Preschool Teachers Impact Positive Social and Emotional Development in Kids

An important aspect of school readiness and healthy child development is fostering a child’s social-emotional needs in preschool. A preschooler's social-emotional skills include being able to share and get along with others, manage their feelings, focus their attention, and work hard at mastering challenging tasks. Social-emotional learning is one of the most important skills to develop during the preschool years because it’s vital for long-term success in school and in life.

Teaching social-emotional skills in the classroom starts by making social-emotional learning part of your daily routine. 

Here are some simple ways to promote social-emotional learning in your classroom: 

Prep Your Classroom for Social Play 

One way to promote social-emotional learning in preschoolers is to provide them with plenty of materials that allow for multiple play versus materials that promote individual play. For example, instead of having just one dress up set, make sure you have enough items for 2 to 4 children to play together. 

It's good practice to stock each station with as many sets as the number of children allowed to play in that area at a time. So, if only four children are allowed at the math station, you would have enough blocks and counters for four children to participate at a time. If there are five children allowed in the science station, you would have five magnifying glasses, etc. 

This will allow more children to join in cooperative play as well as reduce conflicts. 

Create a Predictable Routine 

Establishing a predictable and consistent routine is a must in every preschool classroom. Setting a structured routine helps promote social-emotional learning by minimizing difficult behavior. When children know what to expect in the classroom and understand the expectations of their behavior during specific activities, they’re much more likely to comply. 

If you’re unsure how to teach expectations to your preschoolers, create a visual schedule of daily activities. Visual schedules are easy for preschoolers to follow, giving them a sense of security in knowing what comes next throughout the day. 

Establish the Rules and Model Positive Behavior 

Establishing classroom rules and expectations is key in the development of social-emotional learning. In the beginning, you’ll likely need to give frequent reminders of the rules, like “use your words” or “everyone gets an equal turn” when two children are reaching for the same toy. Give them simple means of reaching a solution when they both want a turn at the same time, like drawing a number to see who goes first or suggesting they find another toy or activity. Help your students find the appropriate words to describe their feelings and desires to teach them how to deal with frustration. Being a good role model and leading by example of how you want them to behave will teach them how to peacefully resolve conflicts and adversity. 

Provide Plenty of Pretend Play 

Providing ample time for pretend play is one of the most effective ways to promote social-emotional learning in the classroom. Pretend play is the perfect time to encourage socio-dramatic play by giving your students props, dress up clothes, and real items you find at home and in the real world, like empty cereal boxes and child sized grocery carts.

Ready to Get Started? 

Helping preschoolers develop strong social and emotional skills is one of the most important components of any quality preschool program. If you’re ready to make a positive impact by becoming a preschool teacher, contact Athena Career Academy for more information about enrolling in our early childhood education degree program.