The Benefits of Show and Tell in Early Childhood
It’s time for your little ones to start bringing their favorite items to school for Show and Tell. Parents remember when they brought in interesting items for Show and Tell and of course, the world has changed but there are still some interesting items kids can bring in to share with the class. There are fossil formations in stones, geodes, crystals, their favorite toy, an experiment they can do, something they made, posters, etc. There are many great benefits of Show and Tell when kids are first starting school. Each teacher does things differently. Some make their students Star of the week and include a Show and Tell day and younger students also have a schedule on when it’s their turn for Show and Tell. Some teachers might pick a certain day of the week for Show and Tell and assign so many students for their presentations. Whatever the case may be, make sure you as parents pay attention to when it’s your child’s turn for Show and Tell so they are prepared.
Learning about themselves
There are many benefits of Show and Tell for young children. They can teach the teacher and other students something about themselves and their likes and interests. They also are able to learn how to begin public speaking and shed some of the shyness they might be experiencing as a child being away from home and talking in front of people other than their families. This is a good start for kids because as they proceed in life and pass into each grade, there will be more and more time that will be allowed for them to give presentations and tell the class what they found with the topic they had as homework.
Boosting the child’s confidence
Show and Tell also helps build a young child’s confidence when they have the attention of the class as they are talking about what they chose as their item for Show and Tell. They will gain the respect of their peers and this will help them become a team player when it comes to different projects that they will work on throughout the year.
Learning to communicate
Show and tell also helps children to use eye contact when they are presenting their item to the other students. They learn how to look around the room and make sure all their new friends are listening to them when they are talking. This, in turn, teaches them that they have to offer the same respect and listen to other students when they present their item on their day of Show and Tell.
In addition, this also helps children learn how to project their voices so the whole class can hear what they are talking about. It’s very critical that young children learn how to talk loud enough so their peers can hear what they are talking about. After all, the item they are presenting probably is going to be very interesting and will help the other students learn something they didn’t know before.
Boost their critical thinking skills
Kids also learn about using their critical thinking skills because they have to remember and rehearse at home before they come to school to present their Show and Tell project. Critical thinking skills started to become popular in the late ’90s, early part of the 21st century. The skill started becoming popular in online colleges and students who chose to go to school at night. This skill is now started as young as the first few years of school for students so they learn how to think before they speak and choose their words correctly in order for the rest of the class and their teacher to understand what they are portraying.
Your children are also going to look up to their parents for help with the selection of a topic about something that will catch the class’s attention. For instance, if your child caught a caterpillar in late summer and it spun a cocoon, this would teach the class about the cycles of a caterpillar turning into either a butterfly or a moth. In spring, when the cocoon breaks open and the wings are drying, your child could always bring the moth or butterfly back to school and the kids would see how the cycle of the caterpillar transgressed into a really colorful and beautiful moth or butterfly. This is also a good time for parents to spend with their child and bond with them when the decision arises on what to bring for Show and Tell or Student of the Week when Show and Tell is usually included in the title.
It’s always fun watching a young child grow and learn how to speak in front of their class when they are only little tots. They find great enjoyment when they have the chance to be the center of attention and this will bring parents great happiness as well. It’s also a good experience for all to watch your child gain that confidence that they need to flourish in their young lives in order to become successful adults. If your family is from another culture or has a different ethnicity, encourage your children to share with the class what types of food they enjoy or what kind of holidays they celebrate that are a bit different from their peers. Teachers and students alike love to hear about other parts of the country and the world.
If you and your family just moved from another area of the country where there is an ocean or mountains, have your child bring in some cool shells or pictures of the beautiful mountains in the area that you moved from. There are an abundance of ideas and benefits from the opportunity of Show and Tell in the school systems. It offers the kids a reprieve from their studies and allows them time to get to know each other and also their teacher. These are the benefits of Show and Tell and this project has been going on for more than 60 years so children, parents, and grandparents have all had the opportunity to be able to bring in their favorite items for Show and Tell.
