Although at times, it seems hard to decipher the benefits of Show and Tell with young children, indeed this active involvement of the speaker and the listeners fosters plenty of developments within each child:
Learning How to Ask Questions and Answer: many children do not understand the difference between a statement and a question, and so going through the process helps teach this concept.
Speech Development: for the speaker, show and tell provides an opportunity to use descriptive language, concept thinking, storytelling and so forth. Overall, it helps develop effective communication.
Emotional Development: giving children time to share a part of their home life, their interests, with the group creates an environment of caring and fosters their emotional selves.
Respectful Listening: share day can create the structure for children to learn how to be respectful when someone is talking and to use proper manners
Children Take the Lead: the act of sharing, from choosing the item to talking about it in front of peers, to showing it to everyone, provides children the chance to be in charge, and have their choices and voice honored. This is especially true for the more shy children in the group.
What Items to Bring for Show and Tell
Toys are often not permitted for Share Day, as it can create challenges for sharing afterward and a sense of “look what I have and what you don’t”.
Some theme suggestions are:
Something used in the house
A photo/souvenirs that hold a story or experience that can be shared
Something made: craft, drawing
Favorite book
The theme of the month in the classroom
Share Day will bring out the different personalities of each child from the child who has been planning all week and would love to act, lead and take over the entire circle if given the opportunity versus the child who is petrified and has been anxious all morning knowing he/she needs to talk in front of the class.
Try practicing at home. The following steps work well:
Let your child pretend that he/she is standing in front of the group who is sitting in a circle.
The child shows the item and talks about it. “This is…… It is made of ….. It is used for ….. It is about ……”
Share Day is a steadfast part of early school time experiences and it holds all the same benefits no matter when or how it is done.
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