Encouraging Physical Development

One morning while taking my preschool children to the playground, I learned an important lesson. On the same playground stood equipment for both younger and elder children. Although my preschool children had been informed about the dangers of using the bigger and taller slide, Amy a five-year-old in my classroom, climbed the stepladder. Making a successful climb to the top, she instantly prepared to slide down as she had seen the older children do. But as Amy started to slide down, something happened. Instead of sliding down the slide like others, she fell about eight feet. Landing face down, her small motionless body lay on the safety surfacing.
Yes, I was where I was supposed to be—only a few feet from the slide and so was the other teacher in charge of watching the kids on playground. But with our eyes trying to watch many kids, Amy slipped by. Luckily this story has a happy ending. In a few seconds she got up and begged to try it again. A call to her parents and a rush to the emergency room specified no broken bones or injuries.
And what did I learn that day? I learned there is a fine line between identifying activities that give kids confidence while developing vital skills and those that may be dangerous. It’s an age-old question faced by both teachers and parents. You want difficult activities, yet you don’t want anyone to get injured.
Encouraging Physical Development
According to , it is estimated that more than 200,000 emergency room visits in the U.S. yearly are related to children’s playground injuries. And of these, 15-20 deaths take place from falls.
As with other approaches to learning, it is significant to look after kid’s physical development in safe and appropriate stages by:
•Beginning with something the kid has already accomplished;
•Praising the kid for mastering this goal;
•Breaking down the new task into convenient parts;
•Asking another kid who is expert in the activity to help you train; and
•Observing, reinforcing, and re-teaching if necessary.
In addition, it is helpful to make a chart listing each child’s name and what you recognize to be his physical ability. Making such a chart facilitates you to select suitable activities for the kid and to also create activities that offer just enough challenge for the kid to increase his skill level without irritation and/or injury.
Teachers’ Role for Outdoor Play
Teachers and staff must constantly be attentive for unsafe situations and instances where kids could be harmed. Evaluate your answers to the following questions suggested by Montessori course to make sure that your play area is as secure as it should be.
•Do I connect in conversation with other teachers without regard to my primary duty of watching the kids?
•Do I show a kid who is incapable to contribute in an activity because of his developmental level how to experience success?
•Do I use cell phones to carry out business or for personal calls while I’m on playground duty?
•Do I use outdoor playtime as a chance to read magazines or books?
•Do I fill out reports and complete lesson plans during outside play?