As your child makes friends, shares materials and attention, and takes turns, they will develop social skills they need for life. Development of personal and social skills takes time and occurs at different rates as a result of each child’s personal experiences. In Kindergarten, children begin to develop and practice skills that they will continue to enhance throughout their lives. By participating actively in learning tasks, trying new things and taking risks, children begin to develop positive attitudes and see themselves as capable of learning. Children are curious and learn to adapt to new situations. They begin to follow rules and deal with routines in a school environment. They become more independent and learn to take some responsibility for selecting and completing learning activities. Children begin to learn about themselves as the basis for healthy interactions with others. In Kindergarten, children develop friendship skills and have opportunities to demonstrate caring and make a contribution to others. They learn to express their feelings in socially acceptable ways and show respect and a positive caring attitude toward others. They take turns in activities and discussion, and contribute to partner and group activities by working cooperatively, giving and receiving help, and joining in small and large group games and activities. By learning to be responsible in the classroom, they are also learning to be responsible at home and in their communities.
