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H is for Helping Hands

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I am super excited to have been invited to share in the amazing achievement of Deborah Stewart over at Teach Preschool. She has officially gained over 20,000 followers on her Facebook page. Do you know what that means? That means that there are over 20,000 folks in the field or that care about early childhood education who follow her page, are available for networking, and to use as a resource!!! If you are not one of those 20,000 folks I encourage you to hop on over and join in! I know I have met some pretty amazing folks over there myself.

ABC's of Teaching Preschoolers

In celebration, a number of blogger colleagues and I are joining together to create an ABCs of Teaching Preschool. I encourage you to hop on over to the Teach Preschool blog so that you can find all of the other great ABC posts!



H is for Helping Hands

We all have hands that were made for helping.  

Preschool aged children are wonderful helpers. Sometimes as adults we forget exactly how capable they can be IF we give them the time and allow them to try!

Children can help prepare meals,
they can set the table,
they can serve their own food,
pour their own drinks,
they can clean their own dishes,
and wash the table.

IF we let them try!

Children can solve most of their own problems,
they can share their feelings,
they can ask for what they need,
they can make their own "smart" decisions.

IF we let them try!

Children can dress themselves,
they can zip their coats,
put on their own shoes,
they can make their own fashion statements.

IF we let them try!

Children can be respectful of our spaces.
they can put things away where they found them.
they can pick up litter, 
they can weed the garden,
they can sweep and vacuum the floor.

IF we let them try!

Children can make new friends,
they can learn to share,
they can teach each other,
they can do real "work",
they an make useful things,
they can think outside the box,

IF we let them try!

Children have wonderful helping hands.  What have you done today to let your children help you? 


Teach Preschool Super Star

Don't forget... Next week will be the first Wednesday of September!!!! Deborah Stewart from Teach Preschool will have the first of many guest posts for the What Would You Do With It? Wednesdays linky! Do you have a great idea to share with clothespins? Come on back next Wednesday to link up!
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Comments

Deborah said…
I love this! I had a little girl walking around my classroom today telling everyone that she wants to help them throw their snack away. She was quite the helping hand!
August 31, 2011 at 3:19 AM
Greg said…
My toddlers hanf out hats to each other. Thay also help ME be a better person.

Great post, well done:)
August 31, 2011 at 8:25 AM
Ayn Colsh said…
I am finding that the more I try to "facilitate" instead of just "teaching", the more helpful my students are on their own! I love to see them discover they ARE capable! :)
August 31, 2011 at 5:48 PM
LeeanneA said…
It's amazing how much children can lead if we let them - great post!
August 31, 2011 at 6:26 PM
Unknown said…
wonderful post! I've often found that children who have challenges regulating their behavior or who are extremely impulsive instantly do so much better when we go from the assumption that the ARE COMPETENT- that they are helpful and meaningful members of the classroom group! Love your post- illustrates perfectly so many things children are capable of doing!
August 31, 2011 at 8:00 PM
jenny said…
That is lovely - and so true. When I first started teaching I had to do everything myself - now the kids help with the setting up of experiences, the clean up, the packing away - and with all the tasks associated with the day to day care of our environment indoors and out. I think it helps to develop a wonderful sense of ownership, belonging and competence. And they have fun doing it too.
September 1, 2011 at 7:26 AM
Scott said…
Part of our job is helping kids find confidence and competence to do it themselves. Thanks for the great reminders.
September 1, 2011 at 9:46 AM
Roses - Mama Magic said…
Great post ! Couldn't concur more with you. As a development milestone I watch out for what/ where else my toddler can contribute. His teacher at pre-school cued in quite quickly when he helped her clean-up.
September 1, 2011 at 6:35 PM
KAREN GREEN said…
Peer tutoring I love it! When children ask me how to do something, I always suggest that they ask one of their friends to help. I often say, "Do you know, Chris (insert appropriate name) is really good at that. Maybe you could ask him to show you how he does it". :)
September 2, 2011 at 4:35 AM
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