How Everyday Activities Build Character in Preschool?

Written by: Ongky Wijayanti / Preschool Librarian

In early childhood education, it’s important to focus not just on academic skills, but also on character development. Character development refers to the growth and development of a child’s moral and ethical values. In Stella Maris School Gading Serpong, we focus not only on students’ knowledge development but also on their character. We have four characters focused on Preschool, they are: independent, respectful, curious, and caring. 

Independence becomes one of the four characteristics focused in Preschool because being independent is important to promote confidence and self-esteem as well as motivation and perseverance in school. Independence also provides the children with the belief that they are competent in taking care of themselves which makes them resilient to external challenges. Children are asked to take off and take on their shoes by themselves when entering the gym room, playroom and library is one example of being independent in their early childhood life.

Respect is defined as considering someone to be worthy. In the classroom, the teacher always urges students about one speaker only. It means when the teacher explains the materials, the students have to listen and pay attention. In group discussions, the students also show respect by listening to others’ ideas or comments. These circumstances help the students to develop one of four character focuses which is respect.

Curiosity is having a strong desire to learn or know something. Children are always curious about something and they want to get the answer. Take an example of the activity that happens in the library, when the librarian tells a story, children often ask about the story, such as the characters, the next plot, or the vocabulary used in the story. Students’ curiosity also happens in the class, when the teacher explains about the lesson, they can raise their hand to ask something they are still doubting. The open discussion also builds students’ curiosity when they are learning.

The last character is caring. Caring can mean many things, including sharing your belongings and acting out in kindness. We take the example of snack time, where the students sometimes need the teacher’s help to open their snack box. The teacher always asks and reminds the students to say the magic words “please” when they need someone’s help and “thank you” after they’ve helped. This good thing can build caring character toward students.

In conclusion, character development is an important part of early childhood education. As a Catholic school, Stella Maris Preschool Gading Serpong accustomed the students to prayer in the morning, before snack time and after school. By providing a positive and supportive environment, teachers can help students develop the moral and ethical values they need to be successful in life.