Building Relationships

Preschool Social & Emotional Development Lesson 3 Learn Building Relationships Guide	WWW.VIRTUALLABSCHOOL.ORG ACTIVITY ID: 19516 Name Certifier Date
Consider your environment and use the strategies in the table to foster relationships in your classroom. Think about ways you can individualize the strategies for the children in your care. Designing your classroom environment Include family pictures and photos into the environment. Post visual cues around the room to remind you to say positive comments and use positive gestures. Give lots of hugs, smiles, thumbs up, and high fives. Encourage children to give compliments to each other. Arrival Greet children and family members by their name during arrival and departure. Ask family members and children about their favorite toys, games, and activities. Embed these into your day. Book Area Make books about each child with their pictures and favorite things. Keep them in the book area and encourage children to read their own and their peers’ books. Dramatic Play Encourage children to give compliments to each other. Comment on their creativity and pretend play. Join in their play by asking for a role or cue. “You are playing together with the bear family so well! Can I take a turn making dinner for the bears? What should we eat?” Block Play Sit down and play with a child. Let the child direct how you will play with the blocks. Comment on or ask a child about their creation. “What is your favorite part of the tower?” Water Table Comment on children who are playing with each other “I see you all playing together with the boats! It looks like you are having so much fun!” Art Comment on or ask a child about their drawing. “What a cool way to mix those colors!” Snack Encourage children to help set the table Include a child’s favorite snack into meals or snack time Outdoor Play Give lots of hugs, smiles, thumbs up, and high fives Hold a child’s hand when walking to the playground Circle Time Give lots of positive comments and statements to review the expectations and build relationships with children. “You are all listening to the story! I see your quiet hands in your lap and your eyes on me! Wow! We have really good listeners in our classroom!” Keep circle time as engaging and active as possible Read a child’s favorite book or sing her favorite song during circle time Puzzles & Manipulative Toys Encourage a child’s persistence by commenting on her effort, “You are working so hard at that puzzle!” or “That is an awesome way to make a necklace! What a cool pattern!” Preparing to go home / outside Comment on how hard the child is trying at zipping a coat or putting on shoes. Step in to support the child, while encouraging independence. “You really worked hard to get your boots on! Good work! I can help you get them all the way on!” Bathroom Comment on children who are waiting in line and following all the directions. “Look at everyone waiting for their friends to finish up! You are all good friends!” Encourage children to be independent while supporting their success. “You got your pants down and back up by yourself! Way to go Jonathan!” Washing Hands Hold a child’s hand when walking to wash hands. Departure Consider the 5:1 ratio when interacting with both family members and children: Tell family members at least five positive things about what their child did at school for every negative one. Use this at arrival and departure when talking with family members about their child’s day.

Guide

WWW.VIRTUALLABSCHOOL.ORG

ACTIVITY ID: 19516

Name

Certifier

Date

Consider your environment and use the strategies in the table to foster relationships in your classroom. Think about ways you can individualize the strategies for the children in your care.

Designing your classroom environment

Include family pictures and photos into the environment.
Post visual cues around the room to remind you to say positive comments and use positive gestures.
Give lots of hugs, smiles, thumbs up, and high fives.
Encourage children to give compliments to each other.

Arrival

Greet children and family members by their name during arrival and departure.
Ask family members and children about their favorite toys, games, and activities. Embed these into your day.

Book Area

Make books about each child with their pictures and favorite things. Keep them in the book area and encourage children to read their own and their peers’ books.

Dramatic Play

Encourage children to give compliments to each other.
Comment on their creativity and pretend play. Join in their play by asking for a role or cue. “You are playing together with the bear family so well! Can I take a turn making dinner for the bears? What should we eat?”

Block Play

Sit down and play with a child. Let the child direct how you will play with the blocks.
Comment on or ask a child about their creation. “What is your favorite part of the tower?”

Water Table

Comment on children who are playing with each other “I see you all playing together with the boats! It looks like you are having so much fun!”

Art

Comment on or ask a child about their drawing. “What a cool way to mix those colors!”

Snack

Encourage children to help set the table
Include a child’s favorite snack into meals or snack time

Outdoor Play

Give lots of hugs, smiles, thumbs up, and high fives
Hold a child’s hand when walking to the playground

Circle Time

Give lots of positive comments and statements to review the expectations and build relationships with children. “You are all listening to the story! I see your quiet hands in your lap and your eyes on me! Wow! We have really good listeners in our classroom!”
Keep circle time as engaging and active as possible
Read a child’s favorite book or sing her favorite song during circle time

Puzzles & Manipulative Toys

Encourage a child’s persistence by commenting on her effort, “You are working so hard at that puzzle!” or “That is an awesome way to make a necklace! What a cool pattern!”

Preparing to go home / outside

Comment on how hard the child is trying at zipping a coat or putting on shoes. Step in to support the child, while encouraging independence. “You really worked hard to get your boots on! Good work! I can help you get them all the way on!”

Bathroom

Comment on children who are waiting in line and following all the directions. “Look at everyone waiting for their friends to finish up! You are all good friends!”
Encourage children to be independent while supporting their success. “You got your pants down and back up by yourself! Way to go Jonathan!”

Washing Hands

Hold a child’s hand when walking to wash hands.

Departure

Consider the 5:1 ratio when interacting with both family members and children: Tell family members at least five positive things about what their child did at school for every negative one. Use this at arrival and departure when talking with family members about their child’s day.