R.A. Hirsh, author of "Early Childhood Curriculum: Incorporating Multiple Intelligences, Developmentally Appropriate Practice, and Play," notes that "the social development of elementary-school children has traditionally been addressed in a deficit archetype." This means that teachers punish children who misbehave, refuse to share, or express unkind thoughts or emotions, rather than helping them learn the proper ways to behave.
A constructive approach to encouraging interpersonal development in early childhood is to reward positive interpersonal behaviors. When a child willingly shares, helps a classmate or offers praise to another student he should be rewarded with the teacher's recognition.
One stage of interpersonal development involves establishing relationships with adults. When a child learns that parents are there to care and provide for her, she begins to trust them. This is the very beginning of her interpersonal development; later she will learn this from other adults such as teachers or babysitters.
A child develops autonomy when he understands that he is capable of making choices and doing things for himself. If he is allowed to do this throughout the day, he will be more likely to respect the autonomy of others, which is another important step in interpersonal development.
When a child engages in pretend play, she learns about adult roles and skills. As she develops her interpersonal skills, her pretend interactions with other children pave the way for her real-life interactions with other people as an adult.