Schools are a perfect place to watch the development of social awareness - and every passing moment will present examples of growing emotional intelligence and awareness in children.

Consider an instance where two children are sitting quietly, taking part in collaborative learning. A third child may want to join in, and so abruptly enters the interaction; using clumsy body language to make themselves the center of attention. This gives the other children no option but to engage.

If the two original children also have a fairly underdeveloped social ability, this kind of forced interaction might be accepted - but if their emotional skills are slightly more developed, the third child's action is likely to be considered rude. Even if the children don't address any negative feelings immediately, it's likely to inform social decisions further down the line - and it's almost certainly interrupted teaching and learning.