As your students learn new things and become familiar with the world around them, you may notice they have a drive to become more independent. This is a healthy and normal part of their development! While they can’t take on all tasks on their own just yet, you can support them by helping them build self-help skills. Here are three ideas for doing just that:
- Begin with Small Tasks
Try breaking up larger tasks into smaller more manageable tasks your preschoolers can accomplish. As they successfully complete small tasks, introduce larger ones. The key is to build their confidence without overwhelming them with something too complicated. - Promote Finishing What You Start
One important factor of being a self-reliant learner is finishing what you start. You can instill this idea in your student’s mind early on to help them be successful now and in the future. - Provide Options and Choices When Possible
You can help build your students independent thinking skills by presenting them with choices. No matter what the situation may be, try giving them two options at first and then moving on to three or more as they mature.