One Friday, we had pajama and teddy bear day. Some children brought their own favorite stuffed toy. Educator Sue thought this would be good opportunity to do a show and tell time, where the children could show what they brought. The children happily talked about the stuffed toys they had. Then, educator Sue placed some photos and documentation of the conversation contents in the classroom for the children to revisit. The children would stop and stand, observing the photos during their daily play activities.
Seeing the children’s interest and curiosity, educator Sue along with the other educators, decided to incorporate a second "Show and Tell" day. This time, the children were not limited to stuffed toys, and they could bring anything they like. During this activity, the children's awareness of participation, and their language expression skills showed significant improvement compared to the first time they shared their stuffed toys. There was a higher level of confidence and pride as they shared their item. As the children spoke, educator Liv quickly recorded their conversations. Liv and Bailey also asked the children some questions to help them answer. Here is what some of the children shared.
Owen S: “I have monster truck and a puppy, because I like him. My other school gave him to me for my birthday. My monster truck can go in the pool with my goggles when I have a swimming suit. It can go backwards and has nothing on this side and nothing over here. I sleep with a puppy sometimes because I like him. Sometimes it sounds like it’s cutting a crayon and that’s because it broke when I was a baby.
Nathan: “I have a Squishmallow. I wanted to bring it. Its got two ears and some dot eyes and hearts on here. I got it for myself. His name is Squishmallow. I have sunglasses that are special to me and they are yellow, blue and dark.”
Destin: “I have a monkey. We play with daddy. I love it.”
Brady: “I really wanted to bring the monster truck. It’s special because I really wanted to bring it. It's got white, black, yellow, and blue and red.”
Wyatt: “I have a ducky, because I wanted to play with it. It’s yellow and black. It has black eyes and an orange mouth (beak). He has a blue bum. He swims in water.”
Luca: “I brought a monster truck. It can make sounds, (He squeezed with his hands while he spoke) from Disney and Lightning McQueen.”
Cillian: “I have a Spider-Man and Green Goblin. Mommy and daddy gave me them for Christmas. I play with them.”
Layla: “I have a puppy and bunny to show my friends because I wanted to. I got them from my bedroom. I sleep with them. They are soft and I can catch them way up in the sky. Bunny has a triangle head and puppy too. He can pick his nose and he can itch himself.”
Alex: “I have a tiger. Because I wanted to bring it.”
Kaylee: “I brought Elsa and Anna. I got Anna from Costco and Elsa from Walmart. It is special because I play with them in my pajamas and in the ice castle.”
Suyi: “I have a bumblebee teddy bear. I got 3 bumblebees. I gave them to Kaylee and Liora because I am going to California.”
Ben: “I have a magazine. Mom picked it up from the mail with granddad and Danny. I read it like this. I just love it. There’s someone making music and so is he.” (as he points to the chick in magazine).
Ava: “I have a monkey, he wants to play with me. There are hearts on my monkey.”
Liora: “I brought a computer that mom gave to me. It’s for working like mom for when I’m big.”
Julian: “I got Willie’s boot. It is special because I brought it from home. Daddy gave it to me.”
"Show and tell" is a valuable activity in preschool that fosters numerous developmental skills. Through this activity, children gain confidence in speaking in front of a group. They learn and use new words to describe their items. They practice organizing their thoughts and telling a simple narrative. They learn to listen attentively while others are speaking. They learn to share their personal experiences and belongings. They feel a sense of accomplishment by sharing something important to them. They learn to organize their thoughts and explain their ideas. They are exposed to new objects and ideas, sparking their curiosity. They learn about different topics from their classmates. They learn to ask and answer questions. All in all, the children have learned a lot of skills in this process.
What will be the next step? Perhaps “Show and share " will be a good activity to attempt to have the children practice sharing with their peers.
