CHILDREN`S SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN PRESCHOOL AND AT THE END OF THIRD GRADE

The present paper deals with social skills of Estonian preschool and primary school children. The aim is to analyse how teachers evaluate students` social development and what substantial differences occur in the level of social skills at preschool and at the end of third grade. In order to develop children's perception of themselves as citizens, it is important to emphasize those goals of the curriculum, which promote the main qualities of citizenship: identify, belonging and participation. Assessment of social skills based on the questionnaire „Transition from Preschool to School”. The study was carried out in four stages- the same children were evaluated by their teachers at the end of pre-school and at the end of first-, second and third grade. At each stage of the study, teachers were asked to evaluate children`s individual achievements in nine target areas relying on curriculum aims: learning skills; social skills; language; mathematics; ethics; health; physical development; art and culture. The nine areas were rated on a scale from one to five. The results showed a very high reliability for the teacher rating (Alpha=.95). The mean assessments of teachers demonstrate that social skills as well as appreciating different attitudes and altruism and accepting diversity have received weaker assessments from the teachers than other objectives.