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Outcomes for Young Children's Social Status from Playing Group Games: Experiences from a Primary School in Hong Kong

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2015

Sylvia Liu ,
Mantak Yuen  and
Nirmala Rao
Sylvia Liu
Affiliation:
University of Hong Kong, China
Mantak Yuen*
Affiliation:
University of Hong Kong, China
Nirmala Rao
Affiliation:
University of Hong Kong, China
*
Address for correspondence: Mantak Yuen, Centre for Advancement in Inclusive and Special Education, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This exploratory study involved a structured group-games intervention to develop first-grade students’ social competence. The effects were evaluated by assessing possible outcomes for the children's social status. A sample of 119 first-grade, mixed-ability students from a Hong Kong primary school participated in the sessions (63 boys, 56 girls: mean age 74 months). Sessions were led by trained parent-volunteers and involved a 60-minute session each week for 8 weeks in the children's own classrooms. Peer nominations were used before and after intervention to assess participants’ social status under five possible categories ― popular, rejected, controversial, neglected and average. Improvement in children's social awareness and social status was noted following the intervention. Children's competence in playing group games was found to be positively correlated with their social acceptance. The findings support the value of early social intervention in classrooms as a practical way for preparing first-grade students for primary school life.

Keywords

first-grade studentsgroup gamesHong Kongpeer statusplaysocial competencesocial intervention
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools , Volume 25 , Issue 2 , December 2015 , pp. 217 - 244
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2015 

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