A visit to the dentist gave me lots to write about for children’s learning and kindergarten readiness. A preschooler was also there for a checkup. She chatted away to her mother about what was going to happen, “The dentist is going to look at my teeth. ” Her mother answered that yes he would look at them to see how they were growing. “I have lots of teeth but not my sister, ” added the wee one. “And the chair will go up and down.” Agreeing, her mother offered that her sister didn’t have as many teeth because she was still a baby. The dentist would move the chair up and down so she could see better. The little girl appeared comfortable with the idea of a visit to the dentist’s office.
The girl’s talk beforehand was a learning strategy. She was rehearsing in her mind what was going to happen. Although her parent had discussed with her what the dentist would do to help prepare her, she needed to talk about it over and over. She most likely had asked questions the day before and getting ready and in the car on the way over and again in the waiting room. Sometimes when kids repeat something they already know or that we have explained to them countless times they are using this self-talk thinking strategy. It can be for assurance, it’s also to strengthen their own brain connections.
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hen the little girl got her turn in the dentist’s chair, I’m sure she noticed many of the details. Once at home, or perhaps even in the car, she would go over and over what she saw and heard and did. And what the dentist said and did. This is part of the same thinking skill. I can’t find a really good descriptive name for it so will just call it “the stuck-record”. Is there something happening today for your child to talk about before it happens and again afterwards to practice this learning strategy?