{"id":6440,"date":"2025-07-04T03:10:17","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T03:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/?p=6440"},"modified":"2025-07-04T04:21:51","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T04:21:51","slug":"how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/","title":{"rendered":"How does peer support help our preschoolers thrive?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Monica Xavier <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting school for the first time \u2013 or even a new school term \u2013 can be a daunting experience for little ones. The unfamiliar faces and new environment often trigger separation anxiety, as children say goodbye to their primary caregivers and step into a world of independence. How, then, can they find comfort, confidence, and new friendships in this unfamiliar space?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Little Seeds Preschool (St. Paul\u2019s Church)<\/a>, we\u2019ve discovered a meaningful solution: peer support through our Befrienders programme.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this initiative, older students\u2014especially those from our K2 (Starlight) class\u2014are encouraged to befriend younger peers from the Playgroup (Blossoms) class. Teachers Mr. John Bilon and Ms. Xiaolu intentionally guide their K2 students to engage with their younger schoolmates during indoor and outdoor playtime, modelling values like empathy, kindness, and responsibility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
K2 students, Sophie and Levi setting up a simple obstacle course for their Playgroup friends\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These befrienders play a part in supporting the social and emotional wellbeing of the young ones as they make sense of the world around them. In the process, the older children learn valuable skills such as listening, empathy, and basic conflict resolution \u2013 with guidance from their educators. This role boosts their confidence as they step into their identity as the \u201cbig brothers and sisters\u201d of the school community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 5 ways how Befrienders can help ease the transition to preschool: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. They offer emotional reassurance.<\/strong> Sometimes, a comforting hand or shared toy from an older peer can soothe nerves faster than an adult\u2019s intervention.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      <\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        <\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        2<\/strong>. They model positive behaviours.<\/strong> Younger children often imitate those around them. Seeing an older peer interact confidently with teachers or follow routines calmly can inspire similar behaviour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        3<\/strong>. They encourage inclusive play.<\/strong> Befrienders gently guide hesitant newcomers into group activities, helping them build friendships from day one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        4. They support routine and structure.<\/strong> As older children demonstrate routines like snack time or tidying up, younger ones learn what to expect\u2014and what\u2019s expected of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          <\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          5. They develop empathy too.<\/strong> In supporting others, Befrienders build emotional intelligence and learn that kindness and patience have a powerful impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"
          K2 student Levi assisting a Playgroup student down the gym slide <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          Starting preschool is a significant milestone for both children and their parents. The initial days may come with tears, hesitation, and big emotions, but these are simply the first steps toward growth. At Little Seeds Preschool (St Paul\u2019s Church), we believe that no child should have to navigate this journey alone. That\u2019s why our Befrienders play such a vital role in helping the younger ones feel seen, supported, and safe.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          As your child learns to wave goodbye at the gate, make new friends, and explore their new world with growing confidence, take heart in knowing they are surrounded by a nurturing community\u2014one where older peers model kindness, empathy, and responsibility, and where educators walk beside them with patience and care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          And while it might take time, rest assured: with your consistent support at home and the warm guidance they receive at school, your child will<\/em> settle in. They will learn to love school, forge lasting friendships, and begin building the social and emotional foundations that will serve them for life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n\n\n\n

          To find out more about our preschools, visit\u202fhttps:\/\/littleseeds.edu.sg\/<\/a>.\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f   
           
          Monica Xavier is the Principal of Little Seeds Preschool (St. Paul’s Church)<\/em> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Little befrienders of Little Seeds Preschool\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6444,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[223,149],"class_list":{"0":"post-6440","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-features","8":"tag-befriender-programme","9":"tag-little-seeds-preschool-st-pauls-church","10":"cs-entry","11":"cs-video-wrap"},"yoast_head":"\nHow does peer support help our preschoolers thrive? - Our Learning Journey<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"These befrienders play a part in supporting the social and emotional wellbeing of the young ones as they make sense of the world around them.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How does peer support help our preschoolers thrive?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Little befrienders of Little Seeds Preschool\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Our Learning Journey\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-04T03:10:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-04T04:21:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SPC-Befrienders-of-SPC-Feature-Image-10-04-25.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"APS\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"How does peer support help our preschoolers thrive?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Little befrienders of Little Seeds Preschool\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SPC-Befrienders-of-SPC-Feature-Image-10-04-25.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"APS\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"APS\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#\/schema\/person\/0da400b840c113b662e54f0af18b0267\"},\"headline\":\"How does peer support help our preschoolers thrive?\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-04T03:10:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-04T04:21:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/\"},\"wordCount\":578,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"befriender programme\",\"Little Seeds Preschool (St. Paul's Church)\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Features\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/\",\"name\":\"How does peer support help our preschoolers thrive? - Our Learning Journey\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-04T03:10:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-04T04:21:51+00:00\",\"description\":\"These befrienders play a part in supporting the social and emotional wellbeing of the young ones as they make sense of the world around them.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How does peer support help our preschoolers thrive?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/\",\"name\":\"Our Learning Journey\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Our Learning Journey\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/\",\"sameAs\":[],\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/011-scaled-e1672281342215.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/011-scaled-e1672281342215.jpg\",\"width\":1600,\"height\":1067,\"caption\":\"Our Learning Journey\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#\/schema\/person\/0da400b840c113b662e54f0af18b0267\",\"name\":\"APS\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cc2fd9f549e4db9b06ed1bda623c0e30b6ec1e8b8f6efa653017f0dc10ca7e99?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cc2fd9f549e4db9b06ed1bda623c0e30b6ec1e8b8f6efa653017f0dc10ca7e99?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"APS\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/author\/apsmnc\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How does peer support help our preschoolers thrive? - Our Learning Journey","description":"These befrienders play a part in supporting the social and emotional wellbeing of the young ones as they make sense of the world around them.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How does peer support help our preschoolers thrive?","og_description":"Little befrienders of Little Seeds Preschool","og_url":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/","og_site_name":"Our Learning Journey","article_published_time":"2025-07-04T03:10:17+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-07-04T04:21:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SPC-Befrienders-of-SPC-Feature-Image-10-04-25.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"APS","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"How does peer support help our preschoolers thrive?","twitter_description":"Little befrienders of Little Seeds Preschool","twitter_image":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SPC-Befrienders-of-SPC-Feature-Image-10-04-25.jpg","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"APS","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/"},"author":{"name":"APS","@id":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#\/schema\/person\/0da400b840c113b662e54f0af18b0267"},"headline":"How does peer support help our preschoolers thrive?","datePublished":"2025-07-04T03:10:17+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-04T04:21:51+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/"},"wordCount":578,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#organization"},"keywords":["befriender programme","Little Seeds Preschool (St. Paul's Church)"],"articleSection":["Features"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/","url":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/","name":"How does peer support help our preschoolers thrive? - Our Learning Journey","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-07-04T03:10:17+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-04T04:21:51+00:00","description":"These befrienders play a part in supporting the social and emotional wellbeing of the young ones as they make sense of the world around them.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/how-does-peer-support-help-our-preschoolers-thrive\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How does peer support help our preschoolers thrive?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#website","url":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/","name":"Our Learning Journey","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#organization","name":"Our Learning Journey","url":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/","sameAs":[],"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/011-scaled-e1672281342215.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/011-scaled-e1672281342215.jpg","width":1600,"height":1067,"caption":"Our Learning Journey"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#\/schema\/person\/0da400b840c113b662e54f0af18b0267","name":"APS","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cc2fd9f549e4db9b06ed1bda623c0e30b6ec1e8b8f6efa653017f0dc10ca7e99?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cc2fd9f549e4db9b06ed1bda623c0e30b6ec1e8b8f6efa653017f0dc10ca7e99?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"APS"},"url":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/author\/apsmnc\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6440"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6440\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6452,"href":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6440\/revisions\/6452"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}