Strategies for Overcoming Shy Children in Early Childhood Education (PAUD)

Abstract

AbstractShy behavior in early childhood is one of the social-emotional issues that may hinderthe development of children's communication skills, social interactions, and self-confidence. Therefore, appropriate strategiesare needed to help children overcome shyness and adapt to their surrounding environment. This study aims to describe various strategies that can be applied to address shy behavior in Early Childhood Education (ECE). The research employed a library research method with a qualitative descriptive approach. Data were collected from various literature sources, including books, journal articles, conference proceedings, and relevant research published between 2016 and 2026. The data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldana, which consists of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that shy behavior is influenced by both internal and external factors, such as personality traits, parenting styles, family environment, and children's social experiences. Effective strategies for overcoming shyness include positive reinforcement, social play activities, small-group games, communication habituation, the read-aloud method, scaffolding based on the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) theory, and participant modeling.The effectivenessof these strategiesis furtherstrengthenedthrough collaborationbetween teachers and parents in creating asafe, comfortable, and supportive environment that promotes children's social-emotional development..