young children. These practices by early childhood educators
would ensure that the upcoming generation is much more resilient towards others and wise in
their life choices.
Teacher interviews and observation of children activities and work samples were
conducted to obtain qualitative data. Children seem to have good social skills in and outside of
the classroom. Based on the classroom practices, children showed much patience with one
another. From children’s behavior in the classroom, it was inferred that not all children showed
resilience towards others because of their personality and interactional behaviors towards others.
While their level of comfort was much higher inside the classroom, some children showed
negative behavior outside the classroom. Observations from children showed that they have a
good level of confidence but the level of resilience and flexibility with other children during
work activities and play are less. This may be due to a number of factors such as individual
cultural background and house environment. Family background seems to have a strong effect on
children’s personality and approach as observed from their individual work samples.
Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
22
Anticipated Actions
Based on the results from the research as it pertains to resilience in children, one of the
things I would like to do much deeper observation on individual children. I would like to focus
on children’s personal lives more than the school life to be able to understand how behaviors and
actions at home reflect their learning and achievements at school. The observations would go
beyond the classrooms and homes; into the districts too. It is very important to gain more
information on how those behaviors are reflected on regular basis. Based on current findings, the
anticipated actions would be to initiate activities in classroom where all children are engaged at
the same time. Additionally, plays should be given in a way where interaction and teamwork is
required for the children to learn resilience when working together. Even though emphasizing on
individual behaviors is necessary at personal level, it is far more important to focus on resilience
when it comes to social interaction and development. These practices would certainly overcome
the problem of resilience in young children and prepare them for the outside world.
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Ways to Develop and Promote Resilience
References
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