The Power of Self-Reflection in Children’s Personal Growth

What is self-concept, and why does it matter, especially for children?

Self-concept is how one thinks and feels about oneself. It encompasses a person's thoughts, beliefs, and feelings about their abilities, qualities, and worth. In addition to that, it can be positive or negative, depending on one’s thoughts, interactions, and experiences.

For instance, when a child learns a new skill or succeeds in a task, their self-concept becomes more positive. On the other hand, if a child quits a task easily or consistently compares themselves to others, their self-concept may become negative.

Recognizing this, schools and educators cannot ignore the importance of teaching young students how to enhance their self-concept. When children have a positive idea or feeling about themselves, they feel confident and motivated to pursue self-improvement.

*Positive Action *offers this evidence-based SEL lesson for kindergarten to help educators instill self-awareness and intrinsic motivation in their young students. The lesson reviews the meaning, importance, and development of self-concept. It also reinforces the positive actions for developing positive feelings about oneself.

The lesson uses an imaginative and thought-provoking class activity to engage students and provide a fun learning experience. In this activity, half of the classroom is turned into a castle and the continuing story of the adventures to Castle Self-Concept comes to life.

One by one, kindergarten students enter the castle to learn the secret to everlasting happiness and personal growth. Their teacher waits inside and asks them to look through an object that reveals how much they have grown physically, intellectually, socially, and emotionally.

After that, the young learners engage in self-reflection and evaluate how they feel about themselves. Their teacher then initiates a positive, meaningful conversation, reminding them of the skills they have gained and improvement in their behavior. The activity continues until all students enter the castle.

With this effective and reliable social-emotional learning lesson, kindergarten students learn to appreciate themselves, their improving self-concept, and the positive actions they have been doing. As they better understand the role of their self-concept in their academic and personal success, they develop the intrinsic motivation to take positive actions.