“Every small step a child takes is a giant leap toward who they are becoming.”
Unknown
Witnessing Progress in Children’s Small Actions
Beautiful moments 1: Feeling Card
One child in our program recently immigrated with his family this year. he is trying to adjusting to a new environment with a different language has been challenging for him, and he rarely speaks, almost completely speechless at times. To support him, my mentor created a set of feeling cards to help him express himself. When we have difficulty understanding his needs, we use the cards to communicate and explain the situation to him.
One afternoon, he kept pointing outside. I asked if he wanted to go out, and when I explained that we would go out later but not now, he nodded and continued playing alone. A little while later, he returned to me and pointed outside again. I repeated my explanation, but this time, he suddenly rushed to his cubby. He climbed up with great effort, reaching for the feeling card placed on top. He grabbed the card and pointed to the hungry emoji, clearly showing me he was hungry. He remembered that we often have snacks outside and used this material to communicate his needs.
This interaction was a big step for us, not only because he demonstrated his ability to connect his feelings with the tools we provided but also to use them to express himself efficiently.
This moment reminds me of the importance of fostering a sense of belonging for children in new and unfamiliar environments. As the BCELF mentions, educators create inclusive, supportive spaces where every child feels valued and understood. I feel glad that the tool we provided allowed him to participate in our program and help him navigate a new environment.
Beautiful moments 2: Teamwork makes dreams work!
Sometimes, I feel that children grow up little by little without us even noticing.
One day, Penny asked me to make a fluffy fish with her as I made once before. She smiled and said, “Teamwork makes dreams work!” Her words surprised me, showing how much she had grown in understanding the value of cooperation and collaboration.
In that moment, I felt both proud and amazed by her ability to express such wisdom in her own cheerful way.
Beautiful moments 3:
Another time, Jaxon created a beautiful “room” at the top of the play area. Even though his words were vague, he managed to invite his friend to come and visit. His friend pointed out that the space could only accommodate one person at a time. Jaxon replied that he understood and would wait until his friend finished. Watching their interaction, I chose to step back, giving them the space to navigate the situation independently. Their ability to resolve the conflict with patience and understanding reminded me of children’s capabilities.
These moments reveal children’s quiet growth and their increasing ability to communicate, collaborate, and problem-solve. I understand my role is to guide them when needed but most of the time we need to step back and trust their capacity to learn and grow.