[Grandma Bear]

Animals help teach compassion and gentle caring. It is important to check with licensing policies and allergies within the entire center, not just one classroom.

[Lori Maslanka]

Animals can be a great positive for a classroom once in a while! Children overall love to pet them, and it makes them happy when a pet is happy. It’s enjoyable for a child to pet an animal, especially if it feels soft and fluffy. Using extra senses are at play with an animal. A child sees, hears, touches, and smells with an animal, and is stimulated. Using the senses stimulates the brain. I think intelligence can be improved through interaction with animals.

[Debbie]

I do think animals are an effective way to teach. When I was a teacher we had a fish tank and a lizard. The fish tank was very calming and the kids loved to watch it and draw pictures of what they saw inside. The lizard had all sorts of jobs that came with it and the kids loved to be helpers. Having animals in the classroom was a great tool to help with learning.

[Abby]

I think animals can help teach children many things. I like the idea of not only developing compassion and responsibility, but also the expanded knowledge of science and math (while measuring and counting food, bedding, etc.) My tip would be to get the children involved in selecting the type of pet. Of course, teachers should only present options that are viable, but kids can help research which one might be the best fit for the classroom. This is a great learning opportunity.

[Christi]

Abby-I completely agree with the statement that animals can help teach children many things, including compassion, responsibility, and even math and science skills. Involving children in the selection process for a classroom pet is also an excellent idea, as it allows them to take ownership of the decision and learn valuable research and decision-making skills.

[Hannahk]

I believe that animals in class help children feel positive feelings such as peace, calm, and safe. Also a good relationship with animals can help in developing non-verbal communication and self-confidence.

[Beverly]

Children naturally love and enjoy animals. Our classroom doesn’t have them, but the children love observing squirrels outside and are excited to see them. The children love to watch the squirrels eat and climb trees. Their language skills are enhanced as they learn to describe what the squirrels are doing. Animals can be an effective teaching tool.

[KATHY GOTTFRIED]

My response is supposed to be on if I can think of a significant event that experience that impacted someone that impacted them in the future whether good or bad…I don’t see that forum hers. I am just going to answer that here. I had 4 children very young in life. my first born was born with heart defects that killed her at age 8. My children struggled for years because her death impacted our whole family dynamics. It took us all a long time to finally resolve our grief. It changed my children in ways impossible to describe here. But through lots of tears, hugs, talking about our lost child and looking at her pictures and reminiscing about the funny things she did and how much she loved us brought us through a very hard time. My children are loving parents who were maybe just a little overprotective at times with their own children, but my grandchildren and children are happy!

[Amber Clark]

Animals can help with the buy-in part of teaching. Most children have seen animals so that background knowledge is already activated! The most important part of having an animal in the classroom is teaching the kids how to respect the animal.

[Swatika]

I think animals have a natural sense of picking up others energy so they may know when a child is feeling discomfort and may be able to respond to the child which will comfort them. Children also can show caregiving towards animals which may help them in those skills.

[Nick Tomson]

Animals in the classroom are a great addition to the learning environment. They can increase smiling, happiness, responsibility.

[Katelyn]

Yes, I think animals are effective when teaching children because even though we are very different from animals as humans, animal and human actions still have a lot of things in common.

[Cecilia]

I think animals are a terrific addition to the classroom and if you are unable to have a real animal you could get a stuffed animal and allow the children turns taking it home over the weekend to care for it and interact with it. Animals teach responsibility, patience, self care skills, and practical life skills. Also great for children with anxiety or other learning limitations.

[Linda transeau]

Yes dogs especially can be loving and so gentle when helping people

[Linda transeau]

Yes

[Tiffany Cook]

Learning from animals is a great skill for anyone. You learn in a nonverbal communication their cues such as eye contact, gestures, responsibility, and other great benefits.