Making Discoveries with Friends Enhances Personal and Social Growth
MY FRIENDS AND ME is a program of group activities and versatile materials to help nurture the personal and social development of preschool children. With FRIENDS, children participate and are encouraged to make discoveries about themselves and their friends and to develop healthy, realistic attitudes about themselves, their peers, and their world. This best practice program was carefully designed and is used to help preschool children grow personally and socially.
Issues this Best Practice Addresses:
The issue being addressed is young children properly developing personally and socially. Learning to work alone as well as working with others is a key factor in growing into a successful adult. Children need to be encouraged to practice these skills by seeing effective modeling, and then having the opportunity to participate in situations that challenge them to grow.
Major Challenges to Implementation:
A challenge to implementing this program is the take home activity bag and the dolls Willdoo and Candoo being returned after taking them home. This program requires families to participate in activities and journaling from home. The program is not as effective without the family participation.
Benefits Derived from Implementing this Best Practice:
The benefit of implementing a program that encourages the personal and social growth of children is happier preschoolers. Not only are the children happier because they are better able to express themselves, but they learn social skills that they will continue to use for the rest of their lives. The student’s experiences contribute to the wellbeing of themselves, their classroom, homes, and communities.
Evidence Illustrating Success:
The evidence I can provide to best illustrate the success of this program is that I have been using it for over twenty years. The children are proud to share when they return to school with the kit from home. The activities are practiced weekly in the classroom and the knowledge learned and information shared is used daily. The children put what they learn to use. The children grow personally and socially and this program lends a hand in preparing these students for life long skills.
Additional Materials:
Click here for more information on the program
Submitted by: Toni Kirtz, Huffer Memorial Children’s Center