Principal’s Message
By Mrs Kath Boyd
Dear Families, “The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivations and the richer their experiences.” (Loris Malaguzzi) Remember ‘The Little Engine That Could’? . . . a classic tale about a train’s perseverance, and ultimate success. Perseverance can be nurtured from a young age. Parents and early childhood educators are in a key position to encourage a child’s ability to persist and overcome challenges. The ability to persevere (finishing what one starts) despite challenges and frustration is an important life skill, and an ability that contributes to success in life. Interestingly, some children perform better on a challenging task if they pretend to be someone else who would be good at the task. “Taking on the perspective of another person provides a separation from children’s own experience, allowing them to disengage from immediate temptations or negative emotions and focus on their goals” (Rachel White, 2022). Children acting as superheroes may persevere more because they are able to strongly identify with the characters’ competence and strengths, particularly with the help of props, or because pretending to be a heroic character is actually fun. During Miss Xanthe’s weekly Drama Lessons, our children have the opportunity to role play as well as use their imagination, bodies and facial expressions to embody popular fictional superheroes (e.g. Batman, Superman & Dora the Explorer) and real life heroes (e.g. Police Officers, Firefighters & Vets). Drama provides the children with an opportunity to imagine that they have the strength and skills of a real superhero and, in turn, can give them the confidence to apply these concepts in the classroom. Picture above: Lilian and Charles (1E) delighting in the experiences on offer. Children as young as 15 months can learn the value of hard work by perseverance if their families and teachers model the behaviour. A child watching adults struggle to achieve goals before they succeed may try harder at their own difficult task. Our teachers demonstrate persistence and perseverance through their own practices. Problem-solving skills are all too easily left undeveloped when adults step in too quickly to offer their own solution to a problem. At Reddam, we aim to be there to support the children and if necessary, step in with open-ended questions that might support their thought process.