Preschool experience plays a pivotal role in a person’s development, as it lays the foundation for their character. Accordingly, as a teacher, I feel obliged to provide children with a suitable environment, promoting their growth through appropriate activities. An educated person of the 21st century is well developed in several aspects, including cognitive, physical, communicative, and creative skills. In order to ensure that my students can work on all these qualities, I organized a system of various exercises and activities. The purpose of this essay is to describe the ways in which I helped the children advance their physical and intellectual competencies starting from the preschool level.
In many ways, successful adulthood is based on positive childhood experiences, and its earlier stages are particularly important. My primary objective was to help the students unlock their full potential by introducing them to engaging activities. We used a variety of interesting exercises, which gradually developed children’s cognitive, physical, communicative, and creative abilities. I began by researching the key competencies of preschool children and organized our activities accordingly. For example, it was possible to devise a list of books and journals, which were helpful and appropriate at their age. Such materials were used in alphabet activities, as well, as any modern person must be able to communicate effectively. However, it was my intention to aim at a higher-than-average level so that my students could demonstrate exceptional mastery by the end of their preschool time. This way, they would be able to become competent, well-developed adults.
These goals could be achieved through well-organized related activities. Within the classroom environment, we focused on small motor skills, practicing writing, painting, cutting, and gluing. Manipulative activities also helped in this regard, and we spent some time doing puzzles and playing with magnetic shapes. The list of large motor activities included riding tricycles, running, hopping on one foot, and catching balls. While it was crucial to have appropriate physical development, cognitive functions remain equally important for a modern person. We promoted curiosity, resilience, and persistence through unusual activities, such as searching for objects hidden inside ice cubes. In addition, we read age-appropriate, short books and discussed them during our sessions. In fact, conversations were an important element of the learning process, as they shaped the children’s ability to communicate and analyze the thoughts of others. Finally, I encouraged creativity throughout the experience, and we once created an actual Christmas scene using such an unusual material as shaving cream. Simultaneously, all students were encouraged to partake in singing and dancing exercises, and we even had a dramatic play area.
Overall, my idea was to utilize every moment with maximum efficiency so that the students could benefit from their preschool experience. The schedule was organized in accordance with a specific system, in which varying activity types followed one another. Therefore, children continued with another exercise before feeling bored or tired after the previous one. I relied on the principle of multilateral development, which defined the nature of our activities. According to my understanding, an educated person must be competent in several areas. The physical and cognitive functioning of an individual must be well balanced, and creativity must be present as well, as it helps solve difficult tasks. Preschool-aged children are particularly susceptible to external influence, and their personalities begin to take shape during this period. Accordingly, it is essential to ensure positive growth and development through the proper organization of the learning environment.