Teaching a bunch of children is a fun profession. Especially if you’re fond of kids, every day is bound to be rewarding. But that doesn’t go to say it’s an easy task to teach kindergarteners. It might be more of a challenge compared to teaching high schoolers, considering that young toddlers have a lower sense of focus and can easily get distracted. (Image Credit: Christopher Ryan/UnSplash)
So what should a kindergarten teacher do when all a child wants to do is play? It might be challenging to teach kids new lessons and much harder to get them to remember these. But it’s not impossible. Here are some tips on how to teach kindergarteners.
Make everything a lesson
Many have the notion that lessons have to be conducted with the students sitting down and listening to a teacher. But there’s no need for them to pay so much attention or focus participating in class. A toddler learns and develops skills from everything they do, including playtime.
What a kindergarten teacher can do is teach a child something new every day. Simple things like how to open a bathroom door, how to wash their hands, how to write on the board using white chalk markers, and how to clean up after themselves are all valuable lessons. These will help them create a healthy daily routine they will practice even at home.
Develop a routine
Again, young toddlers tend to play all day in school. It’s hard to take them out of playtime and into a more serious learning environment. Reprimanding them is not the way to go. Instead, developing a routine will prove of great help as routines work well with young learners.
Set a schedule for every activity that should be done throughout the day. Make the period of each specific. The most important thing is to stick to that schedule consistently. When these children know what to expect, they will be more participative and comfortable.
Get your game on
Having kids sit in a circle and listen to lessons all day will often lead to nothing. Most toddlers have a short attention span, and they will wander off to find toys or things to play with. The key to getting kindergarteners to participate in class is to make use of fun-filled games and activities. For every item in your lesson plan, think of a game that the kids can all do together. This will make the class more enticing for them to join in and participate.
Give away stars
Toddlers like the feeling of being rewarded and would often only do something if they receive something in exchange. An effective strategy for a kindergarten teacher is to have a reward system. Give stars to students who are behaving well and actively participating in class. They will be proud to obtain these and will strive to do better in school for the sake of getting another star to show their parents when they get home.
Children are fun to teach. But it’s also a challenging experience, especially when they aren’t participative in class. Take these tips and apply them to your next kindergarten session. With these, you’ll be well on your way to having a more attentive and participative class.
