By BETH PINYERD
As early childhood educators and parents embark on a new year of planning and teaching children, it is good to appreciate the young lives set before us and learn how to strengthen them with the belief of how God has created them with gifts and talents.
With the winter cold outside, warmth is modeled in front of young children when we take time to talk and listen to them, and when we plan and develop lessons and activities to support the person they are becoming. Just like no two snowflakes are the same, no two children are the same; they are truly a promise as we embark into January 2023 and a brand new year.
As an early childhood teacher, I am called not only to teach the “school smart” of daily lessons but to teach the whole child in recognizing and using their talents and gifts.
As parents and teachers, we must realize that children have natural gifts in one or more areas. What a wonderful responsibility we have in guiding young children to discover and develop these talents and gifts. What a challenging but rewarding experience each teacher and parent has in helping a little life develop to its fullest potential.
Early childhood teachers use many resources to identify the different talents and gifts a child demonstrates. I would like to share a simple guideline used in helping young children to use their talents and gifts.
1. LANGUAGE
Children love to express themselves with words and storytelling. As a teacher, I have always encouraged my young students to express themselves through writing creative stories or poems with pictures. With younger students, you don’t get hung up on the correct spelling or grammar because you want them to have the freedom to creatively express themselves. Correct spelling and grammar rules can be picked up later. At young ages, your main focus is to encourage your child to express themselves. Children absolutely love to express themselves through puppets or role playing, too.
2. MATH
Some children have a natural inclination toward reasoning, counting, quick math computation and logical reasoning of math problems and systems. Of course, a teacher realizes that “practice makes perfect,” but some children are more prone to analyzing things.
3. MUSICAL
I love to hear my little students hum as they do their work. Children who are attracted to and fascinated by sounds and musical instruments usually have a natural tendency to perform music in singing or playing instruments. These children also love to move to the rhythm of music.
4. PHYSICAL
At recess as a teacher, I love to see my students and children run and play freely. Play is a child’s work. Some children seem to be prone to participate and truly enjoy organized sports.
5. ARTISTIC
There are young children in the classroom who are attuned to visual detail in everything they see and are able to draw what they see on paper. Many times these “little artists” are very good at illustrating stories they read. These children are attracted to drawing or painting. Many times, these little ones can even make sculptures out of Kleenex. As a parent and teacher, be sure to highly praise these children who have put so much effort into “their masterpieces.”
6. MISTAKES
Readers, I would like to add another point that is close to my heart. We all make mistakes. No one is perfect. Allow your young child to make mistakes. For example, if children spill a drink, drop food or break something, don’t corner them and fuss at them in front of other people. Turn the situation into a positive one as they help you clean up or mend what is broken. This action builds your child up rather than tearing them down. Modeling forgiveness when your children do something wrong is an action that God does for us. Ephesians 4:32 says, “And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” This is a truth that young children can understand early in their lives.
When teachers in this new year face classrooms with children who are unique and creative in their own way, learning goes beyond the simple pencil-and-paper tasks.
Our New Year’s resolution as early childhood teachers and parents should be to join hand-in-hand in praising each individual child for what they do well, no matter how big or small. We need to praise children for who they are and how God made them. When we are positive with our children and praise them, it encourages young children to shoot for the stars!
Beth Pinyerd
Classroom Observer
