Promoting Self-Reliance Education through Child Participation Rights for 3-4 Year-Olds

The approach of child participation is a significant perspective for fostering self-reliance education, grounded in the trust teachers place in children. This approach empowers children, creating favorable conditions for decision-making and choice. Investigation into the current status of self-reliance education for 3-4 year-olds in several preschools within Hanoi reveals that children's self-reliance predominantly resides at a moderately developed level. These findings are influenced by several factors, notably the teacher's flexibility and creativity in tailoring appropriate approaches – including objectives, content, methods, forms, and interventions – to each child's individuality and the practical conditions of the school and local context. This study proposes eight self-reliance education strategies for 3-4 year-olds based on the child participation rights approach. These strategies are aligned with the characteristics of children aged 3-4, ensuring target-oriented, systematic, developmental, feasible, practical, and age-appropriate methods, as well as organizing playful and educational activities within preschool settings.