Countless teachers have stated that they have found that when children in the classrooms lack a positive sense of self or when they can't get along with others, they are seldom able to learn at an optimal level regardless of how many sight words they can identify or facts that they can memorize. If children are always worrying about whether or not they are really okay or about what their peers think of them, their ability to learn will be affected no matter how intelligent they are. Good early childhood schools and programs help children develop self-esteem by giving children opportunities to learn about themselves and their world. They provide experiences that will challenge but not frustrate or overwhelm the child-experiences that will help the child develop a sense of competency that will let the child feel successful.

Good early childhood schools and programs help children learn to play together and share their toys. It is here that children begin to learn that different behaviors can be appropriate at different times and places. Children develop a willingness to listen and to pay attention, to focus in on a task and to complete it, to develop expectations and to set and achieve goals. Children learn many things in good early childhood schools and programs, but the most important they learn is how to get along with others and hot to function effectively in a group.