Not long ago, my husband decided he would teach our youngest how to play checkers. Luke, who had recently turned 5, was excited about the game - that is, until my husband kept jumping Luke's pieces. Though my husband explained the moves as he made them, it was clear Luke was becoming more and more frustrated. "Let him win," I whispered in my husband's ear. My husband then began making "mistakes" as he played, and Luke won the game. The little guy came away smiling.

My husband learned what every preschool teacher and mom knows: preschoolers need to win. And if you have a classroom full of them, they all need to win.

Over the past twelve years, I've spent time working as a preschool Sunday School teacher. Rewarding the children with treats or prizes was an easy way to encourage good behavior in class. What I found, though, was that all of the children needed to earn the reward; when some of the children received a treat and others didn't, I had disappointment, hurt feelings, and sometimes even tears to deal with. Though they understood the concept that good behavior earns them a prize, the reality of it was hard for these very young children to accept.

The answer: let everyone win something, and let those who've earned it win more. You can give a treat to each student, perhaps because they attended class or participated in the activities, and then you can give a little extra to those who listened well or followed directions. Those who did earn the extra are then rewarded, those who didn't earn it understand, but all go away with something and are satisfied.

My sister, a mom of five, knows this too. She recently organized a field day for a small private school. The students competed against each other in different events by age groups, and Pre-K and Kindergarteners were grouped together. Winners earned a gold coin and everyone else who played received silver. Those who had gold coins received a large piece of candy; those who had silver received a smaller one. All preschoolers and kindergarteners got to keep their coins as well. They all had a great time - those who won the games and those who didn't.

Preschoolers need encouragement and praise as they try new things. Letting preschoolers win helps develop confidence in their abilities and pride in their achievements.