Preschool Center Labels: Fostering Independence

When I taught preschool, I used the Highscope curriculum. One of the main ideas of Highscope is child independence. Part of being independent in preschool or at home is being able to clean up.

If you use centers at school or learning centers at home, your child needs to be able to clean up when he is done. By labeling your preschool centers or by labeling where things go in his room, you can foster that independence.

I would use old catalogs when I would label the classroom, using pictures of the toys that belonged in a certain section of the room. There was no reading involved. If you also want to encourage word recognition, write the word near the picture. Another great resource for pictures would be a preschool toy website, like Genius Babies. Find the picture you want, right click (PC users) and save the picture to your computer. Make a word processing document by inserting the pictures and print. Cover them with clean packaging tape so they stay for a while. You can also do this with clothing and household items.

Help make your child independent by teaching them how to put things away. Everyone will be happy.