Build values, break anxiety

The first few days in a preschool can be a daunting experience for both parents and children. The environment is vastly different and parents worry about how their children are settling in a new environment. To help students with insecurities, schools often have buddy systems, where younger children are paired with older children who have higher capabilities to promote friendship, coursework, behavioural and social needs. Such an informal setting allows students to actively participate and feel more comfortable. The interactions under such an environment help a child to tide over his or her insecurities.

The buddy system is a mentoring program designed to improve participants’ academic and social behaviours. The system is based on individual and group mentoring, encouraging positive behaviours through incentives.

A buddy system prepares preschoolers to be confident, empathic, patient and compassionate. They also learn leadership skills such as becoming role models, being responsible, about security, building relationships, self-esteem and social maturity which enhance their ability to help one another.

Students who struggle academically or socially at schools can make huge gains from having a peer buddy. Traditionally, buddy systems have been effectively used in various capacities to support students the world over.

A practice devised by the US Armed Forces to maintain the safety of a peer is now being used as an influential tool in creating a safer preschool environment. buddy systems have now been observed to teach and give children an opportunity to practice social values of respect, care, estimating difference, responsibility and friendship.

At an individual level, this system helps increase self-confidence among all involved and in the process helps build trust and cooperation, which is the bedrock for development at the preschool level. Through the buddy system, children have an opportunity to build essential leadership skills. There is a range of skills that a child can gain from this system, skills associated with empathy and compassion through activities in the classroom and in the playground. This helps combat bullying and other forms of antisocial behaviour such as harassment and teasing which are known to be rampant in high school systems and a major concern for parents. Teaching pro-social value skills can also contribute to the development of resilience when they experience hardship or loss.

Mentoring

Teachers are also trained to monitor this system introduction carefully. The first meeting of the buddies is probably the most important, it determines if they are willing to get along and work together. Such processes help younger children to feel safe, cared for, while in older children it instills a sense of value and respect for everyone.

At an institutional level, buddy programmes can strengthen the school community and help do away with stereotypes, misconceptions or fears that children hold. This system can also help children to feel valued and supported. It creates a caring ethos, a connectedness that enables both older and younger buddies to bond more closely, thereby increasing more positive social behaviour.

It also develops positive opportunities for peer tutoring generating positive behaviour by providing positive role models. There is growing research and evidence that supports this technique and observes that this method discourages bullying, promotes inclusion, develops empathy and builds responsibility among peers. By taking inspiration from their peers, young children learn skills associated with empathy and compassion.

The buddy system is, therefore, a process to create a friendly and caring community by building strong relationships among students to reduce bullying and other negative behaviours within a school. At an emotional level, this practice has been noted for reducing the stress levels of the learner as well as his or her anxiety while struggling to make friends easily.

Overall, it is very important for preschools to introduce this culture into their curriculum as this process assists substantially with the student’s transition to the higher schooling system.

(The author is principal, Vidyasagar Preschool, Bengaluru)