Sophia's First Day of Preschool

Sophia's First Day of Preschool

Today is Sofia's First Day of Preschool. She had her backpack, outfit, and supplies ready since last night. Her excitement woke her up before her parents. She is ready to start her first special day!

On the way to the preschool, she couldn't stop talking about how excited she was to meet her teachers and make new friends. She even practiced how she is going to introduce her self. Her parents fueled her self esteem by assuring her she is doing a great job.

As they arrived, Sophia got even more excited when she saw how big her new school is and her new teacher.

However, as they went inside, she started to feel nervous. Everything look so big and unfamiliar to how home is. There are a lot of people she doesn't know. She even started to question if her parents would come back for her. She was experiencing "separation". Ms. Nour is prepared to handle separation on the first day and starts by using "gentle guidance towards prosocial awareness" (Gestwicki 276). She lets Sophia feel loved and welcomed by telling her how she feels about her presence in the preschool.

When it was time for her parents to go, Sophia started crying and pleading them to not leave her at preschool. Sophia is 2 years old and "toddlers feel most secure when their adults are nearby, and they protest heartily when left behind" (Gestwicki 262). This is part of their development, and having adults that can properly handle the situation can be very healthy for them. Sophia's parents reassured they will come back for her. In addition, they created a transition plan with Ms. Nour for shorter days in the first week to make her transition smoother.

Sophia's parent confidently knowing that she was in good hands with Ms. Nour. Ms.Nour held Sofia as they both watch her parents leave. She then got down to Sophia's level and reassured her that her parents will be coming back for her at the end of the day. She offered her comfort by letting her know that she is there for her. In addition she explained to her the schedule with great detail so she could anticipate what's coming next and know that her parents were coming back for her.

As the days went by, Sophia felt more confident and comfortable in her new environment. She always went to Ms. Nour for reassurance. Ms Nour always allowed Sophia to try things on her own to gain confidence and a sense of competency. She was always near her for whenever she needed guidance.

She slowly opened up to her peers and created new friends. This helped her look forward to hew days in preschool while her parents were at work. Ms. Nour is very pleased to see her progress.

After a couple of weeks her parents saw a big improvement in Sophia's attitude about preschool, and were very pleased with putting their trust in Ms. Nour's hands.They also noticed progress in Sophia's social emotional, physical, and cognitive development. They made sure that Sophia was aware of her progress so she built more confidence and self-esteem. Ms. Nour is pleased to see how she was able to help a family out.

From that moment on, Sophia is always excited to go to preschool. The loving adults around her and the partnership to ensure a stable environment for Sophia, played a great role in her progress. As a result, this "will have an implications for future social relationships and emotional well-being" (Gestwicki 262).