Social Self-reliance of Preschool Children

Apart from practical and mental autonomy, the social self-reliance of preschool children constitutes an important aspect of an individual’s attaining independence and school maturity. According to the author, contemporary children sometimes present an insufficient level of social self-reliance, which may hinder them from taking actions and implementing future life roles, especially that of a student, as well as from developing independence and a sense of success. In consequence, this may contribute to lower self-esteem and difficulties in the social functioning of the child. The author supplements theoretical considerations with the results of her own research conducted in preschool education institutions in the Opole region in 2018. An analysis of 530 questionnaires from the observation of five and six-year-old children indicated that most of them attained social self-reliance in the studied areas. There were, however, also children who scored low or very low in the area and who require particular support on their way towards self-reliance. The children had the best results in their engagement and perseverance while performing jobs for others, and the poorest – in the sphere of taking decisions or co-deciding.