Reflecting on what makes the “secret sauce” of a BASIS Independent School, one of the consistent themes that stands out is a fundamental belief in students and their capability to be independent learners. This belief drives our mission to develop students into critical thinkers who can analyze and shape the world around them for the better. But if this is the end goal, how does one set the foundation to build these skills? To find out, let’s dive into the practices we find in place with our youngest students and how our Expert Teachers work to nurture independence daily in their classrooms.

In Pre-K Xenon, our students are encouraged to take risks in a supportive environment. “Many students are discouraged when facing a challenge,” noted Ms. Rivera, the Early Education Teacher, “whether it be academic–exploring a new academic concept–or even opening a snack box that their grownup often does for them. I encourage a positive mindset and frame the conversation, so they feel comfortable knowing that they may not be successful the first time, but they will be soon enough!”

To support student success, modeling is a major component in the Xenon classroom. Whether that involves showing students step by step how to zip up a puffy jacket in the winter or how to break down a tricky word into parts to sound it out, encouraging the students to complete the task on their own fosters autonomy.

“Nurturing focuses on fostering a child’s growth by providing a supportive environment where they feel safe to take age-appropriate risks. Nurturing caregivers offer guidance while encouraging children to face challenges, building their confidence and resilience. Children who learn to self-regulate and handle difficulties are better equipped to solve problems and view failure as a natural part of learning, rather than something to avoid,” Ms. Reilly shared. Ms. Reilly brings a wealth of knowledge about childhood development to her Pre-K Platinum classroom each day and supports all BASIS Independent Pre-K teachers in our network as a Subject Advisor. “On the other hand, frequent adult intervention and overprotection can lead to dependency in children. When adults constantly step in to solve every problem or discomfort, children miss opportunities to develop independent problem-solving skills,” Ms. Reilly explained.

Ms. Moses shared that in Pre-K Gold she uses a counting strategy to help motivate students to complete tasks independently. She tells students, “Let me see you try for 10” then stands nearby and counts to ten while a student gives the task their best effort. Pro tip: “Counting backward sometimes incentivizes kids to try even harder!” After about ten seconds, we offer some guidance verbally or physically depending on the task and needs of the child. To continue building stamina and frustration tolerance, as students become more independent you can gradually increase the amount of time a child tries on their own before asking for assistance.

Pre-K Calcium students are similarly nurtured to be independent. Ms. Moon shared that she believes it is “always best to teach a child to do it themselves rather than to do it for them.” She offers up these suggestions for building and fostering autonomy in our young beings:

1. Teach children routines in manageable steps for daily activities.
2. Set expectations and make sure children are held accountable to them (within reason!)
3. Narrow down choices and have children decide their activity, snack, or outfit.
4. Give children small responsibilities and/or chores.
5. Offer specific praise when they do well. (i.e. “You put your toys away so carefully- that way they don’t get broken!” vs. “Good job putting away your toys.”)

Parenting in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world can be overwhelming and stressful. Indeed, a recent report from the Surgeon General brought attention to the unique stressors of raising children. We encourage you to take a breath, take a step back, and observe what your child is capable of when given the opportunity to engage in activities and decisions with autonomy. While your guidance and steadying hand when they falter will always be an invaluable support, you may just be surprised to discover how nurturing independence in your children can help shift your family dynamic to everyone’s benefit.

One quote that nicely sums up the benefits of nurturing as opposed to coddling young students comes from the author Roald Dahl: “The more risks you allow your children to make, the better they learn to look after themselves.”

BASIS Independent Brooklyn is a PreK– Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the Bears community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.