SIS Regensburg Laying Foundations for Social and Emotional Development in Preschool Aukje Jansen, Preschool Teacher
“Children develop their personalities by interacting with other children and adults.” (SIS Preschool Concept) For most children, preschool is the first time in their lives that they are separated from their parents on a regular daily basis. Coming into the new, big group full of different children can be very exciting. On the other hand, it can be hard for children to know how to act and behave in accordance with their cultures’ social structure within a group. Often it can be hard to listen, wait and share. As the preschool is the first re-occurring non-family group event, it becomes the primary venue for laying the foundation for social and emotional development. During preschool, children learn how to act and behave in a group, and the teachers’ goal is to make this happen in a natural, fun way within a safe environment. Main Skills: Listening, Sharing, Compassion and Empathy The educators have the task of supporting and guiding the social interaction skills of the children. Children learn gradually to adjust their own wishes and impulses or to restrain them in order to be part of the group. Because young children are focused on themselves, it can be very hard for them to put themselves in someone else’s shoes to better integrate into a group. Listening, empathy, compassion, and sharing are the main skills that are being practised in social education. These skills allow the students to understand other children and how to act in a constructive manner that does not hinder their peers’ development. Individual level and/or age significantly influence how children express for example anger, happiness, or sadness. Teachers must take the children’s emotions seriously in order to develop the students’ social abilities. In that way, the children feel safe to express themselves and are more open to learn and develop. Low self-confidence and esteem will degrade the child’s ability to participate in learning activities. Educators’ awareness and supportive feedback of students’ social maturity development nourishes the children’s self-confidence and esteem.
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