The regulations and recommendations for early childhood settings are daunting. In some places, physically distancing Children is mandated and in others recommended. Where it is recommended each organization, school, and educational system will make decisions that could have the early childhood years looking very different than in the past. Concerns for staff health, not to mention sanity, is playing a large part in those decisions (as well it should). Whatever is decided for where you or your children are going to spend their time, it is important that focus is on what we CAN do. Even when children are encouraged to play with distance between them using their own toys…even when children are discouraged from sharing (a tough skill for an early learner on any day)... We CAN still teach social skills.
When I speak with teachers and parents, everyone seems to agree that there are certain social skills that they would like children to learn. How do we teach them even if the children are asked to abide by COVID-19 era rules? We do that through our intentional interactions. Here are some examples:
Taking turns: Taking turns is a primary lesson of the early childhood years. Taking turns is the first step to learning to work together. Just because they may have individual buckets of toys that doesn’t mean they never take turns. Children can learn about taking turns:
- Speaking (in-person and online)
- Using a personal greeting with the teacher (see my Facebook page for ideas from Pyramid Model)
- Using the restroom
- Washing hands (and that will be even more than before!)
- Singing verses of songs
- Showing everyone what they are playing with
Using manners: Please, thank you and excuse me don’t have to be abandoned like the handshake! Children will still learn manners when:
- Adding to a conversation
- Walking by people
- Asking for help
- After having been helped
Working together: Ultimately, by the time children are in the PreK year and above, we want them to work as a team. Teammates all contribute something to a whole. Each has value. Encourage them to work together to:
- Create items for a display
- Clean up at the same time, even if their items are stored separately
- Dictate a class story
- Create part of a class mural
- Contribute to a class song
- Remind each other about classroom rules
We CAN do so much, regardless of the decisions made on your local level. It is only when we are in a negative mindset that we are unable to do the best we can with any situation.
As a consultant, it is not my job to tell you the rules you must or shouldn’t abide by. It is my job to take your situations, lemons and all, and help you make lemonade. Watch for more posts about what we CAN do to help children feel safe, loved, and continue on their education path from wherever they are today.
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This post first appeared on Helping Kids And Families Achieve With Cynthia Ter, please read the originial post: here
