Diagnostics
The assessment of children during this period requires a very tactful approach, as children at this age are very sensitive to their failures and often experience feelings of shame or guilt. We consider the pre-school age to be the initial stage of development of the child’s emotional life, with the same qualities an adult has to deal with. At the pre-school age, a child begins to assess and evaluate the external world in relation to personal attributes and characteristics, and for the child these habits can turn into a model of what their whole life should be like.
A general evaluation of the emotional skills of preschool children can be made with the following evaluation scheme. The evaluation scheme can be helpful in keeping track of a child’s development over an extended time-period. To increase the objectivity of the information gained, it is appropriate for the child to be independently evaluated by multiple people. The results of the assessment should serve as a guide when choosing activities promoting emotional development.
The feelings and emotions of children are very fragile. Therefore, affecting their feelings and through this action shaping the personality of the child is a very responsible, risky and difficult task.
It is very important for the teacher to gain the child’s trust. This means building a relationship with them. Adults should try to understand what children need and what they experience, must communicate clearly and effectively and thus create the conditions for the emotional growth of the child. Whether it is a parent or the teacher, for whoever wants the child to have a sufficiently developed emotional intelligence, it is necessary to establish a relationship based on unconditional love towards the child.
One of the important tasks of the teacher in supporting the social and emotional development of children is to set an example of expected behavior. Respect for other children, co-operation, the ability to compromise, the expression of emotions – all of this is the behavior pattern appropriate for a teacher of children. These actions help to create a friendly atmosphere in the classroom community. The children will mimic the teacher’s example and respond adequately to the atmosphere and tone set by the teacher. The teacher must outline the individual steps of all activities to facilitate the involvement of younger children. The children should understand the clearly expressed thought processes of the teacher accompanying her behavior.
The task of the teacher is to create a suitable environment for the child’s emotional development. Children learn best when they feel safe and content. Many factors contribute to creating an emotionally safe environment
▪ Emotional support: Among the most important characteristics of the teacher helping to create an emotionally supportive environment are empathy, acceptance, authenticity, respect and a sensitive approach. An empathic teacher can accept the views of others. She knows how to adapt to the child’s mood, respond to their feelings and is able to give an unbiased assessment of emotions
- Acceptance of the child’s emotions: There are no good and bad emotions. All emotions are eligible. The teacher must recognize the emotions the child expresses and avoid denying them, she must not force the child to confront these emotions or ignore them.
- Expressing emotions in words: As children learn on the basis of personal experience, it is useful when someone names their emotions and writes: “Sofia, you look angry,” the teacher aligns a specific experience with the concept of anger, thus enriching the child’s dictionary by words from this area.
- Consistency / Predictability: If a child has the ability to predict and rely on the emotional responses of adults, it helps them to build a sense of confidence and trust.