Every parent wants their child to be open to learning in school and making valuable friendships along the way, but when your child is painfully shy, it seems that fewer doors are open to them. Doors that lead to expanding the mind, social horizons, and a fulfilling and happy life. Sometimes shyness is just a phase, but sometimes it's a permanent characteristic, which means the child may need extra help and encouragement. For your young child, a private preschool program might be the extra help that opens the doors to the wonders of the world in just the right way.
The Classroom Should Be Smaller
Shy kids tend to dislike larger crowds, especially if they're expected to interact with the group. Since private preschools tend to have smaller classroom sizes, your child should feel more at ease and, therefore, be more likely to open up and eventually participate.
With smaller crowds comes lower noise volumes, too, which would be helpful if your shy child is sound sensitive, as some kids are. Your shy child may feel overwhelmed and inhibited by out-of-control sounds, such as a herd of young kids running for recess or lunch, but in the less populated private school environment, things could be quieter. While virtually no group of kids is completely quiet, enduring even slightly minimized stimuli would help.
Your Child Can Thrive With A Lower Teacher-Student Ratio
Another prevalent characteristic of shy kids is their gravitation towards one or a small number of individuals, rather than warming up to a group environment. With the lower teacher-student ratio that private preschool programs usually have, your shy child might open up to the individualized attention they receive. That should lead to more effective teaching, along with perhaps making a friend or two. When a teacher is constantly preoccupied with many students, their attention is spread thin and most often, that results in a sacrifice to at least some of the students, especially the quieter ones.
Extracurricular Programs May Bring Your Child Out Of Their Shell
Things like art and music really reach kids, no matter what their age or how shy they might be. Your child might be more socially fluid when expressing themselves through a musical instrument or paintbrush, for example, and public schools have been forced to end a lot of their art-based curriculum. Although finger painting and other hands-on lessons still abound in the preschool environment, the quality aspect of art is best experienced through a number of mediums, particularly if it's hard to coax a student out of their shy, protective shell.
You May Have More Input At A Private Preschool
Any publicly funded school has a bureaucratic hierarchy to satisfy, but that's not always the case with private institutions. They have more freedom to employ their own special programs and focus on more important matters than politics, budgets, and committee votes. Ask any private preschool you're considering just how much input you'll have concerning your child's teachings and social interactions. You should be relieved to discover you're invited to participate, to nearly whatever extent you feel is appropriate.
Your Shy Child Should Have Ample Opportunity To Make Friends
When you set a child up for success academically and behaviorally, they then have more opportunity to appropriately socialize. Your son or daughter shouldn't be hiding in the back of a crowded classroom, feeling nearly invisible, nor should they be overlooked when it comes to any other activity. Given the structured, positive, and manageable atmosphere, your child is more likely to warm up to another child, hopefully becoming friends in some capacity. Focused learning may instill a sense of accomplishment and increase self-confidence, further boosting your child's bravery. All it takes is one good interactive relationship to show your child the value of friendship and how much it can add to life, even if it's limited to a classroom.
While your child may outgrow their shyness, they'll probably need some help doing it. The choices you make for preschool should provide the stepping stones toward feeling enthusiasm for learning, being open to friends and new experiences, and being more accepting of a big, sometimes scary world.
For more information, get in touch with a preschool such as Advantage Learning Center.