self

Self & Cultural Understanding

Support preschoolers’ sense of self through relationships, experiences, and the environment.

Preschool children’s sense of self is shaped as they interact with their families, teachers, and peers. In this course you will learn about how young children develop a sense of self and the importance of resilience in your work as a preschool teacher. You will also learn about the influence of culture and ways to support preschoolers’ sense of self through experiences, activities, and the environment. Self-care practices and stress reduction will also be addressed.

Sense of Self: An Introduction

Children develop a sense of self through their life experiences, culture, and relationships with important adults. This lesson provides an introduction to the concept of sense of self, how it is developed in adults and children, and how you can support children’s positive sense of self.

Promoting a Sense of Self: Preschool Children

This lesson will further describe what sense of self means for preschoolers and discuss how teachers can promote acceptance of individual differences, address the needs of all learners, and encourage family participation in children’s development of self.

Promoting a Sense of Self: The Environment

The environment consists of the space in which children learn as well as the people in that space—their peers and caregivers. This lesson will focus on how the environment influences preschool children’s sense of self and will describe how you can create environments that engage children in meaningful experiences that promote development.

Promoting a Sense of Self: Experiences and Activities

High-quality experiences, environments, curricula, and programming are critical to development and learning, and contribute to children's developing sense of self. This lesson will focus on how you can engage children in meaningful experiences that promote and support their sense of self.