Sharing is a skill that is needed throughout life and is usually taught at the onset of early childhood. As most little learners tend to focus on themselves, teaching the act of sharing can sometimes be a challenge. In order to play cooperatively and maintain friendships, sharing is vital to developing positive interactions both in and out of the classroom. Learning how to share teaches children many skills including compromise, taking turns, negotiating, and also, how to cope with disappointment. Helping children to understand the concept of sharing can be done through a variety of methods including behavior modeling, games and activities, and positive reinforcement. To begin teaching preschoolers about sharing, here are a few helpful ideas.
Preschool: Learning How to Share
Lead By Example
Children are always watching the manners and conduct of parents, teachers, and other adults. By providing a model of good sharing behaviors, preschoolers will begin to become familiar with the concept of sharing. Taking the time to practice, show and explain various acts of sharing can help children to recognize common practices, as well as, start to see the positive outcomes of sharing. Witnessing sharing behaviors such as give and take, cooperation, and other generous actions will help children to see just how sharing works.
Talk About Sharing
Explaining what sharing is and why it is important can help young learners to understand the process and benefits of positive actions. It is also important to discuss that sharing doesn’t just involve taking turns with toys and other objects, but it can also mean talking about feelings, contributing ideas, or telling stories with others. A great way to begin a conversation about sharing is with the help of puppets. Children are attracted to puppets, which helps to make early learners more attentive and engaged with the topic at hand. Put on a show or have some one-on-one time with a favorite puppet friend to get a lesson started about the act of sharing.
Play Games and Activities
Games that involve different manners of sharing are an excellent way to demonstrate and practice those positive behaviors. Connect Four, Go Fish, Memory, and even block building are a few games and activities that display how to take turns and cooperate with others. These games also introduce the benefits of sharing, which can help give preschoolers an idea of what can happen if they share. For example, making new friends to play with or completing a project with someone shows how sharing can be a positive action. In addition to games, either with one other person or in a group, role-playing activities can also provide ways to teach and exhibit the concept of sharing. Using examples that describe individual feelings concerning the sharing of toys or telling stories can benefit in the education of sharing.
Acknowledge Sharing
As early learners play together it is important to let them know when an action of sharing has taken place. Recognizing and pointing out those behaviors will help children to be able to identify what sharing is, and then, to practice further acts of sharing behavior. Giving positive reinforcement through praise and attention is another way to acknowledge sharing and help children learn that sharing is a necessary behavior for social interactions.
In conclusion, modeling behaviors of sharing, discussing the concept of sharing, and encouraging sharing in daily play and discovery can help children learn all about its positive benefits.
[…] Learning How to Share […]