Prekindergarten Guidelines Final Draft
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Description
Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines
Utah State Ofce o Education Utah Department o Workorce Services Ofce o Work & Family Lie
Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines UTAH UT AH ST S TATE OFFICE OFFI CE OF EDUCATION
Patti Harrington State Superintendent o Public Instruction Brett Moulding, Director Curriculum and Instruction Gerolynn Hargrove, Coordinator Curriculum and Instruction Sharon K. Lay Preschool/Kindergarten ransition Specialist
UTAH DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE SERVICES, OFFICE OF WORK& FAMILY LIFE
ani Pack Downing, Executive Director Department o Workorce Services Lynette Rasmussen, Director Lynette Oce o Work & Family Lie
October 2006
Introduction Purpose Te purpose o the Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines is to help amilies, educators and communities make inormed decisions about curriculum or pre-kindergarten children. Parents and amilies have the primary role and responsibility or their child’s learning in the early oundational years. Tese guidelines will serve as a valuable tool or learning at home and opening two-way communication communication between preschool teachers, child care providers, and parents. Tis early communication will establish meaningul partnerships that will impact the child’s academic success today and in the uture. Decision Decision makers and communities will nd the guidelines to be a valuable resource or their role in the education o young children. Te Guidelines describe specic, research-based objectives or pre-kindergarten children in ve basic content areas. Te intent o this organization organizational al design is to ensure that all our-year-old children have the opportunity in their early childhood experiences to achieve these objectives. Te implementation implementation o these guidelines in the home and in early childhood programs will wil l improve kindergarten transition and reduce readiness and However, ever, the Guidelines Guidelines are not to be used to exclude children from entering kindergarten. achievement gaps. How Te Guidelines are designed to be inclusive o all children. Adaptations Adaptations may be needed or children with special health, physical, social, developmental, developmental, or language needs; and related concepts and skills may be added as appropriate in order to assure that every child reaches his/her potential. Te Guidelines are implemented by careully designing experiences that build upon the child’s current strengths, knowledge, knowledge, and skills.
Background Te Utah Pre-Kindergarten Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines are the result o a collaborative collaborative eort between the Utah Oce o Child Care and the Utah State Oce o Education. A state-wide steering committee composed composed o teachers and administrators rom special and regular education, universities, Head Start, the Oce o Child Care, and the State Oce o Education, as well as parent and amily consultants, developed developed the Guidelines. A writing committee composed o teachers, specialists, directors, and administrators rom child care centers, regular and special education preschools, public schools, Head Start, Utah PA/Family Center, Centro de la Familia, and the Utah State Oce o Education also worked to develop the Guidelines. Guidelines . Public input was gathered through ocus groups and public hearings across across the state. Te Guidelines were also reviewed independently by district administrators, early childhood teachers and administrators, university proessors, health and human services administrators, administrat ors, and State Oce o Education specialists.
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Organization The Guidelines include: • Acknowledgments • Intended Learning Outcomes • Guidelines divided into domains The Guidelines are divided into ve domains or general learning areas: Approaches hes to Learning • Approac • Social/Emotional • Language/Literacy • Mathematics Physical/Health lth and Saety • Physical/Hea Each o the domains is organized into ve sections: • Introduction—provides a short description o the domain and ways to support learning. For additionall ideas go to www.naeyc.org . additiona •
Guidelines—state what children are expected to understand in broad terms.
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Objectives—dene the range o concepts and skills within w ithin each guideline.
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Indicators—provide specic observable and measurable actions or children acquiring the concepts and skills described in the objectives. Tese are not meant to be learning activities, but to help guide learning experiences.
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Possible Strategies—serve as a springboar Possible springboard d or learning experiences that can be designed to meet the individual needs o each child. Tey are not intended to include everything that can be done.
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The Guidelines
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The Guidelines acknowledge: •
Parents as rst teachers.
Childre n’s rst and most infuenti Children’ infuential al teachers are their parents/amily. Tey play a most important oundational role in the child’s learning and achievement. When parents, educators, and care-givers care-give rs work together in the education and well-being o a child, a partnership is ormed that will infuence the best possible learning outcomes outcomes or the learner learner.. Meaningul amily-school amily-school partnerships ocus on: ♦
Increasing regular two-way communication communication between parents and their child’s teacher and/or child care provider that is meaningul and ongoing.
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Welcoming and preparing amily members to be involved in un learning activities at home.
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Inviting parents and amilies to on-site programs and activities when p ossible.
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Sharing decision making that involves the child child’s ’s learning, achievement and well-being. well-bei ng. When and where appropriate, share in school and organizational governance through shared decision making.
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Coordinating Coordinat ing class work and home learning experiences.
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Collaborating with commun Collaborating community ity members and organizations to identiy partnership opportunities and resources.
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Respecting, supporting, and honoring the important role o parents as teachers and advocates o their child. (Adapted from “School, Family, Family, and Community Partnerships” Partnerships” by Joyce L. Epstein, 2002.)
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Developmentally Developmen tally appropriate practices.
“A developmentally appropriate classroom oers a variety o learning opportunities through play and hands-on exploration. exploration . During play, play, young children use hands-on exploration and sensory learning in a very important way; they condently test new knowledge in a relaxed atmosphere, atmosphere, relate intuitively to existing knowledge, knowled ge, and store that inormation or uture use. A successul learner learne r o any age identies new inormation that is relevant, connects it to existing knowledge, ocuses to apply it to new situations, and becomes ready to learn more. An appropriate early childhood classroom establishes curriculum curric ulum goals that (“Beyond ond the Journal: Young Children Childre n on the Web, Web,” National Association Associati on for ocus on making sense o the concrete world.” (“Bey the Education of Young Children, July 2005.)
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Growth in the preschool years.
Te preschool years are marked by a period o rapid growth and develop development. ment. During this time, children’’s natural curiosity engages them in making sense o their environment by observing, questioning, children experiencing, and and experimenting. Te rapid growth and development development that occur during this period are the oundation oundat ion or all later learning. Although all children develop at dierent rates, some may have developmental delays which may improve with early intervention. intervention. I you suspect that your child has a delay in any area, area, contact contact your health provider provider and your local school s chool district’s special needs oce.
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Children are individuals.
Children are valuable individuals individuals with unique experiences, interests, and abilities. abilities. Tey make important contributions to their amilies, schools, and communities. Childre Children n enter school with a variety o experiences, knowledge, knowledge, abilities, learning learning styles, cultures, languages and expectations. Instruction needs to continually address the whole child in a well balanced manner and assure that children have daily opportunities to participate in optimal learning experiences. •
Children learn best through enjoyable interaction.
Play is a child’s work. Trough active play, play, children learn lear n social skills rom each other, language skills skil ls as they communicate, mathematical skills as they count and explore their environment, and physical skills as they run and jump. Childre Children’ n’s enthusiasm and love o learning are maintained when the learning environment provides an ample choice o developmentally appropriate appropriate activities, with adequate time to integrate new learning. When learning experiences experiences incorporate direct instruction to acilitate learning, learning, they should be designed to capitalize on children’s natural curiosity and desire to learn.
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Intended Learning Outcomes Te main intent in pre-kindergarten is or children to value learning and develop the skills to gain knowledge and understand their world. Te Intended Learning Outcomes described below refect the belie that in pre-kindergarten, education education should address the intellectual, intellectual , social, emotional, physical, and ethical development o children. children . It is important to create a learning environment environment that osters development o many aspects o a child. By nurturing development development in these interrelated human domains, domains, children will discover varied and exciting talents and dreams. Tey will be socially and civically competent and able to express themselves eectively. eectively. Te outcomes identied below are to provide a direction or general learning experiences, management, culture, environment, and and inclusion. Tese outcomes should be interwoven with the Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines, which oer specic and measurable indicators. indicators. Beginning in pre-kindergarten, children should work to: 1. Demonstrate a positive positive learning attitude. a. Display a sense o curiosity curiosity.. b. Practice personal responsibility or learning. c. Demonstrat Demonstratee persistence in completin completingg tasks. d. Apply prior knowledge knowledge and processes to to construct construct new knowledge. knowledge. e. Voluntarily use a variety o resources to investigate topics o interest. 2. Develop social skills and ethical ethical responsibility. responsibility. a. Respect similarities and dierences in others. b. r reat eat others with kindnes kindnesss and airness airness.. c. Follow rules. d. Include others in learning learning and and play play activities. activities. e. Function positively as a member o a amily, learning group, school, and community. 3. Demonstrate responsible responsible emotional behaviors. behaviors. a. Recognize own values, talents, and skills. b. Express sel in positive ways. c. Demonstrate appropriate behavior. d. Express eeling eelingss appropriately. e. Meet and respect needs o o sel and others. 4. Develop physical physical skills and personal hygiene. hygiene. a. Learn proper proper care care o the the body or health health and and tness. tness. b. Develop knowledge knowledge that enhances participation participation in physical activities and healthy ood ood choices. choices. c. Display persistence persistence in learning motor skills and developing tness. d. Use physical activity or sel-expression. 5. Understand and and use basic concepts and skills. skills. a. Develop phonologi phonological cal and phonemic awareness. b. Develop vocabulary. c. Develop reasoning and sequencing skills. d. Demonstrat Demonstratee problem-so problem-solving lving skills. e. Observe, sort, and classiy objects. . Make connection connectionss rom content areas to application in real lie. page
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6. Communicate clearly in oral, artistic, and nonver nonverbal bal orms. a. Share ideas using varied communication modes including artistic, oral language, and nonverbal behaviors. b. Predict an event or outcome based on evide evidence. nce. c. Use appropriate oral language to descri describe be events events,, objects objects,, people, ideas, and emotions. d. Listen attentively and respond to communication. e. Use mathematical concepts to communicate ideas. . Use visual art, dance, drama, and music to communicate.
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Approaches to Learning Research shows that children with positive attitudes and behaviors toward learning are more successul in school. Te opposite is also true; children who see themselves as incapab incapable le or helpless are at risk or ailure. Te way children view themselves as learners will aect the way they learn. For this reason, reason, Approaches to Learning are at the heart o all learning. Each child enters school with a dierent level o initiative initi ative and sel-ecacy sel-ecac y. It is the adult’s role to create an environment where children begin to take responsibility or directing their own learning. Adults support learning when they: • • • • • • • • • • • •
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Respect the learning process by allowing children to develop at their own rate. Model and explain learning strategies or tasks, then gradually shit the responsibility to the child. Design learning experiences that build on children children’’s prior experiences and knowledge. Recognize and acknowledge children’s strengths. Make modications that respond to particular learning needs, strengths, and preerences. Allow or dierent levels o accomplishment based on ability. Acknowledge Acknowled ge children appropriately when they experience success or make an eort. Encourage children to explore materials at their own pace. Support creativity (especially when the children’s action or idea is not what was expected). Rotate materials in the learning environment so they are engaging to all the children. Use a variety o grouping strategies (e.g., large, small, independent, partner, collaborative). Help children refect on their learning by asking open-ended questions about how they approach and solve problems. Support children emotionally by creating sae and secure environments. Organize the learning environment with a variety o age-appropriate learning materials. Arrange well-dened and organized learning areas. Model relationship skills that promote saety, security, and an environment ree rom harm. Allow children choices and options. Provide materials materials and experiences that are engaging to both boys and girls. g irls. Provide materials materials that refect the cultural diversity o the group. Display children’s work. Read out loud with children every day. Make learning enjoyable.
Learning experiences should: • • •
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Be engaging and relevant to children’s lives. Refect children’s interests. Provide or dierent learning styles, i.e.: ♦ Visual—learning through seeing. Kinesthetic—learning rning by moving and touching. ♦ Kinesthetic—lea Auditory—learning ry—learning by hearing. ♦ Audito Incorporate Incorpor ate the ve senses. Vary in length, involvement, and complexity. Provide new experiences. Refect the cultural diversity o children. Stretch and expand children’s abilities. Be sae.
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Approaches to Learning Guideline I: The child displays displays an orientation to learning. learning.
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Objective 1: Displays a sense o curiosity and willingness to try new things.
Possible Strategies
a. Actively explores/experim explores/experiments. ents.
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b. Seeks opportunities to participate in new activities.
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c. Asks questions or urther inormation.
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d. Creates or suggests suggests new activities.
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Design the physical environment to support exploration: materials are well organized and within children’s reach, there is daily ree choice time, parameters or use o materials are clear, child knows that adults are accessible or help. Guide children in asking, “Would you like to try it?” Encourage children who choose the same activity every day to Encourage choose a new activity. Rotate centers, helping children make new choices. Use ree choice choice time to interact with children. children. Children will be more willing to try something new when they are eased into an activity and it is made interesting. Know children’s abilities as well as likes and dislikes (e.g., by adding plastic snakes, shells, plastic jewels, or some other item to the sand table, a child who normally would not use it may attempt the activity). Model questioning skills during learning experiences (e.g., “Tere’s something that I would like to know. How can we nd out how many children are here today?”). Plan time (ater giving instructions, presenting something new, new, show and tell, and story time) or children to ask questions. Encourage Encoura ge children to ask questions when new materials are introduced. Provide opportunities opportunities or children to use availab available le materials creatively. Regularly rotate materials in centers. Have children participate in decision making regarding learning experiences or extension o activities.
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Objective 2: Demonstrates condence in a range o abilities.
Possible Strategies
a. Is aware aware o and believes in own abilities.
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b. Attempts challenging activiti activities. es.
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c. Asks or help when needed.
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Provide opportunities opportunities and time or the children to solve problems. Allow children to revisit learning experiences and improve on earlier attempts. Remind children o their past successes. Design learning experiences that are challenging, but within children’s abilities. Help children identiy the challenging actor in an activity and come up with possible strategies. Set up a routine or children to ask or help (e.g., children ask or help rom two peers beore asking assistance rom an adult to get out the large blocks). Design activities that require collaboration collaboration between students. Model asking or and accepting help (e.g., “Can you help me carry these baskets? Tank you. It It would take me two trips i I did it by mysel my sel ”).
Guideline II: Child develops abilities abilities and skills that promote learning. learning. Objective 1: Persists in completing tasks.
Possible Strategies
a. Attempts Attempts tasks until satised satised with results.
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b. Ignores minor distracti distractions. ons.
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Ask children how work is “coming along,” or ask “What is your plan?” Make suggestions such as, “Have you tried using other materials?” “What might you use?” “Where might that work?” Arrange the room by placing loud and active centers away rom quiet centers. Tis allows all children to participate appropriately.
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Objective 2: Works collaboratively collaborativ ely with others.
Possible Strategies
a. Shares materials.
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b. Helps others.
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c. akes turns.
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d. Follows rules.
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e. Respects others others and sel.
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Model, use, use, and encourage encourage phrases such as: “May I use that ater you?” “May I share with you?” Provide enough materials materials so that children will not become rustrated when sharing. Arrange or cleanup buddies to help encourage completion completion o tasks. Provide opportunities or children to help each other. Design activities in which children can work with partners or small groups on a cooperati cooperative ve project. Help children take turns as they play games. Post illustrated rules, and help children relate rules to daily Post interactions interactio ns and activities. Guide children in creating rules and consequences that are concise and ew in number. Model and encourage courteous language. Show respect or others. Include toys, literature, music, dress-up clothes, and snacks that refect the cultural diversity o the group. Prompt children to provide appropriate comments and actions ater a child shares work or items (e.g., “What can you say about your riend’s work?”). Ask children to comment positively about the work that he/she has done (e.g., “What did you like?” “What did you enjoy?” “What did you learn?”).
. Accepts responsibi responsibility lity (e.g., cleans up, does own share o work, accepts assigned role).
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Objective 3: 3: Approaches tasks with organization.
Possible Strategies
a. Makes plans plans and achieves achieves goals.
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b. Knows how to access resources.
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c. Knows how to nd an appropriate space to work or play.
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Involve all children in group jobs, delegating airly and enabling all Involve children to be contributors to a caring learning environment.
Listen as children explain a work plan or ree choice activities. Encourage or help clariy the work plan, and then check with children to see whether the plan has been accom accomplished. plished. Clearly label where materials belong with pictures and words. Help maintain orderly materials by providing appropriate space and containers. Establish methods or children to determine work and play space (e.g., work mats that children can use to create a work area, center charts that include the number o children who can participate, and clearly dened center areas). page 0
Social/Emotional A positive sel-concept and emotional development development are the oundation or all learning. Social skills are necessaryy or particip necessar participating ating in the most basic interchanges, such as conversations and turn-taking. Studies show that children who are socially competent and emotionally secure are better able to participate in learning experiences in positive ways. For many children, the preschool year is their rst experience in a non-amily, structured social environment. As such, they are beginning to acquire those abilities which will allow them to develop cooperation, confict resolution,, sel-regulation, and responsibility skills. Although many resolution many o these skills will be learned and rened by interacting with peers, children prot rom the guidance o knowledgea knowledgeable ble and caring adults. Adults support learning when they: • • •
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Have conversations conversations with children individually on a regular basis. Let children know they are liked and appreciated. Gain an understanding o children’s preerences, interests, background, and culture, and include this understanding in the development o instruction and learning environment. Embed opportunities throughout the day to provide positive, arming statements to children. Play with children on their level. Follow children’s leads during play. Share inormation about themselves and nd commonalities with children and others. Acknowledge children’s eorts. Know the children’s strengths and weaknesses. Provide direct instruction on appropria appropriate te social interaction skills. Maintain a respectul attitude when interacting with others. Design activities that require social interaction. Demonstratee problem-so Demonstrat problem-solving lving techniques in relationshi relationships. ps. Guide and assist children in choosing words to express their emotions and those o their peers. Acknowledge, respect, and validate children’s expression o emotions. Value children’s expressions o negative emotions as teaching opportunities.
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Social/Emotional Guidelines Guideline I: The child develops sel-awareness sel-awareness and positive sel-esteem. sel-esteem. Objective 1: Knows personal inormation.
Possible Strategies
a. Knows rst/last name and age.
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b. Knows parents’/careg parents’/caregivers’ ivers’ rst names.
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Have children introduce introduce themselves to guests by using rst and last name. Acknowledge children’s birthdays and compare their age with others in the group (e.g., “ oday Jordan is our years old. Who else is our?”). Have children draw amily pictures, and then ask or parents’ names to label their drawings. Have amily inormation inormation sheet handy to help children with amily names.
c. Knows riends’ names.
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Objective 2: Demonstrates awareness o abilities and preerenc preerences. es.
Possible Strategies
a. Selects activities based on preerences.
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b. Volunteers to participate in activities.
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c. Asks others or help when needed.
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Give children opportunities to call on other children during the day (e.g., a child calls other children’s names to move rom one activity to another).
Ask children to explain their choices and preerences. Have children select a rst and second choice when presented with choice o activities. Use knowledge o children’s likes and dislikes to design activities. Give children opportunities to sel-select activities (e.g., hold up a picture o blocks and and a picture o a snack. snack. Children select which activity they want to do rst). Allow children to develop awareness o their own abilities by not helping too soon. Encourage children to accomplish as much as they can on their own, but let them know that adults and peers are there to help.
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Objective 3: Develops growing capacity or independence.
Possible Strategies
a. Leaves parent parent or caregiver caregiver without undue anxiety.
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b. Selects own activities.
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c. Stays on task as appropriate to activity.
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Have a set routine or each morning when the children come to school. Te children pick up their name name tags and put them on, hang up their backpacks, and choose an activity rom the game/toy center. ransitionin ransitioningg rom a parent is easier because there is an engaging routine to start the day. Have caregiver provide an object (e.g., photograph, note, small stued animal) that can be placed in children’s backpacks and used or reassurance. Use puppets to greet children in the morning. Provide daily opportunities opportunities or children to sel-select activities. Structure the day with a variety o whole and small group, large and ne motor, motor, and open-ended and closed-ended activities. Limit duration duration o circle time to attention span o o children. Children may listen to a story, story, sing songs, and discuss activity activ ity options. Circle time increases according to the group’s ability. Help children expand their play (e.g., at the sand and water table, assist Billy to discover what foats and what sinks).
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Objective 4: Expresses sel in dierent roles and mediums.
Possible Strategies
a. Plays dierent roles in dramatic or ree play.
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b. Accepts and is responsible or jobs or assignments.
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c. Expresses emotions emotions and eelings through open-ended play, dance, visual arts, and music.
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d. Expresses eelings and and emotions through language.
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e. Finds ways to share accomplishments with others.
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Regularly change themes or props in dramatic play to attract dierent children to use them (e.g., rerigerator box decorated as a school bus, hats, coats). Encourage children to accept dierent roles such as being “it” in tag games, dealing cards in card games, or being the patient at the hospital. Organize opportunities or children to carry out assignments (e.g., children throw away own snack plates, take out and put away toys). Provide jobs or students and praise them upon completion (e.g., line leader, pet eeder, attendance monitor). Model and provide opportunities or children to participate in ne arts (painting, modeling/molding, modeling/molding, collage) activities on a regular basis. Play dierent genres o music while children move, paint or draw. Tey share what the music sounded like to them and how it infuenced their work (e.g., “It was ast and I moved ast”). Explore dance and movement with the children while listening to a wide variety o music, including including music rom the cultural makeup o the group. Model, then allow children to practice, expressing themselves based on dierent emotions or situations (e.g., child broke a project she had been working on). Guide children through “What would you do?” questions based on everyday situations, texts, songs, and poems. Encourage Encoura ge children to tell others how they eel when they are aced with a confict, or experience success, sadness, or ear. Reserve part o the day or children to share their work. Display children’s sel-selected work. Communicate recognition o children’s eorts and tenacity. Have children assemble on the rug and take turns showing their avorite project or sharing their avorite activity with others.
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Guideline II: The child develops social skills that promote positive interactions interactions with others. Objective 1: Develops skills to interact cooperatively cooperative ly with others.
Possible Strategies
a. Participates in learning activities.
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Design learning experiences that are engaging, relevant, and within children’s ability abili ty..
b. Contributes to discus discussions. sions.
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Provide immediate positive eedback or positive acknowledgement when children make attempts to participate in discussions. Children need to eel that their responses are valued, and eel sae oering those responses without w ithout ear o rejection, correction, correction, or ridicule. Be aware o children who are not participating and nd ways to include them in discussions. Te participation participation may be physical, such as pointing to something or moving something instead o oering an oral comment. Create a method or keeping track o who has participated (e.g., names on popsicle sticks pulled out o a can).
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c. akes turns.
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Play games such as board games, card games, and ball games that require the children to take turns.
d. Shares.
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Give children opportunities to work in small, independent groups with understood rules, where they are able to practice social skills along with the task at hand.
Objective 2: Participates in cooperative play.
Possible Strategies
a. Follows agreed-up agreed-upon on rules.
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Allow children to modiy rules or make up their own rules to games and play.
b. Joins in ongoing activities.
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Guide children when joining others in play play.. Have children observe others playing, dene a role they would like to take, and suggest to the group the role role they can take: “I “I’ll ’ll be the ____.” ____.” Play games such as “Te Farmer in the Dell” where children systematically systematic ally join in.
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c. Invites others to join in play. play.
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Suggest to children, “Hey, let’s ask ___ i he’d like to join us.”
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Objective 3: Employs positive social behaviors with peers and adults.
Possible Strategies
a. Uses positive nonverbal gestures.
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Smile, nod, wave, and use culturally appropriate eye contact to communicate and play with children.
b. Shows interest in others.
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Point out acts o kindness and airness in literature Point literature,, everyday group situations, and personal lie. Role play phrases that can be used to demonstrate interest in others (e.g., “Tat is really cool”; “Are you okay?”).
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c. Makes riends with peers.
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d. Forms positive relationships with adults.
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Pair children to work together. Design centers or dierent numbers o children, including large groups, small groups, and pairs. Allow children to choose where to work and play. Interact positively with children on a : basis. Interact Make eye contact on children’s eye level so that they do not have to look up during a conversation.
Objective 4: Develops sel-control by regulating impulses and eelings.
Possible Strategies
a. Follows establishe established d rules.
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b. Understands and ollows routines.
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c. Modies behavior or dierent environments.
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d. Follows requests made by parent or teacher.
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Collaborate with children in establishing developmentally Collaborate appropriate appropria te rules. Incorporate rules into daily routines (e.g., “we line up without touching others; we ask others i we can play with w ith their toys”). Post a simple picture schedule at children’s level with large pictures and oneone - or two-word descrip descriptions tions (e.g., “opening opening,,” “choice time, ti me,”” “music time”) indicating the sequence o events or the day. Establish daily routines or schedules so that children know what to expect. (However, spontanei spontaneity ty and fexibility are not to be suppressed at the expense o ollowing routines.) routines.) Review the daily schedule at the beginning o the day so that children can anticipate events. Set clear clear,, modeled, and consistent behavioral expectations. Remind children o expected behavior beore moving rom one area or activity to another such as whispering in the library area. Use consistent cues or children to transition easily (e.g., children start to clean up when the adult starts to sing the “clean-up song”; children go to activities as directed). Make requests req uests respec respectully, tully, using “please” “please” and “thank you.” page 6
Objective 5: Possible Strategies Expresses emotions and eelings.
a. Identies own emotions (e.g., happy,, sad, angry happy ang ry,, rustrated, rustrate d, bored, lonely, araid).
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b. Identies eelings (e.g., thirsty, thirsty, hungry, hot, cold, pain). c. Demonstrates empathy.
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d. Expresses needs and desires desires to others through appropriate communicative means (e.g., physical, verbal, signed, communicative device or system).
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Identiy emotions emotions as they are expressed by the children in daily situations. Use literature literature as a tool or identiying and discussing disc ussing a wide variety o emotions. ake photographs o children as they portray dierent eelings. Each photograph photograph is labeled and used as a discussion starter. starter. “Suzie looks _____. I wonder why she eels this way. way.” Use real daily situations to help children identiy eelings. Use literature such as Te Very Hungry Caterpillar or Stone Soup to help children identiy eelings. Demonstrate and acknowledge acts o empathy. Model and verbalize empathetic thoughts and actions. Guide children, oering words or them when they are unable to express themselves. Validate children’s eelings, but not necessarily their behavior.
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Objective 6: Develops skills to solve conficts. With guidance, child:
Possible Strategies
a. Is aware that others may have dierent eelings and emotions than his or her own.
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b. Responds appropriately to tone o voice, acial expressions, and gestures o others.
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c. Asserts rights by telling others others how he/she eels.
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Have several children express their eelings about a common theme such as their avorite pet or ood, and have them share why they like it. Point out out that they enjoy dierent things. Provide opportunities opportunities or children to practice interpreting expressions and gestures during story time, music, art appreciation, and role play play.. Give children opportunities to play with and label tones o voice and gestures in music, poetry, chants, stories, dramatic play, and puppets. Coach children in understanding the verbal and physical cues o others. Have children practice practice expressing their eelings as part o confict resolution. Tey practice posture, tone, eye contact, and “‘“‘I’ I’ messages,” such as “I don’t like it when you push me.” Guide children, i necessary, when asserting rights in real situations.
d. Finds ways to help others.
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Help children take steps to comort other children, as appropriate (e.g., “L “Let’s et’s see what we can do to help him. What do you think he needs right now?”).
e. Seeks out appropriate help when unable to nd a solution.
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Assess situations and ask appropriate questions when asked or help (e.g., “What happened? Is there a rule about about this? Did you tell him how you elt? What’s your idea or a solution?”). Instruct the children on appropriate appropriate ways to ask or help i they get lost or need help on a eld trip (e.g., nd a mom with kids, ask a worker behind the counter, nd a policeman). Model appropriate ways to ask or help.
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Objective 7: Respects others and their belongings.
Possible Strategies
a. Asks permission to use things things that belong to others.
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Model appropriate dialogue (e.g., “Velma, may I use your crayons?”).
b. Uses materials purposeully purposeul ly,, saely, and respectully.
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Model and reinorce appropriate appropriate use o materials. Balance the use o materials between open experimentation and structured use. Unders Understand tand that i the use o materials is too restrictive and involved, children may stop using them.
c. Recognizes Recogni zes that others’ needs are important.
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Create teaching opportunities rom daily events (e.g., “Alan ell down and hurt his knees. Let’s stop playing until he’s okay. okay.”)
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Language and Literacy Receptive and Expressive Language (Listening and Speaking)
Language is the basis or understanding understanding and communicating communicating in most aspects o lie. Te development o language begins in inancy, and by the preschool years many children have vocabularies that include several thousand words and continue to increas increasee at a remarkable rate. One o the best predictors o reading success is the number o spoken words a preschooler knows and uses. Adults support learning when they: • • • • • • •
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Engage in conversa conversations tions with children. Model correct grammar, articulation, and vocabulary. Read daily rom a variety o literature genres. Reread avorite books or other literature. Design learning activities that develop vocabulary. Utilize real objects or pictures when introducing or reinorcing new vocabulary. Create a language-rich environment, including eye-level alphabet charts, reading centers, listening centers, writing centers, dramatic play centers, and labels. Include literacy props, materials, and literature in learning centers. Strategically place and remove objects throughout the room that will instigate conversations among children. Know children’s language levels, and group them in ways that will support language development. Model complex sentence structures that are just above the children’s level. Use a wide variety o media and presentation orms, including including storytelling, pictures or drawings, posters, appropriate multimedia presentations, drama, show and tell, signs, paintings, sculptures, puppets, and hand signs. Sing a wide variety o songs, including those those that refect the cultural makeup o the group. Rephrase comments to improve children’s understanding. Wait or children to make requests. Check or understanding by asking questions. Give children opportunities to present, such as show and tell and sharing work. Provide opportunities to memorize a variety o rhymes, including chants, poems, and nursery rhymes. Participate in and encourage pretend play. Play with language by making up silly words, singing rhyming songs, and playing with children’s names.
Adults support English language learners (ELLs) when they: •
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Recognize that a “silent period,” which may last several months, is typical or children who are initially learning English. Limit length o speech to essential words and concepts or children who are just beginning ELLs. Speak at a moderate rate. Oer translations or ELL children when possible. Provide visual aids that support language. Accompany oral language with gestures and intonation that assist comprehension. Rephrase in English what children have said in their home language, i possible. Encouragee children to connect their home language with newly learned words. Encourag Provide reading and listening materials in the children’s rst language, i possible. Develop peer support within the group or assisting ELL children with translations or explanations when necessary. Create daily opportunities or children to work collaboratively. Allow more time or students to respond to questions based on cultural norms. page
L a n g u a g e a n d L i t e r a c y
Concepts o Print
Understanding how printed words work work is a critical reading and writing skill. Te understanding that print carries meaning is the connection connection between the spoken and written word. word. Tis needs to be present beore children can read or write. Children Children’s ’s purposeul exposure exposure to various orms o print will wil l build this essential understanding. Adults support learning when they: •
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Provide a variety o texts such as menus, books, magazines, charts, record sheets, recipes, telephone directories, directorie s, journals, theater programs, newspapers, maps, instruc instruction tion booklets, movie or music labels, ood and product labels (including those in dierent languages), and store store fiers. Display and reer to environmental print such as posters, signs, and logos. Use big books or story time. Pointt to words, modeling directionality and return sweep while reading texts (running a nger across Poin the line and returning to the beginning o the next line). Provide opportunities to look at books and other written materials independently. Provide opportunities opportunities or independent emergent writing w riting (such as writing that is i s dictated by the child) and using writing tools to scribble, writing letter-like letter-like orms. Provide opportunities opportunities to use manipulatives such as magnetic letters, elt letters, sandpaper letters, and letter stamps.
Phonological and Phonemic Awareness y c a r e t i L d n a e g a u g n a L
Research shows that phonological phonological awareness begins with hearing and understanding dierent sound units in language such as words, syllables syllables,, and rhymes, and expressive eatures such as pitch, stress, and rate. Phonemic awareness is a strong predictor o success in beginning reading. Children need to hear and identiy individual sounds (phonemes) within spoken words (e.g., the word “bed “bed”” consists o three individual sounds or phonemes: b-e-d). Adults support learning when they: • • • •
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each lessons that are explicit and delivered in a logical sequence. Read stories, sing songs, and recite poems that have rhyme and/or alliteration. Lead children in playing with language. Provide activities that increase an awareness o the rhythm o language, such as clapping the rhythms o children’s names or other amiliar words. Provide activities that increase children’ children’s listening skills or awareness o sound s ound units in language spoken around them.
Emergent Writing
Although children children develop writing w riting abilities at dierent rates, they ollow similar developmental stages. Children express their ideas and eelings symbolically beginning with drawings or squiggles which symbolize words. Eventually, these squiggles squiggl es begin to approximate letter shapes. Later, as children begin to learn about letters, random letters will begin beg in to appear in their writing. Finally, letters will wil l be used purposeully purposeul ly,, ater the child has developed an association between letters and their sounds.
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Adults support learning when they: •
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Supply a variety o writing tools, including thick and thin pencils, crayons, markers, white boards, paint brushes, and Magna Doodles. Supply a variety o paper paper,, such as colored paper and paper o dierent thicknesses and textures. Model proper writing in many ways (e.g., writing children’s dictation, writing questions that could be asked o a visitor visitor,, or making a list or a ood experience). Conduct interactive interactive writing experiences where children explore the nature o words beore writing. Provide genuine writing opportunities that are connected to learning activities (e.g., sign-in sheet or activity center, attendance roster, and daily graph). Explain and demonstrate purposeul writing, such as writing a thank you note to a parent or child. Encourage children’s writing approximations (e.g., squiggles, drawings, letter approximations). Provide writing opportunities in all learning centers. Immerse the children in written language l anguage (e.g., labels labels on supplies and toys, environmental environmental print in writing center, children’s names displayed next to their work, interactive collection o words that children can use posted on a wall).
Language and Literacy Guidelines Guideline I: The child develops an understanding understanding o language or the purpose o eectively eectively communicating through listening and viewing. Objective 1: Listens attentively and comprehends a variety o oral language orms.
Possible Strategies
a. Listens to and ollows ollows directions or requests.
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b. Listens or dierent dierent purposes.
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c. Responds appropriately to questions.
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d. Connects inormation and events with real-lie experiences.
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Play games such as “Simon Says” and “Mother May I?” which allow children to respond nonverbally. Provide a listening center with a variety o stories, songs, and books, including some rom dierent cultures. Have children listen and signal when they hear a specic word or sound in a story or song. Provide opportunities opportunities or children to listen or enjoyment, learning, and instructions. Encourage interaction by asking questions during read-alou Encourage read-alouds, ds, presentations, news items, and show and tell. Allow think time (three or more seconds) between asking a question and accepting responses. Ask open-ended questions that connect activities, stories, or situations to past experiences (e.g., “Who do you know that has an animal like the one in the story?”). Read a wide variety o inormati inormational onal (nonction) texts.
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L a n g u a g e a n d L i t e r a c y
Objective 2: Develops language through viewing a wide variety o presentation orms.
Possible Strategies
a. Describes details or or descriptions o what has been seen.
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b. Predicts outcomes using pictures or other visuals.
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c. Connects what what is seen with with real-lie experiences and events.
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Employ a wide variety o presentation orms, such such as reading picture books, plays, posters, charts, and multimedia images. Provide conveniently located books and props so that children are able to retell a story independently. Help children describe events in daily activities (e.g., what they saw on a nature walk). Encourage children to read wordless books using the pictures as Encourage prompts. Read texts interactively, asking children to predict what will happen next. Ask open-ended questions that connect activities, stories, or situations situatio ns to past experiences (e.g., “Does this remind you o anything you’ve done beore?”). Share own insights and experiences with children.
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Guideline II: The child develops an understanding understanding o language or the purpose o eectively eectively communicating through speaking. English language learners (ELLs) (ELLs) move from silent periods to using us ing single words for concrete objects, and from short phrases to using simple or complex sentences in all areas of expressive language.
ELLs may respond inconsistently as they attempt to follow the lead of other children ch ildren when they do not understand what is happening. h appening. Objective 1: Develops expressive language through speaking.
Possible Strategies
a. Uses language to play or create.
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b. Speaks in simple sentences o varying length.
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c. Speaks clearly enough to be understood by adults.
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d. Participates in conversations conversations..
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Ensure that children have uninterrupted time to explore and build with interesting and engaging materials and play in the dramatic play area. Engage children in conversation by scripting or planning out play (e.g., “Are you the worker in the grocery store? Who can I be? What do I do? What do I say?”). Play with and alongside children to spark creativity and engage less interested children. Allow children to play using their home language to validate their culture and language. Provide puppets and props or children to act out scenarios and use language in pretend play. Use literature, songs, and chants with repetitive phrases that are incorporated incorpora ted into daily language use. Correctly rephrase children’s grammatically incorrect statements without negative connotation. Help children extend sentences by saying “tell me more.” Initiate conversations with children. Listen and respond to child-initiated conversations. Occasionally join in on play, interacting verbally with children. Engage in meaningul open-ended conver conversations sations with children, extending topics beyond immediate activities (e.g., “Where are you going over the weekend? What did you do or your birthday?”). Design learning experiences where children are involv involved ed in structured interchanges, interchanges, such as sharing an experience or inormation with a partner (pair-share).
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L a n g u a g e a n d L i t e r a c y
Objective 2: Increases in vocabulary development.
Possible Strategies
a. Connects new vocabulary with known words or experiences.
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b. Uses visual and verbal inormation to comprehend new words in stories and oral language. y c a r e t i L d n a e g a u g n a L
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c. Understands descriptive words (e.g., color, size, shape).
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d. ransers learned words to a new setting.
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e. Understands comparison words (e.g., little/big).
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Read a variety o texts aloud to children in order to introduce and reinorce new vocabulary. Connect new words with words the children already know, using props, pictures, or drawings i necessary. Beore reading a story with unamiliar words, tell the story by paraphrasing paraphr asing it as children look at the illustrations, emphasizing emphasizing the meaning o new words. Read the story using new words words or which you have already oered simplied meanings. Ask ELLs to oer the translation o a new word in their home language and share it with the group. Point Po int to pictures or objects as you describe them. alk about new vocabulary and meanings as you look at pictures in books. Restate, and and use gestures or voice infections to increase comprehension. Be aware o which upcoming words might be unknown to children and provide examples, models, picture cards, or drawings to assist in teaching. Serve as a model or new vocabulary, intentionally using chosen words throughout the day in meaningul ways. Use descriptive words purposeully in conver conversations sations with children. Provide and read books, poems, and other texts that include descriptive words. Provide interesting interesting objects rom their world or children to explore and describe. Provide hands-on experiences where children will actively acquire and use new vocabulary. Help reinorce and transer new vocabulary by extending the theme into dramatic play and other areas, allowing children to use their new vocabulary interactively. Be aware o language misconceptions children may have, and and listen or correct usage. Encourage children to act out stories such as “Te Tree Bears” Encourage using props. Incorporate movement activities where children learn about comparison compar ison words by using their bodies, such as challenging them to make themselves big or little.
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Objective 3: Responds to and asks questions.
Possible Strategies
a. Responds appropriately to directions and questions.
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b. Answers An swers simple questions questions..
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c. Asks questions or clarication or to learn more.
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Ask simple, open-ended questions. Regularly check or understandin understandingg by asking, “What questions do you have about _______?” “What do you want to learn more about?” Allow three to six seconds o “thinkin “thinkingg time” between question question and response. Engage children in conversations and ask questions to extend their thinking. Have children think o questions they will ask in preparation or a eld trip or visitor. Model questioning techniques by introducing question starters: who, where, when, why, what, and how. Respond to all questions respectully.
L a n g u a g e a n d L i t e r a c y
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Guideline III: The child develops an understanding o how printed language works. works. Children who come from cultures that do not use the Roman alphabet may need additional support to learn directionality skills. Objective 1: The child demonstrates an understanding that print carries “the” message.
Possible Strategies
a. Is aware aware o and can can identiy environmental print (e.g., logos, picture symbols).
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b. Is aware o dierent orms o print (e.g., magazines, posters, menus, computer keyboard).
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c. Engages with print.
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Encourage parents and children to point out common logos and signs in their communities, including including trac signs, restauran restaurants, ts, stores, oods, candies, and toys. Label centers and materials with picture symbols and words (e.g., headphone symbol or listening center is accompanied by words; labels are rotated regularly to draw attention to them, and children help create labels or centers and materials). Point out signs at school, explain them to children, and encourage them to nd similar signs elsewhere. Use dierent types o print orms throughout throughout the learning environment (e.g., the dramatic center has a telephone directory and menus; trac signs are in the outdoor environment). environment). Provide examples examples o appropria appropriate te use o dierent orms o print (e.g., I don’t want people to destroy my block building, so I will make a poster; I need to nd a phone number, number, so I will use the telephone directory;; I want to nd out what happened today, directory today, so I will read the newspaper). Enthusiastically read texts selected by children. Enthusiastically Design reading centers so that they are attractive and inviting, with book covers acing the children at eye level. le vel. Provide a variety o genres o books refecting diverse children, workers, and cultures. Place amiliar books in the reading center or children to read or retell. ake on the role o “reader,” and interpret children’s writing. Encourage children who pretend or attempt to read.
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Objective 2: Develops alphabet knowledge
Possible Strategies
a. Recognizes the the dierence dierence between letters, numbers, and other symbols.
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b. Recognizes at least 0 letters, including those in own name.
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c. Understands that letters represent sounds.
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Strategically display and reer to posters with the alphabet and Strategically numbers. Provide three-dimensional letters and numbers or explorati exploration on and sorting (e.g., magnetic, oam, plastic, rubber, wooden). Use a wide variety o instructional materials (e.g., with letter or numeric songs, books, or stamps). Encourage children to orm letters or numbers with clay, ngers, hands, arms, or their whole body. Help children create a word wall made up o children’s rst names and photographs. Connect alphabet experiences to children children’s ’s names, beginning with the rst letter and continuing through the rest o the name. Help children identiy characteristics o letters that can be conusing because o their similarity to others (e.g., b/d, p/q, i/l, m/n, u/v, h/ n/r). ake advantage o teaching moments when children recognize or ask questions about letters. Use children’s names to reinorce letter/sound associations: “Tis child’s name begins with w ith a “P “P”” and the sound /p/. Who might it be?”
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L a n g u a g e a n d L i t e r a c y
Objective 3: Demonstrates knowledge o elements o print within text.
Possible Strategies
a. Recognizes that that print is read read rom top to bottom and let to right.
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b. Holds books right side up.
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Show children how to use illustrations to determine whether the book is right side up.
c. Understands that a book has a ront and a back cover.
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Point to and name the covers as ront and back. Ask children to use the book covers to predict what the text might be about, which characters might be involved, and where it might take place.
d. Understands that illustrat illustrations ions help tell the story.
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e. Understands that a book has a title.
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Model and explain directionality regularly as texts are read. Encourage Encoura ge children to point to words as they read (e.g., “Read with w ith your nger”).
Regularly involve children in activities prior to reading a book where they examine the illustrations, tell what is happening, predict predict what might happen, identiy the characters and what they are doing, notice the setting, and make connections between the illustrations and personal experience (picture/boo (picture/bookk walks). Use the illustrations illustrations to increase understanding o the text. “Let’s see what the illustrations have to show us.” Regularly oer the title, author, and illustrator o texts, and explain their contributions. Ask children which book they would like to hear, giving them the opportunity to name the title o a book. Acknowledge their responses (e.g., “Good, you know the title o that book,” or “I know which book you mean. Te title is Cookie’s Week.”)
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Guideline IV: The child develops phonological and phonemic awareness. awareness. Objective 1: Demonstrates phonological awareness.
Possible Strategies
a. Responds to the rhythm o spoken language.
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Use chants, songs, and poems that have natural rhythm, such as “ Who Stole the Cookies rom the Cookie Jar?, Jar? ,” “One Potato, wo wo Potato,” “E “Engine, ngine, Engine, Number Nine. Nine.”” Have children choose a movement or body motion to respond to rhythms (e.g., tap, clap, jump, shake hands, sway body). Model movement or children.
b. Is beginning to recognize word parts (syllables) in simple words.
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Objective 2: 2: Develops phonemic awareness.
Possible Strategies
a. Identies Identies the beginning sounds sounds o amiliar words (not letter name) especially in own name.
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b. Develops the concept o rhyme.
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Model clapping to names o varying lengths. Respond physically to syllables in amiliar words (e.g., stomp, jump, pat, or, push small objects on a table).
Use stories, songs, and and poems with w ith strings o words that begin with the same sound (alliteratio (alliteration). n). Use songs, nger plays, and poems that incorporate and play with children’s names (e.g., “Willaby Wallaby Wallaby Woo”). Choose books that ocus on specic sounds. Use poetry, songs, and stories to amiliarize children with rhymes. Have children ll in the rhyming word in amiliar poems, songs, stories, and inormational books. Use poetry, songs, and stories that have matching rhymes, such as “Roses are Red, Violets are Blue.” ry to “ool” the child occasionally, by oering words that do not rhyme.
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L a n g u a g e a n d L i t e r a c y
Guideline V: V: The child uses emergent writing or a variety o purposes and audiences. Objective 1: Understands that writing conveys meaning.
Possible Strategies
a. Writes to express ideas, thoughts, and eelings using scribbles, approximations o letters, or known letters to represent written language.
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b. Reads own own writing.
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Incorporate writing materials into ree choice centers (e.g., the home center telephone has paper and pencil or taking messages, the building block center has index cards and marker markerss or labeling projects). Include writing experiences as part o the daily routine (e.g., journals, literature response, sign-in, schedule). Encourage Encoura ge children to plan or play time by writing/drawing what they plan to do. Plan time or children to share their writing with each other. Ask children what they have written.
c. Uses a variety o orms o writing such as notes, labels, letters, signs, and stories.
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d. Dictates stories, poems, and personal narratives.
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Invite older children or adults to read and/or write dictation with younger children.
e. Knows that the meaning o print does not change.
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Reread selected texts so that children hear the same words every time they are read. Have children join in as you read amiliar texts. Provide a listening center where children may replay stories, songs, and poems.
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Design writing experiences where children make big books, write thank you notes, label projects, or write snack menus. Display and use a variety o texts throug throughout hout the learning environment (e.g., menus, magazines, sign-in charts, posters, bulletin boards, labels).
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Objective 2: Uses a variety o resources to write.
Possible Strategies
a. Uses a variety o writing tools. tools.
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b. Uses environmental environmental print as a model or drawing and writing.
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Provide a wide variety o writing tools, including pencils, crayons, markers, brushes brushes o dierent widths and sizes, and letter/picture stamps. Provide paper o dierent textures, colors and sizes, both lined and blank, stationery, and envelopes. Rotate writing materials regularly to maintain children’s interest. Provide dierent mediums or writing, including those that can be easily erased (e.g., Magna Doodle, salt trays, white boards, chalk boards, shaving cream). Have children select the writing w riting materials or making a poster, writing a note, or drawing on the sidewalk. Organize a collection o words to be used interactiv interactively ely by children. Tese words may be placed on a word wall or a board and written in large letters. Each word is accompanied by a picture or drawing. Tese words can be organized in alphabetical order or thematically, such as toy words or ood words. Guide children by asking where a needed word might be ound in environmentall print (e.g., a child asks or help in writing a riend’s environmenta name— “Tere are a couple o places where your riend’s name is written; can you think o one? Let’s go look”).
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L a n g u a g e a n d L i t e r a c y
Mathematics Mathematics is a way o thinking about patterns, relationships, Mathematics relationships, and seeking multiple solutions to problems. Children’s Children ’s knowledge knowledge o math concepts and language are used in all domains o learning. Children learn best when their their natural interests interests and curiosity curiosity are nurtured. nurtured. Quality learning environments environments should ocus on actual hands-on experiences during play and interaction with others, and incorporate incorporate welldesigned mathematical mathematical experiences. Preschoo Preschool-age l-age children should experience experience language-rich environments environments that help children connect mathema mathematical tical concepts, problem solving, and reasoning skills to previous knowledge. Adults support learning when they:
s c i t a m e h t a M
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Give children adequate time to explore and experiment with manipulati manipulatives ves beore starting directed work.
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Design experiences where children explore and experience their environment to identiy spatial relationships relationshi ps such as: “How many children t inside the castle in the outdoor area?” area?”
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Model and encourage correct mathematical language throughout the day.
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Use mathematical language to extend children’s understanding within the context o their experiences such as: “Do you want hal a glass o milk or a ull glass o milk?” “W “Would ould you like more or ewer grapes than ve?” or “Would you like more or ewer grapes than I have?”
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Integrate mathematical experiences, including stories, chants, and songs such as “Five Little Speckled Frogs,” “Five Little L ittle Ducks, Ducks ,” and “Tree Billy Bil ly Goats Gru ” to ocus on or reinorce rein orce mathematical concepts.
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Provide a variety o manipulati manipulatives ves and materials in math centers.
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Integrate mathematics throughout the day, such as counting snacks; naming the shapes o the blocks children use in the blocks center; identiying shapes in the outdoor environment; environment; and seriating (ordering in a in a logical sequence such as length) objects during dramatic play or the baby, mommy, mommy, and daddy.
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Link math to home by designing experiences where children apply the concepts and skills learned in school, such as counting how many steps rom the bed to the door, counting the chairs at the dining table, nding a circle in the home, or nding a pattern on a foor or wall.
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Incorporate the use o the water table, sandbox, play dough, modeling clay, and large blocks or exploration explorat ion and development o mathema mathematical tical concepts.
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Mathematics Guidelines Guideline I: The child will understand understand simple number concepts and operations. Objective 1: Develops counting skills.
Possible Strategies
a. Recites numbers numbers in order order rom -0 (rote counting).
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b. Counts objects in groups up to ve.
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Lead the children in oral counting to 0 and beyond as part o the daily routine (e.g., counting children, lunch count). Sing or chant number songs and rhymes such as “One Potato, wo Potato” and “One, wo, Buckle My Shoe.” Clap - times and have children tell how many claps they hear. Set up baskets o large counters or children to take by handuls (large markers, large large erasers, rolls o tape, small cars). Ater taking a handul, children count to see how many they have. Play “I Spy the Number __. __ .” Selec Selectt a number or the activity activit y, such as three. Children search or items that that they nd in threes in their learning environment, such as three windows, three plants, or three chairs at a table.
Objective 2: Uses whole numbers to create, match, and compare 1-5 objects.
a. Creates groups o up to ve objects.
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b. Matches equivalent sets o objects.
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c. Visually identies or counts to determine which o two sets has more (-).
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Ask a child to count out and group a desired number o objects (e.g., - crackers, marbles, crayons, popsicle sticks) or each child at the center. urn the dramatic play center into a store where children can buy items with play money (e.g., three cans o soup cost three dollars). Play “Clusters “Clusters..” Te leader calls out a number (-) and children orm themselves into groups o that number. Play dominoes with dominoes that have up to ve dots or objects per side. Play a memory game with cards that have matching sets o pictures numbered 0-. Play “Match It” by placing matching sets o small items such as blocks or marbles into separate paper bags. Childre Children n match bags by counting the contents. Provide game cards with sets o dots (-) in dierent congurations or children chil dren to turn over and play “war.” Childre Children n turn over a card at the same time. Te card with more dots wins the other card.
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M a t h e m a t i c s
Guideline II: The child will identiy and use patterns to represent mathematical mathematical situations. Objective 1: Identies and sorts objects according to common attributes.
Possible Strategies
a. Identi Identies es attributes attributes o objects.
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b. Sorts objects into groups.
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Have children go to the “beach” (sand table), nd hidden shells, and sort them. Encourage Encoura ge children to sort and return items they have used to their proper place and containers. Provide junk boxes that contain objects such as buttons, old keys, or dierent types o paper clips or children to explore and sort.
Objective 2: Identies and uses patterns.
Possible Strategies
a. Identies patterns in daily routines and environment.
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Provide a wide variety o concrete objects and guide children as they explore attributes such as texture, shape, color, pattern, material, size, sound, and use. ake an organizational tour o the learning environment to observe and discuss how centers are organized (e.g., art materials go together with all glue sticks in a basket, crayons crayons go in a basket, wide markers and thin markers go in separate baskets).
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b. Participates in sequenc sequencing ing sounds, motions, or objects.
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Post a daily schedule which consists o words and pictures. Post Children help make changes as necessary so they see consistency in their schedule. Have children look and listen or verbal, auditory, or movement patterns in the learning environment (e.g., tick o a clock, sound o ootsteps, door opening/closing). Provide objects such as leaves, pinecones, and rocks or children to explore natural natural patterns in the items. Model and have children join in sequencing sounds or motions in poems or songs. Direct children in patterning games that involve 2- dierent motions (e.g., hop, clap, hop, clap; or hop, hop, clap). Provide opportunities opportunities or children to create patterns with w ith real objects (e.g., placing ruit on a skewer, stringing colored cereal, setting places at a table).
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Guideline III: The child will identiy attributes attributes o and create simple simple geometric shapes and describe spatial relationships relationships.. Objective 1: Creates and identies simple geometric shapes.
Possible Strategies
a. Identies attributes o concrete 2-D and -D shapes.
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b. Creates 2-D and -D shapes.
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c. Recognizes Recogniz es that some shapes have specic names.
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Provide a wide variety o concrete materials and many opportunities or children to reely explore the properties o shapes. Provide opportunities opportunities or children to experience shapes o dierent sizes and orientations (e.g., a variety o three-sided shapes with sides o dierent lengths, not just right or isosceles triangles; our-sided shapes which include some that do not have our right angles or either two or our sides that are the same length). Guide children in exploring shapes’ attributes (e.g., the number and types o corners and sides; whether they roll, slide, or stack). Provide materials such as play dough, modeling clay, wet sand, and llable shapes or children to create shapes. Recognize that children will be creative when they make shapes. Te objective is to explore shapes, not to limit their experience to specic geometric shapes. Encouragee children to name their created shapes. Encourag Go on a shape search where children identiy dierent shape characteristics characterist ics and observe which shapes are ound most requently in their environment. Provide objects, including multicultural multicultural objects, in a variety o geometric shapes (e.g., spheres: marbles, poi balls, tamari balls; cylinders: rain sticks, drums, futes). futes). Provide a collection o items with obvious geometric shapes. Children eel the shapes, name a shape they eel or see, and then sort them into categories (e.g., (e.g., I see a circle on the top o this can, I see a square on this box). Have children identiy geometric shapes in art and objects (e.g., woven baskets, painted pots, beaded necklaces, quilts). Use correct geometric names when identiying shapes.
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Objective 2: Develops simple spatial relationships.
Possible Strategies
a. Manipulates objects to t t into appropriate spaces.
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b. Manipulates shapes to create designs and change shapes and arrangements.
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c. Describes Describ es paths, positions positions,, and directions in the environment.
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Provide a wide variety o pegboards and puzzles (include puzzles with several openings or single pieces, multiple-pieced puzzles, pegged puzzles, and foor puzzles). Help children see how rotating or turning a puzzle piece or other shape will allow it to t into its space. Help children create collages by arranging pictures or objects onto paper. Help children plan the position and size o objects in drawings so they do not run out o space. Provide miniature toy houses, garages, or barns where children can use toys within a limited area and enclosed space. Have children use play dough to orm shapes and then reshape into new shapes. Play “ ransormers,” with interlocking interlockin g building toys. Te leader builds a small model and has children duplicate duplicate it. Ten the leader changes one or two pieces to “transorm” it into a new model. Children rebuild their models to match the leader’s. Challenge children to use pattern blocks or shape cutouts to create new shapes. Provide geoboards and rubber bands to explore and create shapes with three or more sides. Have children use beads, pattern blocks, or cubes to create and duplicatee shapes. duplicat Supply children with paper shapes or them to old or cut to see what new shapes are ormed. Challenge children to orm geometric shapes with their bodies, alone or in pairs. Help children make and read a group book with photographs o a toy in dierent positions (e.g., under the table, in the sink). Create an obstacle course and have children verbally direct each other to move through it (e.g., go under the slide, over the sidewalk, up the ladder, around the pole). Play “X Marks the Spot” by creating a simple map o the learning environment with an “X” marking where a treasure is located. located . Have children describe how to move through the environment in order to locate the treasure.
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Guideline IV: The child will understand and use simple measurement measurement words and tools to compare objects and collect data. Objective 1: Develops an awareness o time.
Possible Strategies
a. Identies morning and night.
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b. Demonstrates understanding o “beore” “ beore” and “ater. “ater.”
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c. Understands that events have dierent durations.
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Help children anticipate an upcoming event (eld trip, assembly, nature walk, cultural celebration) by placing a simple picture symbolizing the the event onto the weekly calendar/schedule. calendar/schedule. Review the event by counting the number o nights (sleeps) or mornings (wake ups) until the event. Integrate literature and music such as Goodnight Moon and “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.” Provide an illustrated and labeled daily schedule so that children know what is coming up during their day. day. Tis schedule can be reviewed during the day: day: “W “Wee will have center time beore beore we have outdoor time. Ater outdoor time we will have snack time.” time.” alk to children about what they did earlier in the day and what they might do later. Reer to the clock when talking about upcoming events (e.g., we will go outside when the big hand is pointing straight down to the six). Converse with children about what they did yesterday or what they might do over the weekend. Have children share with you what they liked when they were “little” and what they might like to do when they are “big.” Provide a stopwatch or children to time themselves participating in dierent activities such as running races, washing hands, cleaning up, or singing a song. Use the daily schedule to compare the duration o dierent events (e.g., we spend 0 minutes cleaning up beore we go outside and 20 minutes in music).
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Objective 2: Uses techniques and tools or comparing objects.
Possible Strategies
a. Uses measuring tools inormally.
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b. Compares objects inormally, including those with signicantly dierent common attributes (e.g., length, mass, capacity, temperature).
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Supply sand or water table with measuring cups and measuring spoons and containers. Provide items such as a bathroom scale, an analog clock, timer, rulers, tape measures, a wall thermometer, and a growth chart in the learning environment. Challenge children with simple measurement tasks such as counting how many cups o water will t in a jar, who is the tallest child, or weighing a variety o objects on a balance. Provide tools such as balances, thermometers, measuring cups, and other containers or children to use in their explorations explorations o measurement. Have children place items side by side when comparing length. Have children compare area by placing one item on top o another. Model and guide children in the use o measuremen measurementt words. Have children compare lm containers that have been previously lled with objects that the children can shake to seriate by the noise they make (one pebble, our pebbles, 0 pebbles). Fill red ketchup containers with dierent amounts o water “ketchup” so children can put into order (seriate) using weight.
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Guideline V: V: The child will collect data, draw conclusions, conclusions, and make predictions rom data. Objective 1: Collects data.
Possible Strategies
a. Uses objects and pictures to collect data.
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Collect objects such as shoes to determine what types o shoes are worn to school, look look at shirts to see what types typ es o shirts are worn (t-shirts, button shirts, long-sleeved shirts, turtlenecks), or look at pictures o the group to see what colors colors or lengths o hair are represented.
b. Creates graphs cooperatively with an adult and other children.
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Provide requent opportunities or children to participate in graphing, such such as daily -graphs where they select a category and place their names as they arrive or leave (e.g., I like pizza/I don’t like pizza).
Objective 2: Draws conclusions conclusions and makes predictions rom data with adult guidance.
Possible Strategies
a. Counts and compares data to draw conclusions with adult guidance and questioning.
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b. Uses inormation to predict uture events.
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Ask children to interpret the weekly weather graph and conclude which weather type occurred the most/least. Count the number o boys and number o girls and conclude which group has more children present. Children use the attendanc attendancee graph to determine how many snacks they will need (e.g., “Do you think we will w ill need one bag o carrots or two?”). Use the weather chart to predict whether jackets will be needed or outdoor play play..
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Physical/Health and Saety Research shows that i children are healthy and eel sae, they will learn better. better. Physical development development is integral to building children’s sel-esteem, condence, tness, and well-being. As children rene their physical movements, movemen ts, they develop higher-order thinking skills that are necessary or uture social and academic success. Fine motor (small muscle) development plays an integral part in school perormance. perormance. Children need wellrounded playtime with opportunities to develop both gross (large) and ne motor control. Children’s chosen “play activities” will have an enormous infuence on their ability to ocus on and enjoy schoolwork. Te toys children play with aect muscle development.
Physical Adults support learning o gross motor (large muscle) skills when they: • •
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each, model, and maintain proper saety rules. each, model, and provide many opportunities to run, gallop, throw, catch, hop, kick, dance, jump, climb, pull, carry, stretch, bend, twist, and move isolated parts o the body. Provide a sae, spacious environment to practice large motor skills. Continually encourage, challenge, and stretch children’s large motor skills. Provide a variety o equipment that encourages encourages the development o large motor skills and helps sustain the children’s interest in the activities. Participate Part icipate in gross motor activities with children. Provide opportunities or both organized and spontaneous play. each traditional games. Communicate Communic ate with parents regarding the types o clothing and ootwear that acilitate participation in gross motor activities.
Adults support learning o ne motor (small muscle) skills when they: • •
each, model, and maintain proper saety rules. each, model, and provide many opportunities to practice building with large and small blocks, molding clay, using scissors or tongs, stringing beads, placing pegs in holes, assembling puzzles, using a computer mouse, and using a variety o writing utensils (pencils, crayons, markers) and art mediums (painting, printing, manipulating clay, stamping).
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Knowledge and habits o healthy living begin early in lie. While young Knowledge young children are not in charge o providing themselves with a healthy environment and liestyle, they can begin the lielong process o developing habits o healthy living and physical activity. Teachers support learning when they: •
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Establish routines that promote healthy habits (e.g., hand-washing, toileting procedures, keeping a clean environment, putting on own outerwear, and wiping own nose). Model healthy eating habits. each, model, and maintain proper rules that promote saety and well-being (e.g., use “walking eet,” keep hands and body to sel, respect others and their property). each proper use o tools and equipment in order to promote saety (e.g., scissors, woodworking center tools, cooking instruments). Provide healthy choices at snack and meal times. Provide opportunities to role-play healthy habits throughout the day. Give instruction in basic community saety rules (e.g., wearing wearing seat belts, crossing at the crosswalk, stranger danger). page 0
Physical/Health and Saety Guidelines Physical/Health Guideline I: The child develops ne and gross motor coordination (small and large muscle). muscle). Objective 1: Exhibits ne motor coordination (small muscle).
Possible Strategies
a. Demonstrates dexterity and control needed to use everyday objects (e.g., can use wrist, hand, and ngers to turn objects such as screw lids; can use ngers to button and zip; coordinates coordina tes nger and wrist movement to control scissors; can use a single nger to push a button; has a mature pincer grasp [thumb to index nger grasp] and is able to hold pencil and other writing/dra w riting/drawing wing tools).
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b. Demonstrates eye-hand coordination (e.g., can coordinate hands to pour rom one object to another, can strike at a stationary object, coordinates arm and hand movements to create art).
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Provide a tool center with real child-sized tools, including screwdriver, hammer, pliers, wrench, nuts, bolts, wood, and nails. Direct instruction is given as to the proper use o the tool center. center. Center is used under close adult supervision. Provide opportunities opportunities to develop control by peeling ruits such as oranges, squeezing glue bottles, and tting interconnecting blocks. Supply dress-up center with clothes which have buttons, zippers, and snaps. Equip math center with pegboards, geoboards, and lacing cards. Include whole-hand and nger activities such as nger printing, nger painting, playing with play dough, and nger plays such as “Where Is Tumbkin?” Provide opportunities opportunities or children to use technology such as tape recorders, calculators, computers, play cameras/video recorders, telephones, and cash registers where they push buttons, dial, hold objects still, and open and close drawers. Observe use o child-sized scissors with thumb on one side and third and ourth nger on the other side, with second nger being used to guide direction o the cutting. c utting. Provide dierent types o scissors, including decorative-edged decorative-edged scissors, scissors with springs, let- handed scissors, ambidextrous scissors, and assistive scissors (with adult nger loops outside o child loops). Provide activities such as tightening and loosening nuts and bolts, screwing and unscrewing lids on jars, tearing paper, and squeezing objects such as clothespins, tweezers, and eye droppers, which will support the development o the use o thumb and orenger orenger pads to hold objects (pincer grasp). Observe whether children are holding tools with the palm or with a tripod nger grasp (thumb, index and middle nger). Furnish writing instruments such as crayons, markers, and pencils in a variety o sizes and thicknesses. Incorporate writing/drawing materials into all centers. Incorporate Make blocks, Legos, and other building materials available on a daily basis. Choose a variety o appropria appropriate te puzzles or use within the learning environment. Encourage water and sand table use. Provide a small pitcher or children to use or pouring. Provide equipment such as paddles, balls, balloons, and tee ball stands to practice batting (striking). Provide opportunities opportunities or children to easel eas el paint. page
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Objective 2: Exhibits gross gross motor Possible Strategies coordination (large muscle).
a. Demonstrates control and balance during movements that move the child rom one place to another (locomotor; e.g., walks orward in a straight line, hops, runs, jumps over low objects).
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b. Demonstrates coordination and balance in movements that do not move the child rom one place to another (nonlocomotor; e.g., balances on one oot, moves body parts in isolation).
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c. Demonstrates control o large muscles to manipulate objects (e.g., throws, catches and kicks balls; rides wheel toys).
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d. Exhibits control control o body movement through space (e.g., runs and stops, changes direction while in motion, moves in response to a cue, dances).
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Begin movement activities with warm-ups, including hopping, walking orward and backward, and running. Place ootprints ootprints on stairs to assist in walking up or down stairs using alternating eet (let ootprint is dierent color rom right ootprint). Arrange jump ropes and hula hoops on the foor. foor. Childre Children n are challenged to jump into and out o the hula hoops and over the jump ropes without touching them. Design relay races where children run orward on a line to complete an action such as touch a wall or pick up an object. Play tightrope walker. Use lines, cracks in the sidewalk sidewalk,, tile, a balance beam, or drawn lines or children to walk orward or backward, toe-heel. Practice balancing on one oot near a wall. I children need to touch Practice the wall they can, and then continue balancing. Have children reeze in dierent positions (e.g., like a bear, like a tower, like a bridge, with three body parts touching the ground). Play a “mirror game” where the leader slowly moves one body part at a time and others mirror movement. Warm up muscles by stretching, bending, and twisting the body. Provide medium-sized infatable infatable beach balls to play catching and throwing games. Provide nontraditional equipment or the children to practice throwing and catching, such as balloons, bandanas, scarves, and newspaper balls. Slightly defate balls so that they are easier or the children to kick. Have children use targets on the ground (drawn circles) or “target “target practice.” Children drop a ball on a target, catch the ball, and then move on to another target. Provide opportunities opportunities or children to use a variety o outdoor equipment, including wheel toys, hula hoops, and jump ropes. Incorporate movement games into outdoor time such as Red Light, Green Light; Ring Around the Rosies; Follow the Leader; and Freeze ag where children run and stop or change direction while in motion. Play games where children explore movements and run and stop, step sideways, and hop. Play games where children respond to cues such as moving to a drum beat or music. Childre Children n match movements with the beat, moving slowly with a slow beat and moving quickly to a ast beat, and reezing when there is no beat. Provide opportunities or children to move and dance to a variety o musical genres rom dierent cultures. Have children move in straight, curvy, and zigzag lines as they act out stories, sing songs, or simply explore movements. page 2
Guideline II: The child develops an understanding understanding o health and saety. saety. Objective 1: Shows independence in personal care.
Possible Strategies
a. Develops independence in personal hygiene.
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b. Develops independence independence in personal care.
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Help children children develop ability ability to use toilet toilet independently. independently. Elasticwaist pants are easy or children to use. Show children how to remove outwear as they return rom outdoor play.. Shoes and outerwear with Velcro play Velcro closures are easy or them to remove. Place tissues and garbage cans in several locations within the room. Provide an instructional chart or children to ollow as they use the sink. Practice dry hand washing by singing singi ng “Tis is the Way Way We We Wash Wash Our Hands” to the tune o “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.” Do not “jump in” and help children who need more time to put on their outerwear. Demonstrate techniques or putting on outerwear, such as laying outerwear on the foor, placing arms in sleeves, and fipping it over head. Set up signal or cleanup (e.g., sing a song, ring a bell, chant, play a triangle). Provide nger oods that can be handled easily e asily by children. Provide silverware or children to use.
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Objective 2: Participates in selselected or organized activities that enhance physical tness.
Possible Strategies
a. Plays outdoor games.
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b. Uses outdoor equipment appropriately.
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c. Participates in movement activities.
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d. Eats oods rom rom a variety variety o ood groups.
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Provide regularly scheduled and supervised outdoor play, serving as a motivator motivator and acilitator o organized activities and child-directed activities. Participate Par ticipate in games with children. Design outdoor play centers. Provide equipment or children to use independently. Do not discipline children by taking away play time. each and enorce rules or outdoor equipment use. Organize equipment or easy access and return. Dene appropriate areas or use o toys (e.g., sand toys stay in the sand area). Partner children or movement activities. Model movements or children. Provide materials such as scarves, hopper-stompers, hopper-stompers, hippity-hops, parachutes, and wheel toys. Provide healthy snacks or snack time. Design lessons that teach about the qualities o healthy oods (low salt, sugar, and at). Include healthy snacks rom the cultures represented in the group. Do not use ood as either a reward or punishment or behavior (e.g., i you do this I will give you a cookie; because you did not nish your work, you may not have a snack today).
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Objective 3: 3: Practices saety procedures.
Possible Strategies
a. Fo Follows llows indoor saety rules.
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b. Follows outdoor saety rules.
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Model walking inside the building, regardless o time constrain constraints. ts. Play Follow the Leader while walking through the building. Explain why walking indoors is important. Enorce and model emergency drill procedur procedures es and have children practice during regularly scheduled as well as unscheduled times. each children to wear seatbelts whenever they are in a vehicle. each children about bus saety when seatbelts are not available. Invite community members such as the school principal, police ocers, reghters, and crosswalk guards to reinorce saety rules. Have children look let-right-let beore crossing the street. Model and practice appropriate saety procedures when approached by a stranger. each children the importance o establishing a code word with their amilies or identicati identication. on. each and remind children o outdoor saety procedures (e.g., buddy system, stay close to an adult). Do not place children’s names on clothing where they can be seen by others.
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Utah State Ofce o Education 250 East 500 South P.O. Box 144200 Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200
Department o Workorce Workorc e Services Ser vices Ofce o Child Care 140 East 300 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
Utah Family Center 5192 South Greenpine Drive Salt Lake City, Utah 84123
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