As the school year is coming to a close and their time at Anne Sullivan ending, it is time for the children in the Kindergarten to think back at all they have learned.
One important part of Kindergarten is making friends. Throughout their years in preschool and kindergarten, the children have progressed through the different stages of relating, from parallel play to fully cooperative friendships that they develop around the age of five. Anne Sullivan Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten provides an enriching environment for the children to form lasting friendships. Entering the Kindergarten classroom, you will find the children interacting freely as they participate in cooperative learning experiences. The teachers are available to help them learn the give and take of friendships and develop empathy to share another’s feelings.
In the safe and predictable classroom, children develop a fuller sense of self, stronger verbal and physical skills, and have time and opportunity to interact with one another. They feel that they are part of a group that can work together to solve problems and help each other feel safe.
As the children prepare to move on to a new school situation, the teachers prepared them by discussing how to make new friends. They role played introducing themselves and inviting a new classmate to play during recess.
The children don’t forget their friends from kindergarten, and they are ready to make new friends. The adventure of keeping the connection with old friends and building connections with new ones is a skill that will serve the children well throughout their lives.
