Social/Emotional development is a HUGE part of Kindergarten. It is so critical that children have the opportunity to be introduced to how a school classroom runs, the rules of being in school, and the skills necessary to handle a large class of peers/make some good friends. In Kindergarten, we want children to develop/strengthen the following social/emotional skills:
cooperating with peers
resolving conflicts with peers in positive ways
following classroom rules and adult instructions
helping others
Kindergarten students do best when rules are stated and taught explicitly and in great detail. They also thrive in environments that have consistent rules and consequences. It is crucial that children feel supported, loved, and valued by the adults in their lives. There are many positive ways that children can be taught to develop the social/emotional skills we want them to master.
With regard to interactions with other students, the "egocentrism" (seeing the world only from your point of view) which is typical in Kindergarten development can make things tricky. Students do not think, "If I push this child, he will be sad/get hurt." They can only see what they themselves are feeling. Young children must be taught to have empathy and to respect and consider other children's feelings, though it does come more naturally for some children than others.
What you can do:
Have clear expectations at home and be consistent in enforcing them.
Model correct social behaviors and discuss with your child how he/she can treat others kindly and respectfully.
Praise your child when he/she makes appropriate choices.
Talk to your child about his/her day. Encourage him/her to discuss their feelings throughout the day, and possible ways those feeling could be/could have been dealt with appropriately.
Provide opportunities for your child to play with other children. Ensure that he/she has experience with games that involve taking turns, and that he/she knows how to both win and lose gracefully.
What I will do:
I teach my rules very clearly at the beginning of each school year and review my expectations daily (not all of them every day, but each often enough that the students know what is expected).
I encourage students to use their words when they encounter a difficult situation with another student. I teach that using violence to express feeling is NEVER okay. If a students comes to me with a concern, I first ask what they have done to try to solve the problem (if the answer is nothing, I offer suggestions).
When I witness or hear about inappropriate behaviors, I encourage children to fix the problem, practice the appropriate behavior, and/or have a time to calm or reevaluate his/her feelings and actions. For example, if I hear yelling or see pushing because someone is in the way, we figure out and practice which words/tone could have helped solve the problem positively. If there is a little more serious physical hurt, I encourage the child who did the hurting to get an ice pack or comfort the hurt child. I rarely tell children to say sorry unless I think they actually feel sorry - it is not productive to force an insincere apology.
I point out evidence of other people's feelings. "Look at _______'s face. I can tell he/she does not like what you are doing. He/she probably wants you to stop." or "Uh oh... You pushed ________ and now he/she is crying. That shows me that he/she is feeling hurt. Maybe we can figure out a way to help him/her feel better."
I will let you know if I notice any specific social/emotional concerns with your child. Keep in mind that all children are new to these skills so I intervene with all my students' emotional and social behaviors to varying degrees. I will probably contact you if I notice the same concern several times per week.
I try to teach and instill confidence. When feelings are hurt, I often remind students, "You don't need to listen when other people say mean things. They don't get to decide who you are. We know everyone is special and important."
Social and Emotional Learning - great resource for understanding this type of development, also has links to other suggestions if you need more details/ideas 50 Calm-Down Ideas to Try with Kids of All Ages - this has some AWESOME ideas, I'd steer clear of the screaming one or anything that involves force. It is no longer recommended that children punch a pillow (or similar) to deal with anger. Studies show that it reinforces pathways in the brain between anger and aggression. Read this if you don't believe me. I tell my students, "If you feel angry, find a way to calm down. Acting angry will only make things worse!" We have all been there, right? About 8 years ago, I threw my phone at my bedroom wall - it felt great until I realized it had broken. Lesson learned! Acting angry only makes things worse... Kindergarten Social Skills Emotional Regulation - great ideas for how to teach it! 10 Ways Kids Appear to be Acting Naughty, But Actually Aren't - I LOVE this and very much agree with everything it says. Notice though: this does not mean inappropriate behaviors are okay, it just explains why they might be occurring (when not due to willful misbehavior). I believe it's important to understand the reasons behind inappropriate behaviors and help children learn better - talk them through it, make suggestions for what to do in the future, model and practice the appropriate behavior, etc. It doesn't mean consequences aren't necessary either. If an overstimulated child has a meltdown and throws a bunch of stuff on the floor, you better believe I'd have him /her clean it up when calm.