Vol. 2, Issue 8, Part E (2016)

Abstract
The study examined the extent to which 4-5 year olds in a preschool setting recognise emotions of anger, sadness and fear. Understanding emotions is of great help to children in their efforts to get along with others as it aids in the development of social skills. Specifically the study explored pre-school children’s ability to recognise emotions of anger, sadness and fear. The case study utilised qualitative research method. Participants were ten four to five year old pre-school children. Data was collected through interviews and observation. Findings of the study were that: children were able to recognise emotions of anger, sadness and fear using observable characteristics; children mislabelled sadness as anger due to the overall classification of these as negative emotions. The study recommends caregivers to encourage children to express any feelings they encounter so that they desist from classifying emotions as negative and positive. It is also recommended that workshops be organised to sensitise caregivers on strategies that can enhance children’s understanding of emotions.