of how to behave and treat other people in a way that is morally upright, just, and equitable, with a view of promoting positive and productive relations that are free from unfair prejudices, hate, and discrimination. These three descriptions will be explained below. By morally upright, we refer to thoughts, speech, actions, and motivations that adhere to a standard of right and wrong. On the other hand, just refers to speech, actions, and behaviors that are in-line with a fixed standard of justice— a system that promotes and rewards good and at the same time punishes wrongdoing. Any system of justice, whether national, regional, or local, requires a body of rules or laws by which to measure and administer rewards and punishment. Equitable are the speech, actions, behaviors, and decisions that treat others fairly, regardless of background or circumstances. Not to be confused with equality, which connotes a fixed standard of treatment for all people, equity seeks the good of others, and labors to find means by which everyone gets “what they need” rather than simply “everyone gets the same thing in the same amount.” Peers and schools play a formative role on the social skills development of children. These social skills are often expressed as consisting of three inter-related components: social perception, social cognition and social performance (Arthur, Davison, & Stow, 2000). Increasing emphasis has been placed on the last component, particularly in terms of outcomes. Social skill is defined in literature as ‘the ability to interact with others in a given social context in specific ways that are socially acceptable or valued and at the same time personally beneficial, mutually beneficial, or primarily beneficial to others.’ There are several types of social skills that must be mastered for a child to be socially adept. These range from the ability to initiate, maintain, and end a conversation to reading social signals to more complex skills such as solving problems and resolving conflict (Lawson, 2003). The following.examples represent some of the fundamental principles of relating well to others. Children with social skill deficits can be taught these skills directly by parents, teachers, and/or professionals using the strategies of modeling, role-playing, rehearsal, and practice.
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Greeting - Children develop relationships with peers by interacting with them. The first step in a social interaction is greeting someone. Greeting others is done not only with words like “Hi!” or "How are you?" but with facial expressions, tone of voice, and gestures such as a nod or a wave. The nonverbal part of greeting someone is just as important as the words. It is not so much what one says but how he/ she says it that lets people know he/she is glad to see them.
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Initiating Conversation - In order to carry on a conversation, a child must be able to initiate, maintain and close conversation appropriately. This requires good listening and attention skills, as well as the ability to take
Building and Enhancing New Literacies Across the Curriculum
