Seriously we are building some great friendship! That's our goal. We want a community of great friends who think of others before themselves but that doesn't happen naturally. It must be taught. Taught not only in their home but out in their community. We have a fantastic community. Let me introduce you to a few of my friends (no real names used). I want to tell you about some great qualities they have.
This is one of my friends and let me tell you she has great fashion taste.
Also she is very sweet and friendly.
These two love imagination play and often you will find
them in Mud's kitchen cooking up something sweet.
This guy below loves treasure. He is often carrying around
a "crystal" along with a hand drawn treasure map.
Actually it may even be a painted treasure map.
Finding treasures in the classroom is always exciting.
Being brave is a very good quality. It takes a bit to talk yourself
into something new.
BRAVERY AND BALANCE = Risk Assessment
Risk Assessment = Children becoming competent in their skills with the opportunity to take age appropriate risks. Taking a risk or a chance means that they might make a mistake. The more opportunities for risk and mistakes gives children confidence about taking chances and helps them rebound and learn flexibility when things don’t work out exactly the first time.
We had a big group of risk takers in a new area to play. Not new to our staff but new to our friends. They were big and brave.
The top of this tumbled tree was about 4'
There was a lot of gripping and slipping
but he was determined to make it
to the top.
How can we support our preschoolers in taking risks? We can stop saying “be careful”. “Be careful” is not a useful saying as it gives no information. Giving specific feedback is more useful. We can provide kids with opportunities in a safe space to explore risks by looking for hazards and staying close by. By remaining calm, we can show the kids that we trust their ability to problem solve and risk assess. If children succeed, they gain the confidence in mastery of their task. If they make a mistake, they gain information about what didn’t work and they gain the ability to try it again a different way.
Now is the time to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. It will led us to growth: personal, societal, and family.
This is just a few of my friends and I will definitely be sharing more throughout the year.
