Kindergarten friendships matter, especially for boys

High-quality friendships in kindergarten may mean that boys will have fewer behavior problems and better social skills in first and third grades, said Nancy McElwain, a University of Illinois associate professor of human development and co-author of a study published in a recent issue of Infant and Child Development.

"The findings for girls were different," said Jennifer Engle, lead author of the study. "Overall, teachers reported that girls in the first and third grade had good social skills, regardless of the quality of their kindergarten friendships. Boys, on the other hand, clearly benefited from the good start that early high-quality friendships provide."

Engle said the study was unique in comparing how the presence and quality of children's kindergarten friendships are related to their behavior problems and social skills in kindergarten, first, and third grades.

She noted that friendship quality was important for both boys and girls in kindergarten. Kindergarten kids with high-quality friendships tended to have fewer behavior problems and better social skills than those whose friendships were of low or moderate quality. In contrast, kids who had low-quality kindergarten friendships had more behavior problems during kindergarten.

The differences in friendship quality for boys versus girls didn't show up until the children were older, she said.

"Boys who had no friends in kindergarten had more behavior problems, but not until they had reached first and third grades," she said.

The researchers examined data from 567 children who had participated in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development.

While kindergartners are more relaxed about making friends, their friendships are very important to them. They worry and think about whom they'll play with the next day – and whom they play with can become more important than what they play. Throughout the year, you'll see more and more emphasis on friendships and even the development of cliques that exclude other children. What You Can Do

Here are some ways to help kindergartners make friends:

- Encourage group conversations. Focus on discussions that help set a tone of cooperation and friendship.

- Provide activities that invite participation. A comfortable book nook and quiet writing center are great additions to any classroom and will provide opportunities for small-group as well as individual participation. Keep largegroup activities enjoyable, simple, and short.

- Involve the class in solving problems. Discuss the issues and model ways that problems children are having with one another can be resolved.