How Preschool Can Help Children Develop Emotionally

According to a study conducted by Penn State and displayed on Science Daily, children who attended preschools that implemented research-based and developmentally informed curriculum rarely experienced emotional symptoms like depression and anxiety later in life.

Preschool provides an environment where your child gets to learn both academically and socially. Children who attend preschool are aged between 3 and 4 years. Children at this age undergo developmental changes that affect them socially and emotionally. Below are ways in which preschool can help children develop emotionally.

Learning To Share

Some children may not quickly learn to share since they lack siblings at home or exposure to social environments. However, in preschool, such children will be taught how to share since they will be with their peers. The items shared may be school items like books or toys. The following are some ways that teachers can implement to promote sharing among preschoolers:

• Setting time limits for playing with toys
• Modeling good behavior
• Correcting negative behaviors

Preschoolers will also get an opportunity to learn that sharing is caring. Also, they will learn that one gets more friends when they share, and since they want to make friends, they will understand the value of sharing with others.

Rules and Activities

Preschool is a structured environment with plenty of rules. This environment teaches children that they face the consequences of their actions. For instance, as a teacher, you may take their toy if they refuse to follow instructions during playtime. This will make the child sad, and they will eventually realize that to be happy, they need to follow the teacher's rules. The following activities promote emotional development among preschoolers:

• Calm down yoga
• Learning feeling words
• Mood meter- used to express mood when the preschooler cannot identify their mood.

A well-structured preschool should be organized in a way that encourages social interaction and discourages conflict and congestion.

Learn To Help Others

Compassion is fostered in preschoolers when the teacher encourages them to help out their classmates. Helping others builds the preschooler's sense of self-worth and competence in the process.

Examples of activities that teach preschoolers to help out include:

• Instructing a child to pass out the materials needed for the day's curriculum/lesson
• Setting the table during snack time
• Feeding a classroom pet. In these activities, the teacher will be showing the preschooler that they are a resource for their fellow students.

Emotional Development is Critical in Preschoolers

Contrary to throwing tantrums as they did when they were two years old, preschoolers aspire to be independent and curious about various aspects of their lives. Emotional development is a critical area that preschoolers require most to prepare to start kindergarten and expand their social experiences. A healthy preschool environment can help children develop emotionally.

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