A child’s sense of self and inclusion in early childhood settings Karen Stagnitti School of Health and Social Development Deakin University, Geelong. Victoria. Karen Stagnitti School of Health and Social Development Deakin University, Geelong. Victoria.

This presentation  Development of the concept of self from 2 years to 7 years  Autobiographical narrative  Child’s home environment and autobiographical narrative  Social inclusion, early childhood settings, sense of self  Development of the concept of self from 2 years to 7 years  Autobiographical narrative  Child’s home environment and autobiographical narrative  Social inclusion, early childhood settings, sense of self

Concept of self  I self (evaluator) and Me self (evaluated) = self-awareness  (James quoted in Harter, 2012)  I self (evaluator) and Me self (evaluated) = self-awareness  (James quoted in Harter, 2012)

Concept of self: 2 to 4 years  Mastered bodily self-awareness  How a child describes his/herself  eg, call self by name,  what he/she looks like physically,  describe a range of competencies (eg, run, alphabet)  Boys = tend to be based on activities and skills  Girls = likely to be social, relational and emotional (eg, I’m sad when grandma leaves.)  Mastered bodily self-awareness  How a child describes his/herself  eg, call self by name,  what he/she looks like physically,  describe a range of competencies (eg, run, alphabet)  Boys = tend to be based on activities and skills  Girls = likely to be social, relational and emotional (eg, I’m sad when grandma leaves.) Professor Karen Stagnitti January 2014

Self Concept – 2-4 years  Emerging self-representations are tied to behaviours  (eg, I’m strong I can lift this big truck.)  Defines self in terms of possessions  (eg, I have a black cat and new shoes.)  Sense of control over one’s actions and thoughts (over estimation of abilities, eg, I can kick to the sky.)  Self evaluations are unrealistically positive  Difficulty distinguishing between their desired and actual competence  Little coherence in self-representations  Emerging self-representations are tied to behaviours  (eg, I’m strong I can lift this big truck.)  Defines self in terms of possessions  (eg, I have a black cat and new shoes.)  Sense of control over one’s actions and thoughts (over estimation of abilities, eg, I can kick to the sky.)  Self evaluations are unrealistically positive  Difficulty distinguishing between their desired and actual competence  Little coherence in self-representations Professor Karen Stagnitti January 2014

Self Concept – 2 to 4  Inability to make social comparisons so compares to the younger self  All or none thinking (I’m always happy. I’m good.)  Can’t understand one can be good and bad at the same time  Parents help to build their autobiographical narrative  Young children manifest their self esteem in their behaviour  Inability to make social comparisons so compares to the younger self  All or none thinking (I’m always happy. I’m good.)  Can’t understand one can be good and bad at the same time  Parents help to build their autobiographical narrative  Young children manifest their self esteem in their behaviour Professor Karen Stagnitti January 2014

High Self-esteem: 2 to 4  Active displays of confidence, curiosity, initiative, independence  Adaptive reaction to stress or change  Active displays of confidence, curiosity, initiative, independence  Adaptive reaction to stress or change Professor Karen Stagnitti January 2014

Low self esteem: 2 to 4 years  Failure to display confidence, curiosity, initiative, independence  Difficulty reacting to change or stress  I’m all bad  Failure to display confidence, curiosity, initiative, independence  Difficulty reacting to change or stress  I’m all bad Professor Karen Stagnitti January 2014

Self concept: 5 to 7 years  Metacognitive awareness  Continues to overestimate ability  Child’s autobiographical narrative begins to be crafted within their cultural norms  Child takes increasing role in constructing their autobiographical narrative  All or none thinking persists  Representational mapping : I’m good and therefore I can’t be bad (P.51 Harter, 2012)  Metacognitive awareness  Continues to overestimate ability  Child’s autobiographical narrative begins to be crafted within their cultural norms  Child takes increasing role in constructing their autobiographical narrative  All or none thinking persists  Representational mapping : I’m good and therefore I can’t be bad (P.51 Harter, 2012) Professor Karen Stagnitti January 2014

Self concept: 5 to 7 years  Inability to integrate concepts such as ‘nice’ and ‘mean’  They appreciate they can have two emotions (I’m happy and excited.)  Can’t be two things at once (Nope, there’s no way you could be smart and dumb at the same time. You only have one mind! (p. 52, Harter, 2012).  Self descriptive terms can reflect labels modelled by others  Understand others have viewpoints,  Self-guides function to aid the child in regulation of their behaviour, however, they don’t yet ‘own’ these views of the self by others  Inability to integrate concepts such as ‘nice’ and ‘mean’  They appreciate they can have two emotions (I’m happy and excited.)  Can’t be two things at once (Nope, there’s no way you could be smart and dumb at the same time. You only have one mind! (p. 52, Harter, 2012).  Self descriptive terms can reflect labels modelled by others  Understand others have viewpoints,  Self-guides function to aid the child in regulation of their behaviour, however, they don’t yet ‘own’ these views of the self by others Professor Karen Stagnitti January 2014

Self Concept: 5 to 7 years  They are becoming aware that others critically evaluate their attributes  The I-self knows that significant others make judgements about the Me-self but they can’t directly evaluate the Me-self  Self evaluations continue to be unrealistic  May make social comparisons, eg, I’m good at catching but Billy is not.  They cannot construct concepts of the real self and an ideal self  Still not have a global self concept  They are becoming aware that others critically evaluate their attributes  The I-self knows that significant others make judgements about the Me-self but they can’t directly evaluate the Me-self  Self evaluations continue to be unrealistic  May make social comparisons, eg, I’m good at catching but Billy is not.  They cannot construct concepts of the real self and an ideal self  Still not have a global self concept Professor Karen Stagnitti January 2014

Child’s autobiographical narrative

Shaped by the parents

Then children start to shape their own

Home environment shapes a sense of self

Responsive parenting

Play, autobiographical self, happiness  When I first met Steven I thought “This child will end up in prison”.  He was 2 years  He had a diagnosis of autism  He was angry, upset, and 13 months delayed in his pretend play ability  When I first met Steven I thought “This child will end up in prison”.  He was 2 years  He had a diagnosis of autism  He was angry, upset, and 13 months delayed in his pretend play ability

End of the story  Steven was happy, joyful, could play and work out things  Day care was amazed at what he could do  Steven was happy, joyful, could play and work out things  Day care was amazed at what he could do

Children experience life through play

Social inclusion, early childhood settings, sense of self

Building self-esteem  Accept children for who they are  Understand their play development  Talk about what they have done  Take pictures of them playing  Tell stories about what they did referring to the pictures of themselves  Make their own book  Ask them what they did ‘yesterday’  Have special times with them  Enjoy playing with them  Accept it when they say “I can throw this ball to the moon”  Have fun  Accept children for who they are  Understand their play development  Talk about what they have done  Take pictures of them playing  Tell stories about what they did referring to the pictures of themselves  Make their own book  Ask them what they did ‘yesterday’  Have special times with them  Enjoy playing with them  Accept it when they say “I can throw this ball to the moon”  Have fun

Happy children regardless of disability