Building Independence in Preschool What is Independence Learning

Building Independence in Preschool

What is Independence? • Learning to do things for oneself which includes making decisions and taking on responsibility. • Independence doesn’t mean that your child doesn’t need you, it’s more to give them the opportunity to think and then act based on their own decisions.

Why Independence is important ? Independence leads to self-esteem, identity and wellbeing.

How do we develop children’s independence at school?

Give children opportunities and allow enough time to manage a simple task – consider the probability of success • Class Routine (The students know what will happen when they arrive in the classroom, what’s next after this, how to help them to know what’s going to happen next - visual schedule. It leads to independent thinking… *this is what I’m planning to say about the class routine. Doesn’t necessarily have to be stated on the slide) • Give them time to unpack - pack the bag, put on and take-off their shoes. • P 3 back to class earlier than P 4 at Playground Time, for transition and changing shoes • We choose toys which are age appropriate • Toys and class materials are at their eye level • Baskets or shelves are clearly labeled for them to help them to tidy-up • Job charts (P 3: leader, gardener, pet. P 4: leader, weather reporter, whiteboard cleaner, schedule monitor, feed the pet)

Expect that every child is able to do their simple task **Linda - say something about children meeting expectations when given an opportunity.

Positive Reinforcement • Acknowledge their achievement by giving positive feedback (I like the way you sorting the toys, Well Done!, Great Job! You know what to do after this!, You can do it without any help! Excellent!) Compromise, Support • Help them when necessary (Spilled yoghurt, shoes, change clothes) • Maybe we can explain how we do changing clothes in the class, in that way they understand how important it is to let their child to be aware of their belongings, that their child should know what’s inside their bag?

Repeat the task • By consistently giving the student one task at a time, they have the opportunity to practice or improve themselves Focus on the process • It doesn’t have to be perfect, as long as the student understand try to do the steps.

What can parents do at home to build independence?

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