How to Teach a Child Social Skills for Preschool

Preschool is a wonderful place for a child to learn the basic skills they need to begin kindergarten. With more and more schools requiring \children to be able to write their names and know the colors, shapes and numbers before entering kindergarten, preschool has become a necessity. Social skills are vital to succeeding in preschool. Every preschooler needs to know how to act and interact with other students and teachers.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Teach basic manners to the child. Before starting preschool, he should know how to share, listen, take turns and how to wait for the teacher. Review and practice these skills at home before school starts.
2. Take the child to the local library. Many local libraries have free programs for younger children offering readings, puppet shows and crafts. These programs allow her to meet other children, learn to pay attention to a teacher and how to work with others.
3. Play school with the child. Playing is a wonderful way to prepare a child for preschool. Set up a pretend school in your house. You play the part of the teacher. Separate the pretend school day into snack time, reading, art and music. Have fun and let him tell you what he wants to learn. Playing school is a wonderful way to teach him how to behave in a classroom setting.
4. Talk to the child about any fears she might have about preschool. Try to calm her fears by showing her how to act or what to do in different situations. Many children have a fear of not having any friends. Teach her how to approach other children and how to play nicely with them.
5. Take your child to play with other children his age. Local parks are a great way to teach him how to play with and around other kids. Churches, synagogues and other religious facilities are also great places to introduce him to children in his age group.
6. Visit the school before preschool starts. Most schools have registration days a couple of weeks before the first day of school. Walk around the campus and visit her classroom. Let her meet the teacher. Point out important places such as bathrooms, cafeterias and playgrounds. This allows her to feel familiar with the school and have less anxiety on the first day.

Tips & Warnings

• Never dismiss a child's fears, however silly it may sound to you. It is real to the child and fears eventually result in anxiety.
• Children learn through repetition. The more you practice, the better prepared he will be.