Expanding Childrens' Interests

If you are a preschool teacher, you no doubt have experienced the same thing I have: the child who will play only with one toy (or friend). Part of us wants to revel in this 'easy' child, the one who seems to need little supervision; yet, part of us wants to see this child experience more. After all, after 3 months of playing exclusively with Leggos, what can we say we are teaching?

I feel it is very important for children to be allowed their 'favorites'; repetition is how chidren master their skills. I've been driven quite to the brink by my own child, with endless and identical quotes (i.e., "What's that? What's that? What's that?"). On the other hand, we have a job to do, a job of teaching and providing an atmosphere conducive to learning. As teachers, we have to be sensitive to a number of variables. If this child is always playing with a certain toy, does that make it impossible for others to play with it? Is there a possibility that this child is avoiding interraction by always being 'busy' with that certain toy? Do you feel that learning is taking place, in spite of the lack of variety? Do you feel that the child is avoiding the challenge of something new, or that he or she lack confidence in their ability? I am sure you will come up with many more factors based on your individual experience.

A little trick I have learned over the years has seemed to work well in quite a number of instances. I compare it to the way in which we try to get our kids to eat those green vegetables. (When it comes to broccoli and peas, all I need to do is put them on my plate only, and talk about how special they are and how only children who want to be big and strong and smart would ever want them). First, makes some decisions about what, if anything, needs to be done; if it is simply your desire to see this child doing other things, that may not be enough. Also try to establish if their is any problem preventing the child from exploring more; perhaps a little boy has been raised to believe he can only do 'male' things; perhaps the child needs help with social skills; perhaps their are trust issues. In the absence of any serious issues, my next step would be to subtly recruit other children to encourage participation (of course, be careful you are encouraging and not pressuring). Don't make a big deal out of it; just show how much fun you are having. Ask the child if he would like to come closer, or if it is a big group game, try breaking up into smaller groups. If it is toys you are wanting to introduce, try taking away, or rotating, that 'favorite' temporarily (start with just a morning perhaps) and describe how the new toy is similar to the old one. Offer a challenge ("Pete, you are such a good builder, I bet you can really do something great with this such-and-such"). But of course remember to keep the pressure off...you want to see fun and learning, not a forced 'assignment'. And, always always always, respect the child's individuality...it takes a bit of courage to be independent and not just 'go along with the crowd', after all. The most important thing, I think, is to let the child do whatever he wants with the new toys, even if it appears to be 'wrong'. Give him the space he needs or wants, and just let him 'do'. And remember, this could take time...and there may be setbacks as well as progress. We want to provide, encourage, and support, but we should not try to make cookie-cutter kids who all do and like the same things.

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