What a child can do today with assistance, she will be able to do by herself tomorrow.LEV VYGOTSKY
It’s the Week of the Young Child’s Work Together Wednesday. When children work together, they experience teamwork, develop their abilities to work toward a common goal and develop their social skills.
We have to give our little learners as many chances to practice teamwork skills. There are many reasons you want to help your preschoolers develop teamwork:
It builds a sense of community. When you help your students learn about teamwork and reinforce these skills, you are showing your students how the classroom is a community, and we need to treat each other with respect.
It fosters perspective. It can be difficult for them to understand that not everyone wants to play the same way or do things like them. To solve problems and work together, we sometimes have to accept other people’s ways of thinking.
It builds empathy. When you help your student learn and develop empathy skills, you are helping them identify how other people are feeling and why. This will allow them to connect with friends and peers on a deeper level and will set them up on the right path toward understanding the world around them as they get older.
Children learn from each other. Learning from their peers is an excellent way for children to learn about the world around them, different perspectives, and understand people’s differences and similarities.
Teamwork in preschool means reinforcing and introducing essential skills that will allow students to work with their peers, understand, help others when needed, and know what working together looks like and means.
Interested in learning more about the RPS 205 Early Childhood opportunities for families with children from birth to age 5? Visit the early childhood webpage or call the Early Childhood Screening and Placement Office at 815-229-2103.
Hillary Cook-Harris
Hillary Cook-Harris is the Director of Early Childhood Curriculum and Assessment. Hillary joined RPS 205 in November 2019. She has been an Early Childhood educator and director for more than 28 years.