Procedia

Social and
Behavioral
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2010) 000–000
Sciences
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 29 (2011) 1660 – 1667
www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

International Conference on Education and Educational Psychology (ICEEPSY 2011)

The influence of musical games and role-play activities upon

primary school children‟s self-concept and peer relationships
Sofia Kouvavaa*, Katerina Antonopouloub , Sofia Ziogaa and Chrysoula Karalia
a
4th Glyfada’s Primary School, LEA of 4th Division of Athens, Greece
b
Harokopio University, Greece

Abstract

The present study examines whether musical games and role-play activities can enhance children‟s self-concept and ameliorate
peer relationships. Participants, 11 boys and 9 girls, between 7 and 8 years, attending the second grade at an inclusive primary
mainstream school of a suburb of Athens. These children were selected because they presented poor interpersonal skills and
relationship difficulties with peers. The project lasted 8 weeks and involved three teachers of the school. The results revealed
that these activities cultivated children‟s social skills. However, the lasting effects need to be estimated.
©©2011
2011 Published
Published by by
Elsevier Ltd. Selection
Elsevier and/or peer-review
Ltd. Selection under responsibility
and/or peer-review underofresponsibility
Dr. Zafer Bekirogullari of Cognitive
of Dr Zafer – Counselling,
Bekirogullari.
Research & Conference Services C-crcs.
Keywords: musical games, role-play activities, self-concept, peer relationships

1. Introduction

Social relationships have always been regarded as an important aspect of childhood development. Therefore,
absence of positive social behaviours is considered an early risk factor for future social-emotional maladjustment
and low well-being (Asendorpf et al., 2008). Hartup (1986) points out that peers affect children‟s development.
More specifically, within the broader peer context, a child may be accepted or rejected by the peer group, while in
dyadic relationships, or friendships, children may be influenced positively (e.g. promoting social skills) or
negatively (e.g. engaging in deviant activities) (Pepler & Craig, 1998).
School adjustment is enhanced by the formation and maintenance of positive social connections and friendships,
particularly at times of transition such as starting school (Ladd, 1990). Social skills that facilitate peer relationships
consolidate in preschool years, during which peer groups become structured with respect to friendship groups,
gender and dominance relations; some children begin to be rejected by their peers. In later childhood some children
experience problematic peer relationships, in terms of loneliness, bullying and victimization (Hay et al., 2004).
Children who find it difficult to form satisfying relationships with peers should be of concern to both parents and
teachers. These children miss out opportunities to learn social skills that will be important throughout their lives.
Social skill development begins through infant-parent interactions; and continues to take shape during the pre-school
years and throughout the life-span with interactions with adults and children. People lacking positive social skills

Corresponding author: Sofia Kouvava, 4 Hirodotou St., 166 75 Glyfada, Athens, Greece
E-mail address: skouvava@yahoo.gr

1877-0428 © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Dr Zafer Bekirogullari.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.11.409
2 Sofia Kouvava
Kouvava et
et al.
al.// Procedia
Procedia –- Social
Social and
and Behavioral
Behavioral Sciences
Sciences 29
00 (2011)
(2011) 1660 – 1667
000–000 1661

are unable to successfully initiate and sustain social relationships, to resolve social conflicts, including
communication, compromise and tact (Asher & Coie, 1990), and may experience feelings of sadness and loneliness,
which in turn, result in problem behaviours at home and school environment. (cited in Konold et al., 2010). Poor
social skills and relationship difficulties with peers, family and teachers are associated with many forms of
psychopathology, including depression (Segrin, 2000), conduct disorders (Gaffney & McFall, 1981), social phobia
(Spence et al., 1999) and autistic spectrum disorders (Harris, 1998) (cited in Spence, 2003). Social skills have also
been reported to be associated with pupils‟ engagement, motivation, academic achievement and self-concept
(Mashburn and Pianta, 2006).
Self-concept is a fundamental component of personality development and refers to the set of knowledge,
attitudes and perceptions we have about ourselves and the characteristics or attributes we use to describe ourselves.
A child‟s self-concept may be affected by the image that other significant persons (parents, peers, teachers) have of
the pupil and by social comparison with others (Schmidt & Čagran, 2008).
School teachers could be the facilitators and advisors to enhance children‟s self-concept and social skills (Hazen
et al., 1984) and mediate peer interactions in the classroom through various activities. They could use music and
role-play activities to promote children‟s competence with peers in the classroom. However, teaching social skills
to children is much harder than teaching academic subjects and requires specific knowledge in order to draft
appropriate plans to encourage these skills, that teachers may not always have; consequently, educators may need
guidance for the organization and structure of these interactive sessions.
Music is an aesthetic expression, joyful, nonjudgmental and noncompetitive. Everyone can join in a musical
game at his or her own level of comfort. Musical activities can include all children, allow them to express
themselves, their feelings and thoughts and engage them as collaborators in joyful experiences, such as singing or
vocalizing, playing various melodic instruments and listening to music.
Play is a means by which humans explore a variety of experiences in different situations for diverse purposes
(Moyles, 1989). Arnaud (1971) postulates that “play is a major vehicle for constructive socialization when shared
with other children, which widens empathy and lessens egocentrism” (cited in Lau, 2008). A basic awareness of
others‟ emotional reactions to common events, is therefore likely to be an important foundation for key play skills,
such as sharing toys, initiating and maintaining play with others and negotiating potential conflict situations
(Mathieson & Banerjee, 2011).
Thus, musical and role-play games could facilitate all aspects of children‟s development, such as attention,
concentration, impulse control, social functioning, self-expression and communication, motivation and self-esteem
(Wigram, 2002). Music and theatrical studies, recently incorporated to Greek primary school syllabus, could
encourage children to participate, share and cooperate. Through songs, musical games, rhythmic movements,
structured role-play activities a less socially competent child, paired with children who have acquired effective social
skills, is likely to overcome his or her difficulties.
The present study examined whether musical games and role-play activities could enhance primary school
children‟s self-concept and ameliorate their peer relationships. The project lasted eight weeks. Both musical games
and role-play activities were highly structured and aimed at offering children successful experience, motivation,
empathy and opportunities to express their thoughts and feelings. Children‟s social skills were targeted for
intervention, since they constitute the milestones for the improvement of peer relationships and one‟s self-concept.
Measures of effectiveness involved pre-intervention scores of children‟s self-concept and a sociogramme of the all
pupils of the classroom and observation notes completed by teachers which provided feedback at the end of the
intervention programme. Following the 8-week intervention, the results reflect significant improvement in the
behaviours of several children in and out of the classroom. Children expressed their enthousiasm for having
participated in these sessions and seeked the continuation of the project the following academic year. In addition,
parents disclosed that they observed a more positive attitude of their offsprings towards the peers, expressed by the
wish to meet and play with some of them after school or during the weekends. However, the lasting effects of this
intervention need to be further examined.

2. Method

Participants
1662 Sofia
AuthorKouvava
name / et al. / Procedia
Procedia - Social
– Social and Behavioral
and Behavioral Sciences
Sciences 29 (2011)
00 (2011) 1660 – 1667
000–000

All pupils (11 boys and 9 girls) attending the second grade of an inclusive primary mainstream school of a
suburb of Athens participated in this study. Mean age was 7.05 years (s.d.: .223). These children were selected
because they presented poor social skills and relationship difficulties with school teachers and peers. Behaviours
ranging from social isolation and rejection to aggression and bullying were often observed in classroom and at the
playground.
The majority of these pupils had an average to high socio-economic background. Only three children were
immigrants from different countries, living, however, in Greece with their families for several years and being able
to communicate as native speakers.

Procedure
Both parents of all participating children were contacted and invited at school where they were informed of the
purpose and structure of the present study. Parents then were asked to sign consent forms, allowing their child to
participate, and to complete a demographic information form. All parents responded positively. Confidentiality
procedures were strictly followed. Feedback was given to parents at the end of the project.
The project lasted 8 weeks: during the first 2 weeks 45-minute sessions three times a week took place, were
children discussed with the special needs‟ teacher about friendship and peer relationships. At the same period of
time, all pre-intervention assessments were administered to all pupils at school. Three weeks followed with the
teacher of music instructing children, in 30-minute sessions twice a week, specific songs and games that would
enhance their social skills. In the last 3 weeks, the teacher of the classroom used role-play activities, in 20-minute
sessions once a week, in order to make children think how would they react in certain situations through pretend
play. Feedback was given from all teachers involved in the project. Observation forms, regarding disruptive,
aggressive and passive behaviours, were completed and analysed.

Measures
A. The age-appropriate Greek version of the Self-Perception Profile for Children – SPPC (Harter, 1982; Makri-
Botsari, 2001) was used to examine children‟s self-concept. It consists of 20 questions, divided into four sub-scales,
which evaluate various aspects of self-perception (scholastic competence, relationship with peers, physical strength
and relationship with mother). Each sub-scale consists of five questions, including the range of response scores
from one to four, where one represents low perceived competence and four represents high perceived competence.
Within the present study the scholastic competence sub-scale was not used.

B. A sociometric test was administered to all pupils participating in the project. Each child was asked to name a)
his/her 5 best friends and b) his/her 5 peers that s/he did not want at his/her work group. Children were reassured of
the confidentiality of their responses, before answering the test. A double-entry table with the names of all children
of the classroom was used to register both positive (question a) and negative (question b) choices.
The sociogramme allowed the measurement and detection of the popularity of each child of the classroom. The 5
categories used to state a child‟s social status were: 1. Popular (most positive choices), 2. Average (more positive,
but also some negative choices), 3. Controversial (almost equal positive and negative choices), 4. Neglected (almost
none positive or negative choices) and 5. Rejected (most negative choices).

C. Observation forms were used at the end of the project by all teachers involved in that particular classroom
(e.g. teacher of English language, Arts, Computer Science, Gymnastics, etc.). This informal checklist included the
names of all participating children (horizontally) and the positive or negative behaviours that were observed
(vertically) during the implementation of the project. After the completion of the project, and for a week teachers
were asked to daily check for each child‟s behaviour in the classroom or at the playground.

Structure of the project

Three teachers of the 4th Glyfada‟s inclusive primary mainstream school, i.e. the special needs teacher, the
teacher of music and the main teacher of the classroom, having taken into account complaints (from teachers,
children and parents) regarding marginal behaviours (ranging from social isolation to aggression and bullying) from
the pupils of the second grade of the school, decided to implement a project targeting the undesirable behaviours and
empowering children‟s social skills and self-concept. The school director and all the supervisory authorities were
aware of the aims and the application of the project.
4 Sofia Kouvava
Kouvava et
et al.
al.// Procedia
Procedia –- Social
Social and
and Behavioral
Behavioral Sciences
Sciences 29
00 (2011)
(2011) 1660 – 1667
000–000 1663

The project that lasted 8 weeks was thoroughly structured and organized. During the two first weeks, the special
needs teacher administered all the tests (sociometric and SPPC), collected and analyzed all the pre-intervention data.
Moreover, based on the “Building Peer Relationships” programme (Alberta Health Services, 2009), children
discussed with her, during three 45-minute sessions per week, their thoughts and experiences about friendship and
social relationships (e.g. qualities of a good friend, good friendship behaviours, things we share with our friends,
how to approach a person, tips to make someone your friend, etc.). Books referring to friendship and problems
stemming from someone‟s behaviour were also read and discussed in the classroom. Results were examined at the
end of these sessions, in order to prepare the next steps of the project.
During the 3 weeks following, the teacher of music instructed children specific songs and a game that would
enhance their social skills, in 30-minute sessions twice a week. The first song aimed at helping every child to
become a member of the team, while the second song aimed at developing intimacy among children and helping
them expressing their feeling towards their peers through words and gestures. The aim of the game was to make
children realize the importance of cooperation with their peers. The steps involved in the musical activity are as
follows:
a) “My name is…”, where all children sit in a circle and each child in turn introduces his/her self, by saying
his/her name while singing the lyrics of the song and his/her peers repeat the name and welcome him/her to
the team.
b) “Every morning”, where all children of the classroom stand in a circle and each child in turn first chooses a
classmate to greet, to say his/her name and to shake hands and then shows the classmate who wants to be
friend with, says his/her name and hugs him/her.
c) Musical game: children stand one behind the other holding each other from the waist, forming a human
chain. The last child of the chain has a handkerchief bound at his/her back. As music begins to play, the
“head” of the chain runs, followed by all his/her classmates, trying to get the handkerchief, while the “tail”
tries to keep it. The game ends, when the chain breaks.
In the last 3 weeks, the classroom teacher used role-play activities, in 20-minute sessions once a week, in order to
make children think and suggest how they would react in certain situations through pretend play. Children were
allocated into 4 teams of 5 members and were presented scenarios that had to do with how would a child react if s/he
was present at a fight between two of his/her classmates, what would a child do if s/he saw a peer alone, crying at
the playground, etc. Each team was given explicit instructions and had adequate time to prepare and present its
ideas to the other teams which provided immediate feedback stating with arguments their points of view.
During the final week of the academic year, i.e. the week after the completion of the project, possible differences in
children‟s attitudes and behaviours were examined, both in the classroom and in the playground, by all teachers of
the school that teach in this particular classroom. Observation forms regarding pupils‟ social relationships,
behaviours and self-concept, were administered, completed and analyzed.

3. Results

The pre-intervention mean scores of children‟s responses to the three sub-scales of the Self-Perception Profile
for Children (SPPC) according to gender are presented in table 1.

Table 1
Descriptive statistics of responses to the three sub-scales of the Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC)
according to gender
Boys (n=11) Girls (n=9)
mean s.d. mean s.d.
Relationship with peers 3.00 1.17 3.58 .63
Physical strength 3.49 .95 3.53 .68
Relationship with mother 2.25 .48 3.13 .69

Mean scores indicate that perceptions of individual areas of self are more than or near the average 2.5 as
suggested by Makri-Botsari (2001)
1664 Sofia
AuthorKouvava
name / et al. / Procedia
Procedia - Social
– Social and Behavioral
and Behavioral Sciences
Sciences 29 (2011)
00 (2011) 1660 – 1667
000–000

A preliminary analysis using Spearman‟s rho correlation was performed on data in order to examine the inter-
relationships between self-perceptions domains concerning relationships with peers, physical strength and
relationships with mother. The analysis showed significant positive correlations between peer relations as perceived
by the children and both perceptions of physical strength (rho=.511, p<0.05) and perceptions of mother relations
(rho=.649, p<0.01). No other significant correlation was found. Children who believe that they have many friends
sharing common activities tend to describe themselves as capable in running and climbing as well as having a
supportive and caring mother. It is likely that there is a link between children‟s views of their relationship with
peers, their physical strength and their relations with their mother but these parameters and their potential
association need to be addressed more carefully.

Table 2 presents children‟s positive choices of best friend (+) and negative choices of peer they did not want to
have in their team (-). Each child‟s answers were noted vertically and the number of positive and negative peer
opinions/choices was calculated in order to elicit the sociometric status of each child.

Table 2
Pre-intervention socio-metric test

REJECTED by

SOCIOMETRIC
CHOSEN by

STATUS
ΚPa
ΚPe
ΜG

ΜΚ

VΜ
ΚΑ
GΑ

VΚ

HR
ΑΑ

DD
ΕD
ΑΖ

DB
ΑB
SG

SΚ

ΑF
ΝS
FF
ΚΑ ▓ + + + – + + + + + 8 1 popular
GΑ ▓ + + – + + + 5 1 average
ΑΑ – – ▓ + – – – – – + – 2 8 rejected
ΜG + ▓ – – – – + – + 3 5 rejected
SG – + ▓ – + – + 3 3 controversial
DD ▓ + + + + – + – – – 5 4 controversial
ΕD – – + – ▓ – – – + – – + – + 4 9 rejected
ΑΖ – – – – – ▓ – – – – – – – – – – – 0 16 rejected
ΜΚ + + ▓ + + + + 6 0 popular
VΚ + + + ▓ – – + – 4 3 controversial
SΚ + – + + + – + + ▓ – – + + – – – 8 7 controversial
VΜ – – – + + + – + + ▓ + + + 8 4 average
DB + – – – + + + + ▓ + + 7 3 average
ΑB – – ▓ + 1 2 neglected
ΚPa + + + + + + + + ▓ + 9 0 popular
ΚPe + + – + + + + ▓ + + + + 10 1 popular
ΗR + – – – + + + – – – ▓ + – + 6 7 controversial
ΝS + – – – – – + – – – – – – + ▓ – 3 12 rejected
FF – – – + – – – – – – – – ▓ 1 11 rejected
ΑF + + + + – – + + ▓ 6 2 average
+ 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 5 5
- 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 5 5 5

Four (20%) of the 20 children fell into the „popular‟ category, four (20%) were characterized as „of average
popularity‟, 5 (25%) received a „controversial‟ sociometric status, 1 (5%) was considered to be „of neglected
popularity‟ and the remaining 6 (30%) received a „rejected‟ social status.

Finally, results obtained from teachers‟ observation forms suggested that the majority of the school staff found in
some children improvement of their behaviours, especially concerning aggressive behaviours at the playground.
However, little differences were observed in socially withdrawn children, who continued to exhibit anxiety,
loneliness, restricted verbal communication and low self-esteem (table 3).
6 Sofia Kouvava
Kouvava et
et al.
al.// Procedia
Procedia –- Social
Social and
and Behavioral
Behavioral Sciences
Sciences 29
00 (2011)
(2011) 1660 – 1667
000–000 1665

Table 3
Changes in children’s behaviour according to teachers’ observations after the intervention
Pre-intervention measures Post-intervention measures
Subjects SPPC-Relationship Behaviour according to Behaviour according to Change in
Sociometric Status
with peers score teacher opinion teacher observation behaviour
1 ΚΑ popular 4 inattentive socially involved improvement
2 GΑ average 4 aggressive socially adjusted improvement
3 ΑΑ rejected 2.6 aggressive socially adjusted improvement
4 ΜG rejected 1.4 socially withdrawn socially withdrawn no change
5 SG controversial 4 emotionally unstable emotionally unstable no change
6 DD controversial 3.8 emotionally unstable socially adjusted improvement
7 ΕD rejected 2.8 socially withdrawn socially adjusted improvement
8 ΑΖ rejected 1.4 emotionally unstable emotionally unstable no change
9 ΜΚ popular 4 socially adjusted socially adjusted no change
10 VΚ controversial 3.6 aggressive socially involved improvement
11 SΚ controversial 2.4 socially withdrawn socially adjusted improvement
12 VΜ average 4 inattentive socially adjusted improvement
13 DB average 4 socially adjusted socially adjusted no change
14 ΑB neglected 3.2 socially withdrawn socially withdrawn no change
15 ΚPa popular 4 socially adjusted socially adjusted no change
16 ΚPe popular 4 emotionally unstable emotionally unstable no change
17 ΗR controversial 4 emotionally unstable emotionally unstable no change
18 ΝS rejected 1.2 aggressive socially adjusted improvement
19 FF rejected 2.8 socially withdrawn socially withdrawn no change
20 ΑF average 4 inattentive socially involved improvement

4. Discussion

The aim of the present short-scale study was to examine whether musical games and role-play activities could
ameliorate children‟s behaviour and peer relationships. The study involved the implementation of an 8-week project
in which children were engaged in several musical and role-play activities. Both musical games and role-playing
were highly structured and aimed at offering children successful experience, motivation, empathy and opportunities
to express their thoughts and feelings. The preliminary results showed that children who perceived themselves as
having many friends reported high physical strength, important to sport activities, as well as positive relations with
their mother. Moreover, the sociometric analysis indicated that most children with high or average popularity
among peers achieved high scores in peer relations self-perceptions. Accordingly, children who do not appear to be
popular among peers, tend to perform poorly in the self-perception profile. Some of these children, irrespective of
sociometric status, were characterised by teachers as experiencing behaviour problems in their contact with peers
such as aggression, difficulty in concentrating, social withdrawal or emotional symptoms. In some cases, behaviour
problems were improved after the implementation of the 8-week intervention, whereas in other cases there was no
observable change in behaviour.

The present study is only indicative of the role of training children‟s social interaction skills within a mainstream
educational setting using music and role-playing activities. During childhood a primary developmental task for
children is to coordinate the social rules, beliefs and values that they learn from adults with their own individual
social insights and their interaction with peers. However, social expectations learnt at home may not apply in a new
setting like school. Consequently, as children interact with peers they understand that they must co-construct new
rules through cooperative activities with their peers. Teachers have considerable influence on the social beliefs of
children and on the social dynamics of the classroom and are able to promote social competence and adjustment by
creating contexts that are supportive of the behavioural and social needs of their pupils. Like parents and other
important adults in a child‟s life, teachers guide children in new interactions and relationships in ways that foster
productive social roles and prevent problematic social behaviour. Teachers provide the model for responsive
interaction, attentiveness and respect for others and through their behaviour could inspire children to show sympathy
and understanding toward one another.
1666 Sofia
AuthorKouvava
name / et al. / Procedia
Procedia - Social
– Social and Behavioral
and Behavioral Sciences
Sciences 29 (2011)
00 (2011) 1660 – 1667
000–000

Based on the findings of the present study, it was found that music, songs, role-play activities and games, when
integrated with developmentally appropriate learning experiences, are great ways to reinforce children‟s social skills
and enhance peer relationships and self-concept. Lau (2008) suggested the following strategies, to be used by
teachers, in order to empower children‟s social development: presenting new, interesting musical games and
activities; providing children with opportunities to play with peers; providing opportunities for teacher to play with
children in a “peer-like” way; giving children direct suggestions for using successful social behaviours (such as
asking for a turn, being aware of others‟ feelings, showing the capacity to empathize, approaching and interacting
with peer in an appropriate manner, interacting non-verbally with other children with smiles, waves, nods, etc.).
Nevertheless, school based social skill enhancement interventions need to be effectively designed, implemented and
evaluated in order to support children with behaviour and adjustment problems in their relationships with peers. In
an extension of the present study issues like behaviour monitor techniques, assessment of children‟s psychosocial
profile, intervention methods and long lasting effects issues should be addressed.

However, in order to design successful interventions, teachers need the support and cooperation of parents. A
number of studies have highlighted the benefits of home-school communication on children. The results from over
thirty years of research suggest that pupils of all ages and economic background are likely to benefit from parental
involvement in their social-behavioural profile (Bacete & Rodriguez, 2004, Hogue et al., 2002, Jeynes, 2005).
Moreover, parents provide the emotional support children require to negotiate challenges outside of the family
environment. When children‟s needs for comfort and support are met by parents, their expectations of relationships
as positive, reciprocal interchanges is fostered (Sroufe, 2000). Generally, children with close emotional ties to
parents interact more confidently and positively with adults and peers in school, and children with less close parental
relationships are more prone to conflicted relationships with adults and peers in school (Howes, Matheson &
Hamilton, 1994; Pianta, Nimetz & Bennett, 1997). The role of parental support in children‟s behaviour and peer
interaction skills needs to be examined in great depth and within a longitudinal approach which would lead to the
identification of changes and influences across age and school years.

5. References

Alberta Health Services (2009). Building Peer Relationships. www.teachingsexualhealth.ca

Arnaud, S. (1971). Introduction: Polish for play‟s tarnished reputation. In National Association for the Education of
young children (Ed.), Play: The child’s strives toward self-realization (pp. 5-12). Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Asendorpf, J. B., Denissen, J. J. A. & van Aken, M. A. G. (2008). Inhibited and aggressive preschool children at 23
years of age: Personal and social transitions into adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 44(4), 997-1011.
Asher, S. & Coie, J. (1990). Peer rejection in childhood. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Bacete, F.-J. & Rodriguez, O. (2004). Family and Ability Correlates of Academic Grades: Social Status Group
Differences. Psychological Reports, 95(1), 10-12.
Gaffney, L. R. & McFall, R. M. (1981). A comparison of social skills in delinquent and nondelinquent adolescent
girls using a behavioral role-playing inventory. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 49, 959-967.
Harris, S. L. (1998). Behavioural and educational approaches to the pervasive developmental disorders. In Volkmar,
F. R. (Ed.), Autism and pervasive developmental disorders. Cambridge monographs in child and adolescent
psychiatry (pp. 195-208). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Harter, S. (1985). Manual for the Self-Perception Profile for Children. Denver, CO: University of Denver Press.
Hartup, W. W. (1986). On relations and development. In W. W. Hartup & Z. Rubin (Eds.), Relationships and
development. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Hay, D. F., Payne, A. & Chadwick, A. (2004). Peer relations in childhood. Journal of Child Psychology and
Psychiatry, 45(1), 84-108.
Hazen, N., Black, B. & Fleming-Johnson, F. (1984) Social acceptance: Strategies children use and how teachers can
help children learn them. Young Children, 39(6), 26-36.
Hogue, A., Liddle, H. A., Becker, D. & Johnson-Leckrone, J. (2002). Family-Based Prevention Counselling for
High-Risk Young Adolescents: Immediate Outcomes. Journal of Community Psychology, 30, 1-22.
Howes, C., Matheson, C. & Hamilton, C. E. ((1994). Maternal, teacher and child care history correlates of children‟s
relationships with peers. Child Development, 65, 264-273.
8 Sofia Kouvava
Kouvava et
et al.
al.// Procedia
Procedia –- Social
Social and
and Behavioral
Behavioral Sciences
Sciences 29
00 (2011)
(2011) 1660 – 1667
000–000 1667

Jeynes, W. H. (2005). A Meta-analysis of the Relation of Paternal Involvement to Urban Elementary School Student
Academic Achievement. Urban Education, 40(3), 237-269.
Konold, T. R., Jamison, K. R., Stanton-Chapman, T. L. and Rimm-Kaufman, S. E. (2010). Relationships among
informant based measures of social skills and student achievement: A longitudinal examination of differential
effects by sex. Applied Developmental Science, 14(1), 18-34.
Ladd, G. W. (1990). Having friends, keeping friends, making friends and being liked by peers in the classroom:
Predictors of children‟s early school adjustment? Child Development, 61(4), 1081-1100.
Lau, W. C. M. (2008). Using singing games in music lessons to enhance young children‟s social skills. Asia-Pacific
Journal for Arts Education, 6(2), 1-30.
Makri-Botsari, E. (2001). Self-Perception Profile for Children I (PATEM 1). Athens: Hellinika Grammata.
Mashburn, A. J. & Pianta, R. C. (2006). Social relationships and school readiness. Early Education and
Development, 17(1), 151-176.
Mathieson, K. & Banerjee, R. (2011). Peer play, emotion understanding, and socio-moral explanation: The role of
gender. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 29, 188-196.
Moyles, J. R. (1989). Just playing? The role and status of play in early childhood education. Milton Keynes &
Philadelphia: Open University Press.
Pepler, D. J. & Craig, W. M. (1998). Assessing children‟s peer relationships. Child Psychology & Psychiatry
Review, 3(4), 176-182.
Pianta, R. C., Nimetz, S. L. & Bennett, E. (1997). Mother-child relationships, teacher-child relationships, and school
outcomes in pre-school and kindergarten. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 12(3), 263-280.
Schmidt, M. & Čagran, B. (2008). Self-concept of students in inclusive settings. International Journal of Special
Education, 23(1), 8-17.
Segrin, C. (2000). Social skills deficits associated with depression. Clinical Psychology Review, 20, 379-403.
Spence, S. H. (2003). Social skills training with children and young people: Theory, evidence and practice. Child
and Adolescent Mental Health, 8(2), 84-96.
Spence, S. H., Donovan, C. & Brechman-Toussaint, M. (1999). Social skills, social outcomes, and cognitive features
of childhood social phobia. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 108, 211-221.
Sroufe, L. A. (2000). Early relationships and the development of children. Infant Mental Health Journal, 21, 67-74.
Wigram, T. (2002). Indications in music therapy; evidence from assessment that can identify the expectations of
music therapy as a treatment to Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD): meeting the challenge of evidence based
practice. British Journal of Music Therapy, 16, 11-28.