This is a Pivotal Moment
We are in a critical post-COVID high tech moment when we need to bridge the gap between school, home, and Jewish values. While we continue to deal with the fallout of COVID: developmental gaps, lack of social skills, and increase in problematic behaviors, we are also dealing with a generation of both adults and children who use their phones (i.e., social media) as the source of information, entertainment, and socialization (Moyer, M.W., 2022). This moment calls for us to help teachers and parents work in alignment to support children’s development of the critical skills they need to be successful and to anchor those skills in Jewish values.
Teaching Foundational Skills in Preschool
Preschool is the pivotal time for children to learn those foundational skills: how to learn, play, share, listen, ask for what they need, become independent, use polite language, and be a good friend. One way to help preschoolers learn these critical skills is to specifically teach each skill. Teachers can follow this simple process:
- Introduce, demonstrate, and practice the skill during circle time.
- Create situations throughout the day to evoke the skill.
- Remind students who do not do the skill correctly (i.e., “Remember to say excuse me when you need my attention.”).
- Praise/Show Gratitude students who do the skill with positive feedback and gratitude while teaching the skill and throughout the year to maintain the skill (i.e., “Great job saying please and thank you!” or “Thank you for checking on your friend when they got hurt.”).
We need to intentionally work on these skills both in school and at home too. This requires establishing and nurturing relationships between teachers and parents while providing ongoing guidance about how to support early learning.
Connecting to Parents
In order for children to learn and maintain these important life skills, parents need to also reinforce them at home. There are several ways in which both teachers and administrators can involve parents:
- Send home parenting tips or videos in a newsletter, email, social media.
- Plan evening programs for parents to express their challenges and share ideas for how to better manage challenging situations with their children. Include a specialist to facilitate the conversation and provide expert advice.
Integrating Jewish Values
We do not need to look beyond our Jewish tradition for how to be a good person, a good friend, and a good parent. Jewish preschools and religious schools are often the locus of information on Jewish values, especially for parents. And, the skills children need to learn in preschool parallel Jewish values:
Preschool and religious schools can support learning for both children and parents by showing the interconnectedness of important life skills and Jewish values through parent-focused programming, newsletters, and events around the holidays. By uniting with parents, we can bridge the gaps between school, home, and Jewish values and inspire teachers and parents to continue the most critical work of raising good people who bring light into the world with their daily acts of kindness, respect, and inclusivity.
Lisa Gurdin, LSGurdin Consulting, LLC
Reference: Moyer, M.W. (2022). “The Pandemic Generation.” Nature Vol 601 & Campbell, L. (2021). ”Impact of COVID-19 on Children’s Social Skills.” Forbes.
