A quote in the CCEP faculty workroom is an important reminder that we should provide students opportunities to be independent. It says:

When you:

Cut it for me,

Write it for me,

Open it for me,

Set it up for me,

Draw it for me or

Find it for me,

All I learn, is that you do it better than me

One of the primary goals of our PreK program is to enable our students to be more independent. Initially, we offer a great deal of support and build considerable time into our school day to accomplish this objective. One of the ways we strive to accomplish our goal is by providing consistent classroom routines that students learn to follow. As they understand what is expected of them, over time our students are able to meet these expectations with little to no prompting. Offering choices to our children is another way to facilitate independence. It helps them develop problem solving skills, practice cooperation, and fosters creativity. Being independent builds self-esteem and autonomy. They feel successful and confident when they learn to do things for themselves, even (perhaps especially) when they persevere through the challenges of acting independently.

If you are interested in learning more about the value of providing young learners with opportunities to be independent and to read more about ways to facilitate independence in your preschool aged child, please visit https://childmind.org/article/how-to-build-independence-in-preschoolers/.

PreK Teachers: Mari Schubert, Lisa Tuleya, and Annie Williams