Abstract
In many early childhood classrooms, teachers are providing more opportunities for children to interact with peers as they learn. For most children, these interactions are successful. However, for a few children, their attempts to interact with peers are ignored or rebuffed. If interactions are an essential component of the instructional program, then being denied access to them is tantamount to being denied access to learning events. Therefore, the children experience the psychological impact of rejection as well as the impact of being denied access to learning opportunities. This article explores this issue by: (a) describing the sociometric dimension (i.e., interpersonal relationships) within groups, (b) providing illustrations of how the sociometric dynamics in one classroom affected three children, and (c) presenting suggestions for maximizing the learning experiences for all children.
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Matthews, M.W. Addressing issues of peer rejection in child-centered classrooms. Early Childhood Educ J 24, 93–97 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02353287
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02353287