Know Your Kindergartners Teacher Tips

Physical Development

Social & Emotional Development

Cognitive Development

Language & Literacy

Transitioning to and from Kindergarten

Activity Examples

By Carol Hazlett. October 2015

Overview

Physical Development

Social & Emotional Development

Cognitive Development

Language & Literacy

Transitioning to and from Kindergarten

Sample of Common Core K Standards

Activity Examples

Citation: Copple, C. (2013). The Kindergarten Year. In S. Bredekamp (Ed.), Developmentally Ap-propriate Practice (pp. 187-253). National Association for the Education of Young Children.

OVERVIEW

Fast Facts

In the USA, Kindergarten students range from 4 years to 7 years old. In Connecticut

students must turn 5 years old by January 1st of the school year.

Kindergarten students vary in the knowledge they begin school with, but they usually

demonstrate similar traits:

- Enthusiasm for learning

- Increased capability to understand directions and responsibility

- Increased ability to control impulses

- Desire to interact with others

Kindergarten was traditionally a preparation year for children to get ready for higher

grades, but with increased academic standards and more children attending early

childhood programs, Kindergarten has become more like the first year of school.

Teacher Tips

Teachers must balance a line between allowing children to pursue their interests,

and teaching specific skills.

It is important to respond to the different needs and backgrounds of each individual

student.

Early educational and at home experiences can support or discourage a child’s love

of learning.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Fast Facts:

Kindergarten students use their bodies to show emotions and to explore/mimic

their environment through role playing.

During this stage a child’s attention span gets a bit longer.

Gross motor skills (throwing, kicking, catching, etc.) become more coordinated.

Fine motor skills (coloring, writing, keyboarding) continue to develop.

Girls tend to improve their fine motor skills quicker than boys, but boys tend to

improve their gross motor skills quicker.

Teacher Tips:

Tasks that improve fine motor skills:

- Sorting small objects

- Using scissors

- Painting/clay

- Zipping/buttoning

- Writing

Children need to learn through play and instruction. Designated play areas can

provide room for children to play safely.

Be sure to emphasize healthy habits for children’s bodies (hand washing,

healthy nutrition, covering their mouths when they sneeze/cough, etc.)

SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Fast Facts:

Positive social and emotional development has immediate impacts (i.e.: students reach

their goals, have more friendships, have better coping mechanisms). There are also

later consequences on adult behaviors and success.

Forming close and positive relationships with adults and children is crucial.

The goal is for students to cooperate, resolve conflict, and follow rules.

Kindergarten students are 11 times more likely to have same-sex friendships.

Teacher Tips:

Kindergartners will best learn when they feel safe and valued in an environment that

meets their needs and creativity. In fact, classrooms where teachers give high quality

emotional support have shown to develop students who later on have better social

skills.

Be positive in what you say, especially during this stage. Children are developing a self

-concept where they become aware of comparisons. As such children are constantly

internalizing what is said about them.

Make an effort to address children and families unique emotional needs, especially as

it relates to children growing up in poverty or with special needs.

- Be encouraging

- Show concern for their feelings

- If a child portrays an inappropriate emotion (i.e.: taking comfort

in another’s misfortune) help to redirect the child by modeling sympathy.

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Fast Facts:

The ‘5-7 shift’ refers to the shift in thinking that happens during these ages.

Children will begin to think more logically and organized, and they cant start to

see two different sides to an issue.

Positively stimulating environments help to speed up brain growth, whereas

negative environments can slow down brain growth.

Reasoning and representational thinking improves. We can sometimes see it

when a child’s drawing is no longer disconnected shapes, but when the pictures

represent a story.

Children’s memory is also improving, they can recall information more easily,

especially when that information is meaningful to them.

Teacher Tips:

Thought provoking questions can help improve a child's cognitive development

(i.e.: “how do we get to the cafeteria from here?” Or “How many blocks will it

take to cover the rug?”)

Story telling, from both the child and the teacher, can be a great opportunity to

practice a child’s cognitive skills.

LANGUAGE & LITERACY

Fast Facts:

It is important that students learn how to express their needs and wants, to convey their

ideas, and also learn how to take turns in conversations.

The number of words that students know increase greatly during this stage, children

can learn an average of 20 new words per day, depending on how ‘language rich’ the

environment is.

Spoken language helps children to read and phonological awareness is one of the

most important components. This is where a child understands that each letter makes

a sound.

In spelling, students may string together consonants they hear to make a word, leaving

out the vowels.

In 2000 18% of U.S. residents spoke languages other than English at home.

Teacher Tips:

Consistent and engaging story times can be a wonderful way for students to improve

their cognitive skills and their language and literacy skills.

Children can also learn language through writing, music, and talking.

It is important to incorporate language into other areas like, math and science.

Overall, the goals are for a child to become familiar with the concept of print; to know

that letters make sounds, and to recognize and write the letters of the alphabet.

TRANSITIONING

Fast Facts:

About 56% of children are enrolled in preschool in the USA., meaning that 44%

of students may not have experience preparing them for a group setting.

The transition is smoother when families and teachers work together.

Transitioning Into Kindergarten:

The transition into Kindergarten is about the transition into a structured group

program.

Students are becoming a part of two communities; school and home. Whatever

happens at home will effect a student’s behavior in school and vise versa.

Transitioning Out of Kindergarten:

The transition out of Kindergarten is about the switch to more a more structured

environment with more difficult academic material.

This transition is sometimes called ‘hitting a wall’ because the experience in first

grade can be so drastically different that the student becomes disinterested in

school.

Teacher Tips:

Encourage families of preschoolers to start practicing Kindergarten rules and

routine.

As a class, in Kindergarten, start practicing the First grade rules and routine.

Try your best to communicate with parents about your goals, expectations, and

observations. It can be in person, through phone calls, through emails, or even

newsletters,. Remember to communicate in a language that the family knows.

You can invite local preschools to come visit Kindergarten classrooms with their

students. And you can invite local kindergartens to visit the first grades.

COMMON CORE: LANGUAGE ARTS

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/

COMMON CORE: MATHEMATICS

http://www.corestandards.org/Math/