By Serene Leong
As parents, we want our children to learn and grow holistically so that they are prepared for life beyond academics. In childhood, they will constantly encounter new situations and we try our best to help them grow mentally, emotionally and socially in the classroom.
What should they do when they see their classmate having trouble with homework? How should they react when they come across a bully? How should they treat someone who looks different from them?
We will not be able to guide our children all the time, and must give them the tools and handles to think critically, be self-confident and make decisions. Here is where introducing the foundation of values come in. How do we teach about values in our everyday?
- Make your own puppets and use them in class
One simple and creative way to enhance socio-emotional learning in class, Ms Juliana Geetha, centre leader of Little Seeds Preschool (TSA – Bukit Panjang) found, is through puppets!
“Naturally puppets, whether they are bought or handmade, are captivating to children as they catch their attention and allow them to be focused,” Juliana said.
“We started reading about the benefits of using puppets in the classrooms and we realised that puppets can be used across multiple subject areas like art, language, math, social skills, music and movement and many others.”
This was how LSP (TSA – Bukit Panjang) embarked on an innovation project, “Growing with Puppets!” to support the growth of social-emotional skills in children.
We realised that children are born with empathy and we wanted to support and nurture this innate empathy in them.
Juliana Geetha, Centre Leader
Juliana said: “Puppets can be used to teach social skills, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills such as standing up against bullying. Using puppets can also be a motivator for children to develop good listening habits”
As a pilot project, the teachers used puppets during assembly session and observed that the children were focused and attentive and did not need reminders to pay attention. Also, when asked questions, the children seemed to participate better when puppets were involved. So, they decided to integrate the use of puppets into their daily curriculum.
The teachers and students created individual puppets with a distinct personality and background story to encourage perspective taking.
Some personalities include:
• a shy puppet who only whispers
• a noisy puppet who talks more than listens
• a smart puppet who always thinks he is correct
• a worried puppet who is not confident
• a helpful puppet who tries to solve problems
• a forgetful puppet who is not focused and easily distracted
• a learner puppet who has difficulty in learning a new language
The goal was to engage the children in making their own environments safe and welcoming for each other, and respect each other’s differences across race, class, culture, gender, age, religion, and physical ability.
“We wanted to empower the teachers in the school to develop an inclusive culture,” Juliana said.
“The interactive and hands-on activities with the puppet helped teachers and children work together to break silences about differences and discrimination in their schools and communities in a respectful, constructive, and effective way.”
During this project, our children were given the opportunity to share what good values meant to them and have their thoughts presented in their drawings, photographs and even in dramatizations!
The puppets allowed our children not only to be reminded of the good values they should practice but also to highlight to their friends when things were not handled positively.
This practice enhanced their metacognitive skills as they reflected on their own behaviors and how to manage and correct them. It allowed the children to be self-motivated and develop positive attitudes in class.
2. Engage children in conversation
This project allowed the teachers to engage in deep conversations with the children through planned scenarios to emphasise the acceptable social behaviours in class. In these conversations, the children’s voices were heard and respected, which made classroom learning more fun and engaging.
For example, when the children spoke loudly in class, the teacher would bring out the puppet Quiet Quincy and say, “Oh! Quiet Quincy is scared of the loud noises she hears. She would like you to speak softly.” Then the puppet would respond and say, “Please speak softly.” This has helped the teachers manage a few challenging behaviors and situations in the classroom.
A study on challenges towards inclusive early childhood education showed that the success of an inclusive program is highly dependent on the attitudes and beliefs of all the players involved in the child’s life, including parents.
To reinforce learning of good social skills and values through this project, our teachers shared take-home kits with parents so that they can be involved in nurturing these values in their little ones at home.
Juliana said: “This project and partnership between our school and parents helped to enhance the social and emotional learning in children and we will continue this journey in the years to come so that the children can pick up little flowers of values and go out into the world to build a beautiful garden.”
3. Reinforce values through modelling
How can we reinforce positive values to our children once they are taught?
At Little Seeds Preschool (Ascension), “Value Matters” is a strong area of focus within the Social and Emotional Programme to inculcate good values and morals to children at a young age. We focus on values, dispositions and life skills that we hope to see embodied in every child in our centre.
Our teachers use songs, stories and activities to reinforce the lessons and integrate values into the children’s daily routines. Of course, the most effective way of teaching values is to model them!
Senior Teacher Ms Natasha Louis said, “As a teacher, I see the children demonstrating the values in their daily interactions. They also remind their friends of the good values that they have learnt during lesson time by using words to affirm their peers who demonstrated the value.”
“I have seen how the children in my class practise the value of respect when their friends or teachers are talking, they would listen attentively without interrupting. Perseverance, reflectiveness and inventiveness is shown during project work when our children discuss and come up with creative ideas. They also show patience when they queue up for their food or even to use the toilet.”
Our teachers are also quick to identify positive values and behaviors shown by a child by taking learning opportunities and teaching points to praise the child for the positive behavior and to reinforce the value that the child displayed.
Values serve as a compass that guides children in their daily interactions and decisions. Proverbs 22:6 says: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it.” In the same way, we believe that nurturing values in our children from young will allow them to grow up in godly character at home, in school, and be a beacon that impacts the community.
To find out more about our preschools, visit https://littleseeds.edu.sg/.
