Helping and Reading to Younger Children Before Rest Time
Rest is a basic physiological need that calms children and strengthens brain connections. It also nurtures key values: children learn to recognize their own needs and those of others, fostering cooperation, patience, and respect for those who require rest. In both preschools and at home, rest time can be enhanced with stories, pleasant music, or nature sounds. After napping, children can show helpfulness by folding blankets and helping their peers put away cots, building their sense of responsibility and confidence.
Educators also have opportunities to instill these values in other daily routines, such as when children get ready for outdoor play. Children are encouraged to dress independently, while older children are prompted to assist the younger ones, teaching younger children to express gratitude for the help and older ones to wait patiently. Parents can also embrace these teaching moments by allowing extra time for children to practice independence and helpfulness.
Caring for Younger Children
Children aged 3 to 6 often enjoy taking care of younger children, showcasing their sense of responsibility and willingness to help. They assist younger peers with tasks like buttoning clothes and zipping jackets, gaining a sense of usefulness and solidarity. Sometimes, older children may need gentle encouragement. For example, you can say, “Look, he still can’t button his jacket. Can you help him?” And afterward, you might say, “Thank you, you were a great help. Doesn’t it feel good to assist someone?”
On occasion, older children can visit younger groups to help with specific activities. Praising children for their helpfulness is crucial, as it encourages continued positive behavior.
This is Me
This activity, designed for children aged 4 to 5, aims to foster self-confidence and an awareness of their unique traits. The educator invites children to observe themselves in a mirror and identify characteristics that make them unique, such as eye color, hair, their smile, or even their clothing. The goal is to help them embrace their individuality and find their place within the group.
Serving Snacks
At the start of the school year, the teacher initially serves snacks to the children, using polite expressions like “Here you go” and encouraging the children to respond with “Thank you.” After a few days, one child is invited to serve the snacks, with a different child taking a turn each day.
This activity develops the child’s self-esteem, social skills, and awareness of others’ needs, reinforcing values like responsibility, care for others, politeness, and friendship.
Table Setting
Children can set the table either for themselves or for the whole group. This activity builds responsibility, helpfulness, politeness, and friendship. It also enhances concentration and social skills.
The child setting the table washes their hands, wears an apron, counts the chairs to determine how many place settings are needed, and then begins by placing plates at each seat.
Next, the child adds a glass for each plate, places a napkin, a spoon to the right, and a fork to the left of each plate. During festive occasions like Christmas or birthdays, the table can be specially decorated, further encouraging the children’s creativity and sense of community.
Politeness and Respect
Politeness and respect are essential social behaviors, often likened to oil for the wheels of social interaction. Children do not typically misbehave out of malice but because they may lack the skills or language to express their needs. Politeness and respect exercises provide a model for behavior, equipping children with the tools they need to express themselves and take responsibility for their actions.
Adults must consistently model politeness and respect, as these behaviors are essential for fostering a peaceful and harmonious environment. Demonstrating politeness encourages children to adopt these behaviors naturally, whether in social interactions or during specific tasks like greeting others or apologizing.
Maria Montessori emphasized that children between two and a half and six years old are in a sensitive period for learning good habits. This is the time when they are naturally inclined to perform tasks correctly and with care.
The desire to be polite and kind comes naturally to children, and it’s up to parents and educators to nurture this inclination by providing models of behavior and encouragement. Some actions need to be demonstrated, while others are absorbed by the child simply by observing their environment. This process prepares the child to become a peaceful, responsible member of society. As Montessori suggests, it’s better to teach through demonstration rather than correction.
Goal: A peaceful, respectful citizen. Children learn to live with dignity and develop traits like kindness, curiosity, compassion, and love—creating a well-adjusted, “normalized” child.
Clap for the Right Things
The activity “Clap for the Right Things” is designed to teach children responsibility and guide them toward becoming accountable individuals. In a Turkish preschool, this activity is performed as a drama. The teacher asks a series of questions about right and wrong, and children respond by either clapping or standing still with their hands together (which symbolizes becoming a flower). For example:
- Is it right for a child to take money from their parents’ wallet without permission?
- Is it right to drive too fast?
- Is it right for a shopkeeper to shortchange a customer?
- Is it right for a child to say they washed their hands before lunch when they didn’t?
- Is it right for a child to turn off the TV and study as promised to their parent?
This exercise provides simple, direct guidance on distinguishing right from wrong. It is highly effective as it’s presented as a drama with children’s participation, reinforcing good and bad behaviors in a memorable way. The teacher introduces a maximum of 10 rules and praises children for correct answers from time to time.
Be Respectful
This activity helps children understand the importance of respecting elders. It is conducted as a role-playing exercise where one child pretends to be an elderly lady boarding a bus, and the others help her to demonstrate respect. The child offers their seat to the elderly lady and assists her in getting off the bus. At the end of the activity, the child also learns how to respond to gratitude.
I Love You
This activity is designed to help 4- to 5-year-olds express their feelings of love and affection appropriately. The teacher asks each child who they love and why, with the children giving reasons like sharing toys, being kind, or telling the truth. The teacher repeats the children’s statements and explains the value in other words. The exercise helps children reflect on their own positive traits and understand how others may feel when they show love and kindness.
Let’s Line Up
This activity, suitable for children aged 3 to 4, teaches them how to wait their turn, show patience, and respect their peers while fostering cooperation. The teacher instructs the children to line up and praises them once they do so. Though this task might seem mundane, the teacher makes it engaging by incorporating a song and a discussion about what might happen if children didn’t line up properly. The activity concludes with the children clapping for their good organization, teamwork, and respect, reinforcing their positive behavior. It can also be expanded with stories on the topic.