Online tools to build social skills in preschoolers
As you know, The Center has been using the Second Step early learning program in our classrooms to help teach your child important skills. Getting ready for kindergarten is not just about knowing letters and numbers. It is also about knowing how to learn and get along with others.
The Second Step program teaches these kinds of skills in the following four areas:
1. Skills for Learning: Children gain skills to help them be better learners, including how to focus their attention, listen carefully, and ask for help.
2. Empathy: Children learn to identify and understand their own and others’ feelings. Children also learn how to show care for others.
3. Emotion Management: Children learn how to calm down when they have strong feelings, such as worry or anger.
4. Friendship Skills and Problem Solving: Children learn how to make and keep friends and to solve problems with others in a positive way.
Since we are unable to conduct these lessons in the classroom right now, you can use online resources available at www.secondstep.org to enhance your child’s skills at home. You can create an account as a parent using the activation key SSPE FAMI LY68 to access this information.
Throughout the year, we have been sending home Home Links that go with each of the Second Step Weekly Themes. Home Links are the simple, fun activities that you and your child can do together. They are a great way for you to understand what your child is learning and for your child to show you what he or she knows. All of the Home Links for the entire program are available online, as well as additional brain building games, song lyrics, and book recommendations.
Second Step has also added new resources to help families work through feelings about the current COVID-19 epidemic at: https://www.secondstep.org/covid19support
Here at The Center, we respect and honor families as their child’s first and most important teachers. Thank you for supporting your child in learning the skills that will help get him or her ready for school and life.