The Whys, Whats, and Hows of Child-Teacher Relationships in Preschool

Your preschooler's social development increases daily. Even though you want your pre-k kid to build friendships with their peers, they also need to learn how to socialize with adults - and that can start with their daycare teacher. Take a look at the whys, whats, and hows of the student's relationship with an early childhood educator.

Why Is the Child-Teacher Relationship Important in Preschool?

Your child barely has a relationship with their so-called best friend. If they're just starting to forge friendships with their pre-k classmates, why is it also important to develop relationships with teachers? A healthy child-educator relationship is necessary to:

• Help your child build varied social skills. People don't socially interact with everyone on the same level. Now is the time for your child to begin learning this. They need to understand appropriate behavior and the social rules that govern child-to-adult relationships.

• Improve communication. Your preschooler needs to learn how to effectively communicate with everyone in their life. When it comes to their pre-k day, they need to know how to talk to and interact with the teacher.

• Develop close ties. Your child spends a significant portion of their day in preschool or daycare. With this in mind, you want your child to have a positive, caring relationship with their teacher.

• Foster school success. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), a close, supportive relationship with a teacher can eventually lead to higher levels of achievement. This relationship can also help your child build interest and enjoyment in learning.

Now that you know why your child should have a positive relationship with their teacher, you can see what this looks like in the pre-k classroom.

What Is a Positive Child-Teacher Relationship in Preschool?

This type of student-educator relationship may look similar to what you see at home. Unlike student-teacher relationships that develop later on in your child's education, a preschool-age relationship is built more around caring and comfort and less around academic interests.

In the early years, the student-educator relationship often includes:

• Warm responses. The teacher may greet your child warmly and respond to their request in the same way.

• Individualized interactions. Not only will your child socialize with their teacher in a group, but they'll also have the chance to interact during one-on-one exchange.

• Clear limits. Even though your child's teacher cares for their students, they also set clear boundaries and expectations. The teacher also enforces these boundaries, sets limits, and redirects the child as needed.

• Plenty of praise. The teacher will acknowledge your child's accomplishments (academic, creative, and developmental) and praise their effort.

If you don't see an instant connection between your child and their new pre-k teacher on the first day of school (or even a few days/weeks in), don't worry. This, like other relationships, can take time.

How Can You Help Foster a Positive Child-Teacher Relationship in Preschool?

What can you do if you feel your child doesn't connect with their teacher? Provided no other issues are at work, you can help your child to build new social skills and develop this important relationship.

While you won't find a magic way to create a connection, you can:

• Talk to your child. Why is your child resistant to the teacher's interactions or friendship? The easiest way to learn what's going on is to simply speak to your child.

• Role play. Play student-teacher at home. Your child may need extra help to build the social skills needed to connect with their teacher.

• Talk to the teacher. The teacher may have expert suggestions or need more information from you to make positive changes.


Above all, don't push your child to connect when they're not ready. Some relationship take time to build — even in preschool.

Is your child ready to start preschool or daycare? Contact Riviera Daycare & Preschool for more information.