Children develop a sense of self through their life experiences, culture, and relationships with important adults. This lesson provides an introduction to the concept of sense of self, how it is developed in adults and children, and how you can support children’s positive sense of self.

Preschool children are beginning to learn who they are and to form a sense of identity. Teachers have an important role in this process. This lesson will further describe what sense of self means for preschoolers and discuss how teachers can promote acceptance of individual differences, address the needs of diverse learners, and encourage family participation in children’s development of self.

The environment consists of the space in which children learn as well as the people in that space—their peers and caregivers. This lesson will focus on how the environment influences preschool children’s sense of self and will describe how you can create environments that engage children in meaningful experiences that promote development.

High-quality experiences, environments, curricula, and programming are critical to development and learning, and contribute to children's developing sense of self. This lesson will focus on how you can engage children in meaningful experiences that promote and support their sense of self.