How Teachers Can Help Young Students Navigate Friendships

By Cara Zelas, Educator & Founder of Big World of Little Dude

Navigating friendships and social challenges is a critical aspect of early childhood development. As educators, we play a pivotal role in helping young children develop the social and emotional skills they need to form positive relationships, resolve conflicts, and thrive in a group setting. While young children may naturally encounter challenges in their interactions with peers, teachers can provide support and guidance to foster healthy friendships and social resilience.

Create a classroom culture of kindness and inclusion

The foundation for helping children navigate friendships begins with cultivating a classroom environment rooted in kindness, empathy, and respect. Establishing a culture of inclusion sets the tone for how children interact with each other and gives them the tools to build positive relationships.

Practical tip: Begin each day with a “morning meeting” where children greet each other by name, share something about their lives, or express their feelings. These moments build community and teach children that everyone’s voice matters. You can also set up a “kindness jar” where students can share acts of kindness they’ve witnessed or participated in, helping them to see the value of treating others with care.

Teach emotional literacy

Young children often struggle with managing their emotions, making social situations challenging. Teaching emotional literacy — helping children understand and label their emotions — gives them the tools they need to express how they feel healthily, which is a vital step toward resolving conflicts with peers.

Practical tip: Introduce an “emotion chart” in your classroom, featuring a range of feelings such as happy, sad, frustrated, excited, and worried. Throughout the day, ask children to point to how they’re feeling, and encourage them to describe why they feel that way. Additionally, read books and stories that focus on emotions, giving children the opportunity to connect with characters experiencing similar feelings.

Model positive social behaviors

Children learn best by observing the behaviors of adults and peers around them. As a teacher, you are a model of how to handle social situations, whether resolving a disagreement or showing empathy to a student who is upset. By consistently demonstrating kindness, patience, and good communication skills, you show students how to treat others and how to respond to social challenges.

Practical tip: During group activities or playtime, make a point to model positive language and problem-solving techniques. If two children are disagreeing over a toy, for example, model how to listen, take turns speaking and suggest solutions. By regularly modeling these behaviors, you set a standard for how children should navigate their conflicts.

Teach problem-solving skills

Friendships are bound to come with conflicts, and rather than solving the problems for children, educators can equip them with the skills to resolve issues independently. Teaching problem-solving strategies helps children learn to navigate conflicts with their peers while developing self-confidence and social resilience.

Practical tip: Introduce a simple problem-solving model such as “Stop, Think, Choose”:

• Stop: When a conflict arises, pause and take a deep breath.
• Think: Consider what the problem is and how both parties are feeling.
• Choose: Pick a solution that works for both people involved.

Create a designated “peace corner” or “calm down space” where students can go to reflect on their emotions and think about solutions to their problems before rejoining their peers. This approach gives children ownership over the conflict resolution process, teaching them valuable social skills that will last a lifetime.

Encourage cooperative learning and play

Social skills are built through interaction. Educators can create natural situations for students to practice collaboration, communication, and negotiation by providing opportunities for children to work and play together. Group activities promote a sense of belonging and teach children how to work as a team, which is essential for building healthy friendships.

Practical tip: Incorporate regular group activities into your daily classroom routine. Activities such as cooperative games, partner reading, or group art projects encourage children to work together toward a common goal. Guide children through the process by gently reminding them to share, take turns, and listen to each other’s ideas. To ensure positive interactions, rotate group members regularly so that students have the opportunity to work with different peers. This helps children develop the flexibility to navigate various social dynamics and promotes inclusion.

Address bullying early and consistently

Children can encounter exclusion, teasing, or more serious forms of bullying even at a young age. As an educator, it’s important to address these behaviors quickly and consistently to create a safe and supportive classroom environment. Teaching children how to recognize and respond to bullying — whether they are the victim, the bystander, or the one engaging in the behavior — empowers them to contribute to a positive social culture.

Practical tip: Set clear classroom rules about respect and kindness, and make sure all students understand the expectations. Create a zero-tolerance policy for bullying or exclusion, and be proactive in monitoring group dynamics during playtime or group activities.

In addition, use books or stories about kindness, inclusivity, and standing up to bullying as discussion starters during circle time. These stories can help children reflect on their behavior and think critically about how they treat others.

Celebrate diversity and encourage acceptance

Classrooms are diverse spaces, filled with children from different backgrounds, cultures, and abilities. By celebrating diversity and teaching children to appreciate differences, educators can foster a sense of acceptance and respect. When children learn to see differences as something to be celebrated rather than feared, they are more likely to form positive, inclusive friendships.

Practical tip: Incorporate lessons and activities that highlight diversity, whether through stories, songs, or cultural celebrations. For example, read books that showcase characters from different backgrounds or abilities and discuss how those differences make each person unique. You can also encourage students to share something special about their own culture or family traditions, helping the class to see the beauty in everyone’s experiences. Additionally, make sure your classroom materials and displays reflect the diversity of the world so that every child feels represented and included.

Establish a peer buddy system

A peer buddy system can be an effective way to support children who may struggle with making friends or navigating social situations. By pairing students together, you can encourage positive peer interactions and provide a support network for children who may feel isolated or shy. Peer buddies can also serve as role models for children who need help learning how to engage with others.

Practical tip: Create a peer buddy system where children are paired up for certain activities, such as reading partners, lunchtime buddies, or recess companions. Rotate buddies regularly so that children have the chance to form connections with different classmates, and check in with pairs to ensure they are having positive experiences.

For children who may struggle socially, assign a buddy who is empathetic and socially confident to help guide their interactions. This not only helps the shy or struggling child feel more included but also gives the “buddy” a sense of responsibility and the opportunity to practice leadership and empathy.

Helping young children navigate friendships and social challenges is a crucial part of their development, and as educators, we have the opportunity to lay the groundwork for healthy social interactions that will benefit them throughout their lives. By creating a classroom environment built on kindness, teaching emotional literacy, modeling positive social behaviors, and offering strategies for problem-solving and empathy, we can equip our students with the tools they need to form meaningful relationships and resolve conflicts effectively. Through intentional teaching, you can help young children navigate the complex world of friendships and social dynamics with confidence and resilience.

Cara Zelas is an early childhood educator, social emotional learning expert, Montessori teacher and dog therapy advocate who received a Bachelor of Media Communications and Bachelor of Elementary Education Degrees (Macquarie University, Sydney) as well as an Early Childhood Montessori Certification (West Side Montessori School, New York). Cara is the founder of Big World of Little Dude, an educational platform teaching children social and emotional skills by providing books for parents and the humanKIND Curriculum for teachers. Little Dude has taught Cara and countless children that being kind to others is contagious. For more information, please visit http://www.worldoflittledude.com/

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