Supporting social competence in early childhood is associated with the development of friendships, positive outcomes across developmental domains, and preventing challenges in later life. However, within social skills interventions to improve social competence, identifying and selecting target social skills that are likely to be functional within a child’s environment represent a complex challenge. In the current research, descriptive analysis was employed within the preschool context, to identify the common, functional social skills that typically developing children engage in, within naturally occurring social exchanges. Environmental variables possibly correlated with social behavior within the preschool context were analyzed. An analysis of the social antecedents and consequences for social behavior was also conducted. Specific social behaviors that are likely to be functional and developmentally appropriate within the preschool context were identified. Analyses of factors are discussed in terms of recommendations for developing social skills interventions for early educational settings.

支持幼儿期的社交能力与友谊的发展，跨发展领域的积极成果以及防止晚年生活的挑战有关。然而，在提高社交能力的社交技能干预措施中，识别和选择可能在儿童环境中发挥作用的目标社交技能是一项复杂的挑战。在当前的研究中，描述性分析被用于学前教育的背景下，以识别通常发展中的孩子在自然发生的社会交往中所参与的常见的功能性社交技能。分析了可能与学龄前环境中的社会行为相关的环境变量。还分析了社会前因和对社会行为的后果。确定了可能在学龄前环境下发挥功能和促进发展的特定社交行为。根据为早期教育环境开发社交技能干预措施的建议，讨论了因素分析。