What to expect during the elementary years
Counseling activities during this stage emphasize building emotional regulation and executive functioning skills. It is also important that counselors help children understand their social impact and help reinforce pro-social skills.
Moral DevelopmentIn the elementary years, children begin to think in more complex ways. Young children make decisions based on the perception of reward or punishment. As the age, they begin to see that making positive choices has a ripple effect and benefits the world around them in more meaningful ways. |
Learning and the Importance of MetacognitionQuality schools promote children's natural meta-cognitive abilities by using various educational techniques. The ability to think about their own thinking helps them grow from receptors of information to critical and creative thinkers responsible for their own learning. |
Self-Concept and the Influences of Peer Groups of Self-EsteemPeer influence begins to outpace parental influence in this time period. As children's self-awareness begins to increase, they are beginning to compare themselves, their strengths and abilities to their peers. They are also more likely to be affected by the acceptance or rejection of their classmates. While it is easy for us to tell them that other people's opinions of them do not matter; it is in fact a developmentally appropriate response to the world around them to be concerned with how they are perceived. |