Building Confidence and Self-Esteem
Building confidence and self-esteem in our children is an important skill to instill at any age. When you feel confident in a task you’re undertaking you’re open to the work that is involved. When you’re confident in a conversation at hand, you contribute your wisdom and listen as the conversation grows. When you’re confident in taking on a new task you’re more open to learning more about the subject. Confidence is important and is a skill that needs to be learned. We aren’t just born with confidence. We should reinforce it in our children, we should encourage them with positive actions and words, we should inspire them to keep learning and we should always be a role model for them.
Our character Self-Esteem Elephant offers a social story called Let’s Be Proud available on Amazon. A Resource Book available here, and even a Bulletin Board and Poster Book available here to keep engaging, offer visuals and to encourage a child to be confident. Confidence Building Affirmation coloring book available here. When I do painting classes at a classroom visit or a location, I begin with a social story and discussion about self-esteem. I ask the group to think about what they like about themselves, about who they are. For most it takes a moment to come up with an answer, however, this activity is important to Self-Esteem Elephant because the message is: “I Like ME” As the conversation unfolds it’s really a lot of fun to learn about each child and each child listens to learn about their peers and to learn more about who they are.
As a Reading Team member, I always take it a step further. Using two different colored markers and large paper for each child to see, I then write on the top of it:
“I Like” and ask each child to share what they like about who they are. I write their name at the end of the sentence. Using another color, I repeat. At the end of the discussion there are a lot of sentences, a pattern of two colors and it’s easy to read. Then, ask each child to come up and read their sentence! To take it a step further, type out each of the sentences on your computer using a large size font, print this out, cutting out each word and then placing the name on the top of the collected words have each child find their name, place the words on paper to build a sentence, glue down the words and then let the child draw a picture of the sentence! You can make this into a traveling classroom book, you can save these for conference time or you can send them home with the child. It’s a fun activity to learn about not only one another, but it allows a child to think about what they like about who they are. You can build off of this however you feel will engage each child.
The above activity can be used for a child to share their gifts with others. If a child is good at painting, allow them to share their art! If a child is good at reading, allow them to share their gift! You can pair up students or family members to encourage them to share their gifts with others and build new friendships. Bring out the best in one another and encourage one another to be better, try harder and build confidence and self-esteem. We all have so much to learn.
TELL me and I forget, TEACH me and I remember, INVOLVE me and I learn. Benjamin Franklin
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