Measuring Kindergartners' Social Competence. Measuring Kindergartners' Social Competence. At different ages, children develop different competencies. Over time, these peer-interaction skills are transformed into other related competencies. This digest advocates assessment of children's social competence, of which performance on achievement tests is only a small part.
Social competence is the degree to which children adapt to their school and home environments.
The argument for assessing social competence continues because of the over-reliance on academically oriented standardized tests. Both these domains are important, interdependent measures of adaptation to school. The assessment of social competence calls for the use of observational data, teacher rating scales, peer nomination measures, and standardized tests. In short, multiple assessment measures are needed, particularly for decisions about grade retention or assignment to special classes. While classrooms can be used to study such relationships, a playground maximizes opportunities for peer interactions, minimizes the chances of teacher involvement, and provides children with a greater amount of play.