Preschool Teachers Invaluable to Building Social Skills

Posted On July 30,2021

Becoming a teacher – particularly a preschool teacher – allows you to make a real difference in children’s lives. Preschoolers are developing their social skills, making preschool incredibly important for their future attitudes, relationships, and attitude about education. Having a quality preschool teacher to assist in building social skills can make all the difference in a child’s academic success.

Preschool Teachers Help Students Identify Their Emotions

Preschoolers have a lot of emotions, but they often lack the skills to express and identify those feelings. There are many books, songs, and games that can teach children how to identify what they are feeling and how to handle those emotions. Once children have learned to identify their feelings, they can better communicate them and begin to develop strategies for coping with certain situations. When a child recognizes that they are feeling angry, sad, or lonely, knowing what they can do to cope will help them throughout their preschool years and beyond. Becoming a teacher allows you to make a real and lasting difference when you work with preschool students.

Preschool Provides Many Opportunities for Social Growth

In a quality preschool program, children will have opportunities to work on many social skills in the course of their day, such as,

• Sharing
• Cooperating
• Listening
• Following Directions
• Understanding Personal Space
• Making Eye Contact
• Using Manners

These skills can be learned, refined, and strengthened throughout the preschool years and beyond. Preschool age children may struggle with these skills and need explicit teaching, opportunities for practice, and recognition and praise for success. Talking through the skills and giving students the opportunity for repeated practice is a huge benefit of a quality preschool program.

Why is Building Social Skills in Preschool So Important?

A child with well developed social skills enjoys a great amount of benefits. Students who build and develop their social skills in preschool will have better success throughout their education career and have better relationships with adults and peers. Children who understand sharing, listening, rule following, and cooperation by the time they exit preschool are prepared for kindergarten and beyond. A child’s social and emotional skills by age 5 are the biggest predictor of future academic success. In addition, children who have strong social skills will have stronger friendships, which is important to their future mental health. Children who do not have the opportunity to develop these skills are more likely to have issues as they grow, and the stress can compound from year to year.

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Becoming a Teacher Provides You with the Opportunity to Make a Difference

The right training in early childhood education can start you on a path toward a successful career where you make a difference in the lives of children. In a quality early childhood education program, you will learn how to facilitate social and emotional growth as well as learn how to nurture and refine the social skills that will be so important. ECE programs are focused on helping you learn how to develop skills to help with early literacy, numeracy, and cognitive skills, as well as the importance of social and emotional growth. Becoming a teacher will allow you to make a real difference.

Start Your ECE Process Now

When considering a career in education, becoming a teacher is about so much more than instruction in reading, writing, and math. Every day as a preschool teacher will provide numerous opportunities for social and emotional growth for your young students. A quality preschool teacher makes a real difference for many students, and we can get you there. Contact Athena Career Academy for more information about our accredited programs and no wait list enrollment.