mealtime incl. ps

7/27/2019 Mealtime Incl. PS

1/114

Using Meal Times to Enhance

Childrens LiteracyPresented by

The Creative Center for ChildhoodResearch and Training, Inc.

www.cccrt.org


2/114

Meal Time SkillsChildren Learn:

To practice math concepts (one more,some all)

To exhibit socially acceptable behaviors

To use utensils properly

To practice gross motor skills

(getting in and out of a chair, scootingup to the table)

To use language to get their needs met

To develop a supportive networkof friends

To enjoy food

To develop appropriate table manners

To be responsible

To help with chores

To practice classification skills

To practice eye hand coordination


3/114

DOMAINS AND ELEMENTS INDICATORSLanguage Development

Listening and Understanding Demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories,

songs, and poems.

Shows progress in understanding and following simple and multiple step directions.

Understands an increasingly and complex and varied vocabulary.

For non-English speaking children, progresses in listening to and understanding

English.Speaking and Communicating Develops increasing abili ties to understand and use language to communicate

information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions and for other

varied purposes.

Progresses in abilities to initiate and respond appropriately in conversation and

discussions with peers and adults.

Uses an increasingly complex and varied spoken vocabulary.

Progresses in c larity of pronunciation and towards speaking in sentences of

increasing length and grammatical complexity.

For non-English speaking children, progresses in speaking Englis h.

LiteracyPhonological Awareness Shows increasing abil ity to discriminate and identify sounds in spoken language.

Shows growing awareness of beginning and ending sounds of words.

Progresses in recognizing matching sounds and rhymes in familiar words, games,

songs, stories and poems. (Ex. Nursery Rhymes)

Shows growing ability to hear and discriminate separate syllables in words.

Associates sounds with written words, such as awareness that different words begin

with the same sound. (Ex. Bird, bat ball)

THE HEAD START PATH TO POSITIVE CHILD

OUTCOMES MEAL TIME

Training & Technical Assistance Services,

Region Iv Head Start Quality Improvement Centers, Western Kentucky University


4/114

Book Kno wledge and Appreciation Shows growing interest and involvement in listening to and discussing a variety of

fiction and non-fiction books and poetry.

Shows growing interest in reading-related activities , such as asking to have a

favorite book read; choosing to look at books; drawing pictures based on stories;

asking to take books home; going to the library; and engaging in pretend-readingwith other children.

Demonstrates progress in abilities to retell and dictate stories from books and

experiences; to act out stories in dramatic play; and to predict what will happen next

in a story.

Progresses in learning how to handle and care for books; knowing to view one page

at a time in sequence from front to back; and understanding that a book has a title,

author and illustrator.

Print Awareness and Concepts Shows increasing awareness of print in classroom, home and community settings.

Develops growing understanding of the different functions of forms of print such assigns, letters, newspapers, lists, messages, and menus.

Demonstrates increasing awareness of concepts of print, such as that reading in

English moves from top to bottom and from left to right, that speech can be written

down, and that print conveys a message.

Shows progress in recognizing the association between spoken and written words by

following print as it is read aloud.

Recognizes a word as a unit of print, or awareness that letters are grouped to form

words, and that words are separated by spaces.

Early Writing Develops understanding that writing is a way of communicating for a variety of

purposes.

Begins to represent stories and experiences through pictures, dictation, and in play.

Experiments with a growing variety of writing tools and materials, such as pencils,

crayons, and computers.

Progress from using scribbles, shapes, or pictures to represent ideas, to using letter-

like symbols, to copying or writing familiar words such as their ow n name.


5/114

Alphabet Knowledge Shows progres s in assoc iating the names of letters with their shapes and s ounds.

Increases in ability to notice the beginning letters in familiar w ords.

Identifies at least 10 letters of the alphabet, specifically those in their ow n name.

Knows that letters of the alphabet are a special category of visual graphics that can

be individually named.

MathematicsNumber and Operations Demonstrates increasing interest and awareness of numbers and counting as a means

for solving problems and determining quantity.

Begins to associate number concepts, vocabulary, quantities and written numerals in

meaningful ways.

Develops increasing ability to count in sequence to 10 and beyond.

Begins to make use of one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching

groups of objects.

Begins to use language to compare numbers of objects with terms such as more, less,

greater than, fewer, equal to.

Develops increased abilities to combine, separate and name how many concrete

objects.

Geometry and Spatia l Sense Begins to recognize, describe, compare and name common shapes , their parts and

attributes.

Progresses in ability to put together and take apart shapes.

Begins to be able to determine whether or not two shapes are the same size and

shape.

Shows growth in matching, sorting, putting in a series and regrouping objects

according to one or two attributes such as color, shape or size.

Builds an increasing understanding of directionality, order and positions of objects,

and words such as up, down, over, under, top, bottom, inside, outside, in front and

behind.


6/114

Patterns and Measurement Enhances abili ties to recognize, duplicate and extend simple patterns using a varie ty

of materials.

Shows increasing abilities to match, sort, put in a series, and regroup objects

according to one or two attributes such as shape or size.

Begins to make comparisons between several objects based on a single attribute.Shows progress in using standard and non-standard measures for length and area of

objects.

ScienceScientif ic Skil ls & Methods Begins to use senses and a variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather

information, investigate materials and observe processes and relationships.

Develops increased ability to observe and discuss common properties, differences

and comparisons among objects and materials.

Begins to participate in simple investigations to test observations, discuss and draw

conclusions and form generalizations.Develops growing abilities to collect, describe and record information through a

variety of means, including discussion, drawings, maps and charts.

Begins to describe and discuss predictions, explanations and generalizations based

on past experiences.

Sc ientific Knowledge Expands knowledge of and abilit ies to observe, describe and discuss the natural

world, materials, living things and natural processes.

Expands knowledge of and respect for their body and the environment.

Develops growing awareness of ideas and language related to attributes of time and

temperature.Shows increased awareness and beginning understanding of changes in materials

and cause-effect relationships.

Creative ArtsMusic Participates with increasing interest and enjoyment in a variety of music activities,

including listening, singing, finger plays, games, and performances.

Experiments with a variety of musical instruments.


7/114

Art Gains ability in using different art media and materials in a variety of ways for

creative expression and representation.

Progresses in abilities to create drawings, paintings, models, and other art creations

that are more detailed, creative or realistic.

Develops growing abilities to plan, work independently, and demonstrate care andpersistence in a variety of ar t projects.

Begins to understand and share opinions about artistic products and experiences.

Movement Expresses through movement and dancing what is felt and heard in various musical

tempos and styles.

Shows growth in moving in time to different patterns of beat and rhythm in music.

Dramatic Play Participates in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more extended and

complex.

Shows growing creativity and imagination in using materials and in assuming

different roles in dramatic play situations.Social & Emotional

DevelopmentSelf-Concept Begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities,

characteristics and preferences.

Develops growing capacity for independence in a range of activities, routines, and

tasks.

Demonstrates growing confidence in a range of abilities and expresses pride in

accomplishments.

Self-Control Shows progress in expressing feelings, needs, and opinions in difficult situations and

conflicts without harming themselves, others, or property.

Develops growing understanding of how their actions affect others and begins to

accept the consequences of their actions.

Demonstrates increasing capacity to follow rules and routines and use materials

purposefully, safely, and respectfully.

Shows increasing abilities to use compromise and discussion in working, playing,


8/114

Develops increasing abilities to give and take in interactions; to take turns in gamesor using materials; and to interact without being overly submissive or directive.

Social Relationships Demonstrates increasing comfort in talking with and acc epting guidance and

directions from a range of familiar adults.

Shows progress in developing friendships with peers.

Progresses in responding sympathetically to peers who are in need, upset, hurt, orangry; and in expressing empathy or caring for others.

Knowledge of Families and Communities Develops ability to identify personal characteristics including gender, and familycomposition.

Progresses in understanding similarities and respecting differences among people,

such as genders, race, special needs, culture, language, and family structures.

Develops growing awareness of jobs and what is required to perform them.

Begins to express and understand concepts and language of geography in the

contexts of their classroom, home, and community.

Approaches to LearningInitia tive and Curiosity Chooses to partic ipate in an in creasing variety of tas ks and activitie s.Develops increased ability to make independent choices.

Approaches tasks and activities with increased flexibility, imagination and

inventiveness.

Grows in eagerness to learn about and discuss a growing range of topics, ideas andtasks.

Engagement and Persistence Grows in abilities to persist in and complete a variety of tasks, activities, projects

and experiences.

Demonstrates increasing ability to set goals and develop and follow through onplans.

Shows growing capacity to maintain concentration over time on a task, question, setof direc tions or interactions, despite distractions and interruptions.

Reasoning and Problem Solving Develops increasing ability to find more than one solution to a question, task or


9/114

Grows in recognizing and solving problems through active exploration, includingtrial and error, and interactions and discussions with peers and adults.

Develops increasing abilities to classify, compare and contrast objects, events andexperiences.

Physical Health and DevelopmentFine Motor Skills Develops growing strength, dexterity and control needed to use tools such as

scissors, paper punch, stapler, and hammer.

Grows in hand-eye-coordination in building with blocks, putting together puzzles,

reproducing shapes and patterns, stringing beads and using scissors.

Progresses in abilities to use writing, drawing and art tools including pencils ,

markers, chalk, paint brushes, and various types of technology.Gross Motor Skil ls Shows increasing levels of proficiency, control and balanc e in walking, climbing,

running, jumping, hopping, skipping, marching and galloping.

Demonstrates increasing abilities to coordinate movements in throwing, catching,

kicking, bounding balls, and using the slide and swing.

Health Status and Prac tices Progresses in physical growth, strength, stamina, and flexibili ty.

Participates actively in games, outdoor play and other forms of exercise that enhance

physical fitness.

Shows growing independence in hygiene, nutrition and personal care when eating,

dressing, washing hands, brushing teeth and toileting.Builds awareness and ability to follow basic health and safety rules such as fire

safety, traffic and pedestrian safety, and responding appropriately to potentiallyharmful objects, substances and activities.


10/114

The Florida

PerformanceStandards and

Family Style Meals

This is only a short suggested list ofstandard examples met during thismeal experience. Viewers areencouraged to discuss and identifyother examples.


11/114

Physical Health


12/114

A. Physical Health

5-Year-Olds

1. Showscharacteristics ofgood health tofacilitate learning.

Good general health

and adequatedevelopment arenecessary to optimizelearning.

4-Year-Olds

Same as 5-year-olds

3-Year-Olds

Same as 5-year-olds


13/114

Teacher may observe during mealtime:

physical stature within the typical range;

active participation in daily events;

ability to coordinate eye-hand movements;

large motor skills such as moving from group circle to themeal table, pulling out a chair and sitting down.


14/114

A. Physical Health

5-Year-Olds

2. Demonstrates visualability to facilitatelearning.

A great amount oflearning in the

classroom isdependent upon visualabilities. Reading,writing, computereducation, spelling,and chalkboarddemonstrations are

part of most childrensschool day.

4-Year-Olds

Same as 5-year-olds

3-Year-Olds

Same as 5-year-olds


15/114

Teacher may observe during mealtime:

using both eyes in coordination;

holding materials at appropriate distance;

moving eyes rather than head to track;

visual focusing without squinting or strain.


16/114

A. Physical Health

5-Year-Olds

3. Exhibits auditoryability to facilitatelearning.

A great amount oflearning in the

classroom isdependent uponauditory skills andhearing, especiallylanguagedevelopment.

4-Year-Olds

Same as 5-year-olds

3-Year-Olds

Same as 5-year-olds


17/114

Examples include:

participating in listening activities (stories, conversations);

orienting to a speaker when addressed by name;

producing speech that is understandable.


18/114

B. Knowledge of Wellness

5-Year-Olds

1. Shows that basicphysical needs aremet.

Five-year-olds musthave their basicneeds met in order totake advantage oflearning opportunities.

4-Year-Olds

Same as 5-year-olds

3-Year-Olds

Same as 5-year-olds


19/114

Examples include:

staying awake except during nap time;

wearing clothing appropriate to the weather;

having an overall clean appearance;

exhibiting energy typical of the age.


20/114


5-Year-Olds

2. Shows interest inhealth issues.

Five-year-olds showawareness of manyhealth issues,especially when theserelate to their ownexperiences. Althoughthey still needreminders to followgood health practices,they are beginning tounderstand therationale for these

practices.

4-Year-Olds

2. Follows basic healthand safety rules.

Four-year-olds arebecoming aware ofsome health and safetyissues. They can beginto learn about their needfor food, water, andshelter, and how to keepthemselves safe. Theyenjoy stories about theirbodies and other healthissues and will discussthese issues with their

friends.

3-Year-Olds

2. Follows basic healthand safety rules withreminders.

Three-year-olds arebeginning to learn rulesfor health and safety.Washing hands afterusing the toilet, coveringtheir mouths when theysneeze or cough, andstaying inside the yardare all rules that theycan remember;however, they may not

fully understand the

reasons for these rules.


21/114

Children show they understand theseissues by:

washing hands after toileting/before eating;

covering mouth/nose when coughing/sneezing;

naming healthy snacks/foods;

trying different foods that are introduced by the teacheras nutritious, and discussing with classmates whatnutritious means;

using eating utensils safely and appropriately.


22/114


5-Year-Olds

3. Shows interest insafety issues.

Five-year-olds showawareness of manysafety issues. At thisage, children are mostinterested in theseissues when theyrelate to their ownexperiences. Althoughthey still needreminders to followsafety rules, they arebeginning to

understand therationale for these

rules.

4-Year-Olds

3. Performs someself-care tasksindependently.

Four-year-olds loveperforming self-caretasks and daily routineson their own.Sometimes they needguidance to avoidbecoming silly or toremember what they aredoing. They forget ruleseasily because they arebusy with other

thoughts, but they canusually meetexpectations after verbalreminders.

3-Year-Olds

3. Begins toperform someself-care tasksindependently.

Three-year-olds are justlearning how to managetheir personal care ontheir own. They stillneed adult support andguidance, but they areeager to try to do thingsfor themselves. This isthe age when they canbecome very involved in

cleanliness and order.


23/114

Children demonstrate self-care skills by:

washing hands after toileting/before eating;

covering mouth/nose when coughing/sneezing;

naming healthy snacks/food;

pouring from a small pitcher into a glass;

spreading peanut butter with a knife;

trying different foods that are introduced by the teacheras nutritious, and discussing with classmates whatnutritious means;

properly uses napkin to keep hands and face clean duringthe meal.


24/114


5-Year-Olds

4. Performsself-care taskscompetently.

(PE.B.1.1)Five-year-olds arequite competent about

taking care of theirown physical needsand often helpclassmates who arestruggling with buttonsand laces. They takepride in their skills and

will often practicezipping jackets andtying bows just for thepleasure of doing it.

4-Year-Olds

No benchmark for thisage group.

3-Year-Olds

No benchmark for thisage group.


25/114

Children demonstrate competence by:

taking care of their own toilet needs, asking for help withsuspenders or other complicated clothing;

pouring juice easily and without spills for snack or lunch;

serving appropriate amounts of food from serving dishes;

using eating utensils appropriately;

spreading butter and doing other simple tasks with food.


26/114

Approaches toLearning


27/114

A. Eagerness & Curiosity

5-Year-Olds

1. Shows eagerness andcuriosity as a learner.

Five-year-olds arecurious, active learners,who are excited abouttheir environment and

the wide variety ofmaterials available tothem in school. Theyenjoy using realisticprops in dramatic playand experimenting withdifferent artistic media.They are fascinated by

audiovisual media andby technology, and canbecome very insistentwhen they have strongideas about what theywant to do.

4-Year-Olds


Most 4-year-olds arenaturally curious andcontinually askquestions about

everything theyencounter. They displaygrowing maturity whenthey respond to answersto their questions byasking for clarification oradditional information,rather than saying

Why? Why?

3-Year-Olds


Three-year-olds arenaturally curious abouteverything in their worldand are beginning to

respond to what theyobserve.


28/114

Examples of eagerness & curiosity include:5-Year-Olds

listening to new books;

indicating awareness of other children by watching or interactingwith them;

showing interest in and asking questions about stories and eventsrelated by other children;

continuing a discussion by asking related questions or makingcomments;

being excited and curious about new foods to try.


29/114

B. Persistence

5-Year-Olds

1. Sustains attention toa task, persistingeven afterencounteringdifficulty.

Five-year-olds can attendto open-ended tasks theyhave chosen forreasonably long periodsof time (20-30 minutes).However, it is moredifficult for them toconcentrate on tasks theyhave not selected oractivities that require skillsbeyond their current

abilities. When engagedin challenging tasks, theymay need encouragementto continue. They arebeginning to understandthat making mistakes isan important part oflearning and acquiring

new skills.

4-Year-Olds

1. Attends to a task andseeks help whenencountering aproblem.

Four-year-olds attend tomost tasks for short periodsof time (10-20 minutes).They will persist longerwhen they have chosen theactivity. Learning to workuntil tasks are finished orproblems are solved is oftendifficult for this age group.

3-Year-Olds

1. Attends briefly, andseeks help whenencountering aproblem.

At 3, children can attend toactivities or stories for briefperiods of time (5-10minutes). They will stayinvolved longer if theactivity is a favorite one.However, if they encountera problem, they usuallywander away from theactivity rather thancontinuing to try to solve theproblem. They require very

specific help in problem-solving and explicit physicalguidance when followsuggestions.


30/114

Examples of persistence include:

paying attention to songs and stories before and duringmeal time;

raising their hands or touching the teachers arm to indicate

that they need help;

following teacher or peer suggestions for solving a problem (for

example, buttering bread, passing a dish around the table,handling a spill; making several attempts at solving a problem (politely calling a

friends name several times to have food served);

Sitting appropriately at the table throughout the entire meal; staying involved with the conversation and table activities.


31/114

C. Creativity/Inventiveness

5-Year-Olds

1. Approaches taskswith flexibility andinventiveness.

Five-year-olds arelearning how to approachtasks creatively and toattempt more than one

way to solve a problem.Trial and error nurturesand encourages theircreativity. Some childrenare reluctant to try newapproaches because anunsuccessful outcomemay be difficult to accept.

After children have triedrepeatedly to solveproblems, it is importantfor them to know whenand where to get helpbefore they becomefrustrated.

4-Year-Olds

1. Approaches tasks withflexibility andinventiveness.

Four-year-olds, who aremost comfortable withrepetition and familiarpeople and places, often do

not understand that thereare different ways to workwith materials or to solveproblems. They are justbeginning to understandthat there are manypossible ways toaccomplish a task.

3-Year-Olds

1. Approaches play withpurpose andinventiveness.

Three-year-olds are justbeginning to learn how touse materials as they aremeant to be used. Play is

mainly exploratory, helpingchildren learn about theproperties andcharacteristics of materials

and equipment.


32/114

Flexibility and inventiveness include:

4-Year-Olds5-Year-Olds

using prior mealtime experiences to figure out what to do inpresent situations;

attempting several different ways to solve a problem (such aspassing a serving dish, buttering bread, serving food from aserving dish;

communicating frustration in an acceptable way after failingto accomplish a task.


33/114

Social &Emotional


34/114

A. Self Concept

5-Year-Olds

1. Demonstratesself-confidence.

Self-awareness andpositive self-imageemerge through

interactions withothers and throughexperiences of beingeffective. Confident5-year-olds approachnew tasks andsituations

enthusiastically,recognize and expressemotionsappropriately, andshare informationabout themselves withothers.

4-Year-Olds


Many preschool childrencome to school with apositive sense of self,certain they will be liked.Others need time toobserve andopportunities to learnhow to play in a groupsetting. Confident4-year-olds willparticipate in mostclassroom activities,

express emotions,eagerly explore toysand materials, andinteract with others inthe classroom.

3-Year-Olds


Three-year-olds usuallycome to school feelingcompetent, ready totake pride in their ability

to do familiar things.However, when theschool experience isunfamiliar, youngchildren can be verytentative. Afterinvitations to participatein activities, they usuallybegin to play withmaterials and interactwith other children andteachers.


35/114

Children display a positive sense of self by:

eagerly sharing with the group an exciting event thathappened at home;

moving with confidence to the meal table assured they willbe accepted;

singing songs at meal time;

sitting at the meal table and exchanging ideas and thoughts,even when the discussion is unrelated to them personally;

responding to the teachers greeting and exchanging a

few words;

coming to the meal table and participating in conversations;

gradually increasing the range and diversity of foods theychoose to taste.


36/114

A. Self Concept

5-Year-Olds

2. Shows initiative andself-direction.

Independence inthinking and actionenables children totake responsibility forthemselves. Most five-year-olds can makechoices amongfamiliar activities,participate in newexperiences, and arewilling to take somerisks. Children who

choose familiaractivities repeatedlyand are hesitant toventure into new areasneed help from adultsin order to expandtheir independence.

4-Year-Olds

2. Shows some selfdirection.

Four-year-olds oftenseem independentbecause they want to doeverything on their own.However, they stillrequire encouragementto act independently inunfamiliar situations orwhen trying challengingtasks. Four-year-oldscan make simplechoices among

activities, butoccasionally needsupport in trying newclassroom activities.

3-Year-Olds

2. Shows some selfdirection.

Helping children makechoices and performtasks they are able to dofosters their

independence. Somethree-year-olds appearmore independent thanthey really are becausethey frequently refuse todo things when they areasked. At this age,children can only makevery simple choices (forexample, between sandplay and playing in thehousekeeping area).


37/114

Exhibit initiative and independence by:

eagerly tasting new foods when they are introduced during mealtime;

assuming classroom chores without being asked (for example,sweeping sand from the floor, helping to clean up spilled juice);

responding positively to suggestions to try something new;

serves self appropriate portions of food;

uses eating utensils properly;

uses napkin properly;

responds appropriately when another child asks for food to bepassed;

washing hands before eating without an individual reminder.


38/114

B. Self Control

5-Year-Olds

1. Follows classroomrules and routines.

Children who aresuccessful within agroup know andaccept the rules

established for thatparticular group. Five-year-olds are learningthis skill and can bequite dogmatic withtheir peers, insistingon adherence to therules. They are

comfortable when theyknow the routines andcan plan their activitiesaround the dailyschedule.

4-Year-Olds

1. Follows simpleclassroom rulesand routines.

Four-year-olds findestablished routinesvery comforting. Theyfeel safer and betterable to participate whenrules are clear andfollowed consistently.They can follow simplerules and procedureswith gentle reminders.

3-Year-Olds

1. Follows simpleclassroom rulesand routines withguidance.

Three-year-olds functionprimarily within a world

of their own making.They are only beginningto respond to simplerules and routines.They need manyreminders and muchsupport in learning theexpectations of theclassroom andappropriate behavior inpreschool or child care.


39/114

Children demonstrate this ability by:

remembering to toilet and wash hands before mealtime; knowing that a limited number of friends can be at the sink area

at one time, and patiently waiting their turn;

finding a place to sit at the table in an orderly manner;

knowing the amount of food to take from the group serving dishso that everyone will receive a portion;

waiting politely for the food to be passed;

patiently waiting for everyone to be served before beginning toeat;

clearing off their places at the snack table by taking their cups tothe designated place and throwing away their napkins andleftovers with few reminders;

engaging in conversational turn taking.


40/114

B. Self Control

5-Year-Olds

2. Uses classroommaterialspurposefully andrespectfully.

One of the majorchallenges of school

for five-year-olds islearning how to carefor classroommaterials. In school, achild learns how touse materialsthoughtfully (so thematerials continue tobe available forothers) and how to putthings away so thatothers can easily find

them.

4-Year-Olds

2. Uses classroommaterials carefully.

In school, children areencouraged to take careof the materials they areusing and keep theclassroom in order.Four-year-olds are justbeginning to take on thisresponsibilityindependently, althoughthey need frequentreminders.

3-Year-Olds

2. Begins to useclassroom materialscarefully.

At three years of age,children are justbeginning to learn to

take care of materialsand put things backwhere they belong.They need modeling,guidance, and manyreminders to do so.


41/114

Show a sense of responsibility by:

helping to set and clean-up the meal table;

properly sorting and classifying utensils, leftover food and trashproducts after the meal is finished;

safely carrying serving dishes and other mealtime utensils back

to the kitchen.


42/114

B. Self Control

5-Year-Olds

3. Manages transitionsand adapts tochanges in routine.

Adapting to or acceptingchanges in routine is animportant skill if childrenare to function

comfortably in school.Five-year-olds areanxious to establishorder in their lives andprefer consistentroutines. However,because change is apart of growth, childrenneed to acquireflexibility in order to dealwith change. Five-year-olds are beginning toadjust to changes andlearn that differentsituations call for

different behaviors.

4-Year-Olds

3. Manages transitions.

Four-year-olds sometimesare upset when routineschange or things aredone differently. Theymanage transitions mostsuccessfully when they

are told what to expect inadvance.

3-Year-Olds

3. Manages transitions.

Children this age arebeginning to learn how toaccept change withoutundue distress. Althoughthey may beuncomfortable with the

major transition fromhome to school, they canlearn simple classroomtransition routines andbegin to show comfortwith small changes.


43/114

Examples of managing transitions include:

moving smoothly from story to the meal table;

engaging in appropriate conversational turn taking;

finishing the meal and cleaning up with ease and purposefulness;

willingness to taste new and different foods.


44/114

C. Interaction with Others

5-Year-Olds

1. Interacts easily withone or morechildren.

Five-year-old children arebeginning to learn how toplay cooperatively with

one or more children,listen to peers andunderstand their feelings,and solve problemscooperatively. Themeaning of friendship(What does having afriend mean? How does

friendship work?) is veryinteresting to them. Theyhave preferences aboutwho they want to playwith and are sometimestentative about interactingwith peers they do notknow very well.

4-Year-Olds

1. Interacts easily withone or more children.

At age 4, preschoolers arebeginning to make thetransition from parallel playto cooperative play.Taking turns, sharing,and conversing during playare new skills for many4-year-olds. They aredeveloping specialfriendships and startingto understand that it ispossible to have more thanone friend at a time.

3-Year-Olds

1. Interacts with one ormore children.

At 3, children are justbeginning to learn socialskills and how to interactwith peers. They still needconsiderable support and

practice. They play isusually parallel (side-by-side), with only briefinteractions with otherchildren.


45/114

Examples of interaction skills include:

following suggestions given by a friend about how to spreadbutter on bread;

giving assistance to friends who are trying to solve a problem(helping a friend pour juice from pitcher);

conversing appropriately with friends at the meal table;

asking a friend politely to please pass the water.


46/114


5-Year-Olds

2. Interacts easily withfamiliar adults.

Young children oftenhave more experiencetalking and interactingwith adults thanwith their peers. Five-

year-olds who feel atease with adults willshow affection,respond to questions,initiate conversations,and follow directionsgiven by familiar

adults.

4-Year-Olds

2. Interacts easily withfamiliar adults.

Four-year-olds arelearning how to interactwith adults. Theyengage in conversationsand follow directionsgiven by familiar adultsmuch more readily thanwith unfamiliar adults.Some children needexplicit instruction aboutpositive ways to sayhello, respond to

adults comments andquestions, or gain anadults attention.

3-Year-Olds

2. Interacts with familiaradults.

Three-year-olds varygreatly in how theyrelate to adults. Someare comfortable and

interact spontaneously,while other childrenneed time to warm up,become comfortable, orfeel safe with adults.


47/114

Children demonstrate interaction skills by:

relating events and anecdotes to the teacher with easeand comfort;

seeking help from a teacher when needed;

responding appropriately to the teachers questions at the

meal table; asking for attention by raising a hand, touching the teachers

arm, or other reasonable action;

listening to and talking with adults;

following the teachers directions to serve food and sort andclassify utensils and trash products when mealtime is over.


48/114


5-Year-Olds

3. Participates in thegroup life of theclass.Five-year-olds show asense of community bycontributing ideas, takingresponsibility for events inthe classroom, sharingknowledge of classroomroutines and procedures,and following rules ingroup games andactivities. They canusually follow groupexpectations, especially ifthey have had previous

school experience.

4-Year-Olds

3. Participates in thegroup life of the class.

Children this age arebeginning to showappreciation of groupexperiences and awarenessof group expectations.

However, they often need tobe reminded of rules androutines. It is easier forthem if group rules, such ashow many children can playat the water table, arediscussed with them inadvance and if they have apart in establishing

expectations. Four-year-olds are just beginning toplay simple board and cardgames with rules.

3-Year-Olds

3. Participates in thegroup life of the class.

Three-year-olds are veryegocentric. Functioning asa group member andaccommodating groupexpectations are difficult for

many 3-year-olds; theyneed guidance from theteacher to learn thesethings and adjust to being inschool. At this age, childrenenjoy participating in simpleaction games that involveminimal time spent waitingfor a turn.


49/114

Children show an understanding of group life by:

taking part in group activities, such as mealtime;

being part of the audience as well as an active participant in groupdiscussions;

following the mealtime rules;

noticing who is absent from the meal family;

participating in meal time with peers, learning how to pour waterand milk, how much food to take from the serving bowl, and howto clean up when finished;

waiting to eat until everyone is served;

using and maintaining an appropriate conversational voice volume;

waiting for different foods to be passed.


50/114


5-Year-Olds

4. Shows empathy andcaring for others.

Learning to recognizethe feelings of othersis an important lifeskill. Although somechildren express care

and understanding forothers feelings almostnaturally, otherchildren needguidance and supportfrom teachers toacquire these skills.

4-Year-Olds


At four years of age,many children show thatthey are aware of thefeelings of their

classmates. Other four-year-olds need to betaught to notice theirpeers and to understandthe emotions andexperiences of others.

Children this age aregenerally better able toshow caring for realpeople or bookcharacters than abstractideas or situations.

3-Year-Olds


Even at three years ofage, children showcaring for those aroundthem. Empathy iselicited by concreteoccurrences that aresimilar to the childsexperiences. Forexample, three-year-olds can sympathizewith a child who hasfallen down or who cant

get his coat on.


51/114

Examples of caring behavior include:

displaying concern that everyone has been served;

displaying the appropriate affect for conversation topics andevents during the mealtime;

getting help for a classmate who may need food passed or theteachers attention;

helping a classmate clean up a spill;

listening attentively and responding appropriately to storiesshared by other children.


52/114

D. Social Problem Solving

5-Year-Olds

1. Seeks adult help whenneeded to resolveconflicts.

An initial step inconflict resolution isrecognizing whenthere is a conflict andgetting help to solve it.Communicating and usingvaried strategies to resolveconflicts (for example, fair

trades or taking turns by

mutual agreement)are emerging skills for five-

year-olds. Theystill need adult support andmodeling to use words tosolve problems, suggestpossible solutions,and participate in

compromise.

4-Year-Olds


Four-year-olds need a greatdeal of adult support andguidance in learning how tosettle conflicts (for example,

how to share a limitedamount of materials ordeciding who will get to gooutside first). Their naturalresponses are physical, suchas hitting, kicking, orthrowing. They are beginning

to learn alternatives fromadults who suggest andmodel ways to use wordsand other simple formulas.

3-Year-Olds


Three-year-olds do nothave the skills to settleconflicts on their own. Theylearn to solve conflicts

gradually by watching ateacher model effectiveconflict resolution strategiesand by experiencingcompromises facilitated byteachers or other adults. Atthis age, the expectation isthat children will begin to

recognize when they needsome help to solve a

problem.


53/114

Children show they are gaining these skills by:

asking for specific foods to be passed;

asking for help when a friend doesnt pass the food;

using words suggested by an adult to settle conflicts;

negotiating with another child to share the last helping of aparticular food;

taking turns without pushing or other physical conflict;

sharing without grabbing;

using words to express feelings, such as, I need you to listen

when I ask you to pass the food.;

using and accepting compromise when intruded upon (forexample, negotiating the fair share of a favorite food).


54/114

Language &Communication


55/114

A. Listening

5-Year-Olds

1. Listens for meaningin discussions andconversations.Young children areactively involved inlearning about their worldby watching and listening.At 5 years, children can

listen for meaning in suchdifferent situations asone-on-one conversationswith children or adults,small and large groupactivities, story times, andvideos. Theydemonstrate their

attentiveness throughbody language, eyecontact, and activeparticipation. The showtheir understanding byasking questions, makingcomments relevant to thetopic, and reactingappropriately to what isheard.

4-Year-Olds

1. Gains meaning bylistening.

Four-year-olds gainknowledge about their worldby watching and listening.They acquire the skill tolisten not only when theyare spoken to one-on-one

by adults and peers, butalso to listen when they arespoken to as part of agroup. This group listeningskill is important forlearning and acquiringinformation in schoolsettings. Listening with

understanding is enhancedas stories are read to largeand small groups and aschildren participate insinging and chantingactivities.

3-Year-Olds

1. Gains meaning bylistening.

Three-year-olds learn abouttheir world through watchingand listening. They find iteasier to listen withunderstanding in one-on-one situations than ingroups. The ability to listenin a group emerges slowlyand with practice. They canlisten to familiar stories andvideos for relatively longerperiods of time than whenthey are asked to attend tounfamiliar materials.

Child d t t li t i kill b


56/114

Children demonstrate listening skills by:

using information from a story during the meal conversation;

asking a question to clarify their understanding of the story readbefore mealtime;

recognizing the intent behind the words of peers, such as an apologygiven for causing a spill;

showing understanding during a group discussion through bodylanguage (leaning forward) or facial expressions (a frown or a smile);

carrying on a conversation with another person that extends a thoughtor idea expressed to the group earlier;

responding to stories read to the whole class, rather than respondingonly when read to as part of a small group;

listening attentively to stories read aloud;

listening briefly to other peoples conversations and responding to the

content;

conversing with a teacher and responding appropriately.

understanding the message or story expressed by a friend or teacherduring mealtime.


57/114

A. Listening

5-Year-Olds

2. Follows directions thatinvolve a series ofactions.

Five-year olds can followthree step directionsimmediately after they hearthem, but sometimes forget

instructions overtime orbecome distracted beforethey can complete a longerseries of actions. The abilityto focus and remember isimportant for schoolsuccess.

4-Year-Olds

2. Follows two- or three-step directions

Remembering andfollowing directions iscritical for preschoolchildrens independentfunctioning ineducational settings.

Four-year-olds arebeginning to followsimple two- and three-step directions withrelative ease. They alsorespond to groupdirections rather thanalways needingindividual instruction.

3-Year-Olds

2. Follows two-stepdirections.

Three-year-olds still needsubstantial individualsupport, instruction, andphysical guidance to beable to follow directions.

Child h th f ll di ti b


58/114

Children show they can follow directions by:

understanding teacher directions given to the class without

needing to ask the teacher to repeat what to do;

remembering instructions given earlier (for example,remembering how to clean personal space after the meal);

relating a set of instructions to a classmate;

following directions given to them specifically (such as,Please pass the bread to Zola.);

following a set of instructions without reminders (for example,using toilet and washing hands before mealtime).

B S ki


59/114

B. Speaking

5-Year-Olds

1. Speaks clearly andconveys ideaseffectively.

At 5, most childrens

speech is easilyunderstood by listeners.During kindergarten,children begin tounderstand how toexpress their ideascoherently in groupdiscussions as well as inone-to-one conversations.They speak loudly

enough to be heard bytheir listeners. Theirsentences become longerand more complex astheir language becomesricher and more detailed.

4-Year-Olds

1. Speaks clearly enoughto be understoodwithout contextualclues.

By 4 years of age,childrenusually speak with sufficientclarity so that it is easy to

understand what they aresaying without the help ofadditional information orgestures. Four-year-oldsgenerally use correctsyntax, but sometimes overgeneralize rules (forexample, We goed to thestore.). Although they maystill make some articulationerrors, the length of theirutterances and thegrammatical complexity oftheir language is increasing.

3-Year-Olds

1. Speaks clearly enoughto be understood bymost listeners.

Three-year-olds usuallyspeak in short sentences.Articulation errors may bepresent, but speech is

usually clear enough to beunderstood with littledifficulty. When 3-year-oldare given manyopportunities to talk, thelength and complexity oftheir sentences increase.


60/114

Children show emergent speaking skills by:

retelling the morning events in more than short phrases;

initiating conversation with peers about what they did over theweekend;

participating actively in discussion at circle time;

asking how and why questions in sentence form rather than

by using only a word or 2;

participating in conversations around the meal table or on theplayground, speaking loudly enough to be heard by the group;

speaking clearly enough so that a friend sitting at the other endof the table knows what they are saying;

using common social conventions, such as please or thankyou, although often needing reminders;

communicating in a way that other children understand what isbeing said without constantly having to ask, What did you say?;

telling the class about an event that happened at home.

B S ki


61/114

B. Speaking

5-Year-Olds

2. Uses expandedvocabulary andlanguage for a varietyof purposes.During kindergarten,childrens expandingvocabularies provide themwith a larger knowledge base

that will assist them as theybegin to read. They areacquiring words to name ordescribe many differentthings, and they are refiningtheir social use of languageby initiating conversations,taking turns in groupdiscussions, and asking

questions and makingcomments related to topicsbeing discussed. Five-year-olds continue to use languagefor many purposes, such asplaying with the sounds oflanguage, reciting poems andrhymes, giving directions,explaining events, describing

objects, and asking questions.

4-Year-Olds

2. Uses expandedvocabulary andlanguage for a varietyof purposes.

Four-year-olds are expandingtheir vocabulary daily throughexposure to books, trips, andother classroom activities. At

the same time, they arebeginning to converse aboutobjects and events that arenot physically present, aresomewhat abstract, or thatthey remember from the past.They are learning the socialrules for conversation, butcontinue to have difficulty

staying on topic in a groupdiscussion. By this age,children proficient enoughwith speech and languageskills so that they can becreative and humorous in theexplorations of how wordswork and sound.

3-Year-Olds

2. Uses expandedvocabulary andlanguage for a varietyof purposes.

Children this age arefascinated with language andenjoy experimenting withsounds and expressions.Their vocabulary isdeveloping rapidly. Although3-year-olds understand thatthey are expected to respondwhen someone speaks tothem, they are only beginningto acquire otherconversational rules (takingturns, staying on topic). Theyare gaining an understandingof the power of words and theexcitement of communicating.

Shows expanded vocabulary and language by


62/114

Shows expanded vocabulary and language by:

trying out a new word learned at morning circle (nocturnal, crunchy);

wondering what the word nocturnal means and discussingpossible definitions;

asking questions relevant to an event reported by another child;

noticing a word they dont understand when listening to a story or

conversation and guessing what the word means from how it is used;

waiting their turn before talking about the idea they want to share;

initiating a conversation;

waiting for their turn to speak;

using words to communicate their feelings;

adding a relevant idea to another childs comment;

telling jokes and giggling, even though they do not understand thesignificance of the word relationships in jokes and puns (for example,Knock-Knock jokes);

asking questions related to the current topic of discussion;

thinking up words that have the same beginning sound.

C Lit t d R di


63/114

C. Literature and Reading

5-Year-Olds

1. Shows interest in anddemonstratesknowledge aboutbooks and reading.

Children enter school withvarying levels of experiencewith and interest in booksand reading. Throughrepeated exposure toliterature, kindergartenchildren can be expected tounderstand that authorswrite books, illustratorsdraw pictures, and books

convey information orstories. Five-year-olds canlisten attentively to stories,and develop preferences forbooks by certain authors or

topics of special interest.

4-Year-Olds

1. Shows appreciationfor books and reading.

Depending on how oftenthey have been read to athome and in othersituations, children come topreschool with varyingabilities to enjoy andunderstand the writtenword. By four, children canbegin to learn about authorsand illustrators, and enjoymaking their own books.Children are encouraged towant to read when they areread to, taught how to

handle books, and asked to

respond to stories.

3-Year-Olds

1. Shows appreciationfor books.

Three-year-olds canbecome very excited aboutbooks, especiallyif they are exposed toliterature before coming to

school. Childrens interest ina specific story or topic, theappropriateness of the textand illustrations, and thesize of the group are keyfactors in their ability to sitstill and stay focused duringstory reading. Childrenlearn during preschool thatbooks are handled inparticular ways.

Child h i t t i lit b


64/114

Children show an interest in literacy by:

listening attentively to a story before mealtime and tellingwhy they liked that story;

joining group story time with anticipation and pleasure;

recognizing specific books by their covers;

asking questions about the details of a story just heard; responding appropriately to questions about the story

read before mealtime.

C Lit t d R di


65/114


5-Year-Olds

2. Shows someunderstanding ofconcepts about print.Five-year-olds arebeginning to understandhow print is organized andread. They realize that printconveys meaning, spokenlanguage can be writtendown and read, and certainwords are always writtenthe same way. They beginto notice spaces betweenwords, distinguish lettersfrom drawings andnumerals, recognizedifferent types of text

(storybooks, poems,newspapers, grocery lists,signs, letters, labels), labelthe parts of a book (frontcover, title page, backcover), and track print fromleft to right and top tobottom, pointing to the

words as they are read.

4-Year-Olds

2. Shows beginningunderstanding ofconcepts about print.

Four-year-olds arebeginning to learn how printworks. They understandthat speech can be written

down and then read, andthat the print on a pageconveys the story. Theyhave some awareness thatreading is done from top tobottom and left to right, andare beginning to acquire theconcept of a word. Four-year-olds understand thatprint takes different forms(for example, grocery lists,signs, stories) and that itcan be read for enjoymentas well as for informationalpurposes.

3-Year-Olds

2. Shows beginningphonologicalawareness.

Phonological awareness isthe ability to hear anddiscriminate the sounds oflanguage. Three-year-oldsspontaneously play with the

sounds of words and showsome awareness of rhymingsounds.


66/114

Children display a growing understanding by:

repeating familiar rhyming verses or songs;

joining in with other children to recite rhymes and songs at mealtime;

experimenting with sounds to make nonsense words (spaghetti,

baghetti, laghetti);

thinking up words that have similar beginning sounds;

clapping to represent the syllables of short phrases (for example,Friends, friends, friends).

C Literat re and Reading


67/114


5-Year-Olds

3. Begins to demonstratephonemic awareness.

For children to becomefluent readers, they must beable to hear the smallestunits of sound within words(phonemes) and to focus onthese sounds separate fromthe meaning of the word.With frequentdemonstrations by theteacher, children recognizeand produce rhymingwords, identify beginning

and ending sounds, andbegin to discriminate thesmaller parts of words, firstdistinguishing syllables and,later, phonemes within

syllables.

4-Year-Olds

3. Demonstratesphonologicalawareness.

Phonological awarenessrefers to the ability to hearand discriminate the soundsof language. Four-year-olds

can attend to anddistinguish the smaller unitsof sound within words withteacher support. They canbegin to hear anddiscriminate syllables, thebeginning sounds of words,and rhyming sounds,prerequisite skills for being

able to decode words when

reading.

3-Year-Olds

3. Shows interest inletters and words.

By the age of three, childrenare beginning to becomeaware of how letters andwords look and sound. Theymay show interest in letters,

especially the letters in theirnames. They notice labelsand signs in theirenvironment and askcaregivers and teacherswhat the signs say.

Examples of an interest in reading include:


68/114

Examples of an interest in reading include:

hearing the sound of the first letter in their own names and using

this ability to sound out or read classmates names that beginwith the same letter;

identifying two words that rhyme, given a series of three words;

knowing that words are made up of sounds and being able toidentify the smallest units of sound (phonemes) in a word (forexample, cat has three phonemes: /c/ /a/ /t/;

chicken have two parts (syllables), but book has only one;

recognizing that some words end with the same sound (forexample, stating that tan ends like man).

C Literature and Reading


69/114


5-Year-Olds

4. Knows letters, soundsand how they formwords.

By the end of kindergarten,children acquire knowledgeabout the systematicrelationship between lettersand sounds. They

understand that a group ofletters represents asequence of sounds thatcombine to form a word (thealphabetic principle).Kindergartners can identifyand name uppercase andlower case letters,

understand that lettersstand for sounds, andassociate the correct soundwith many letters. Theybegin to sound out simplewords and can develop a

limited sight vocabulary.

4-Year-Olds

4. Begins to developknowledge aboutletters.

As four-year-olds areexposed to books and otherforms of writing, their

interest in letters increases.Although they initially feelthat they own letters

(thats my S) or confuse

letters with numerals andother symbols, they soonrealize that letters are thebuilding blocks of words.

With continued adultguidance, they can learnthe names of letters, identifysome letters in variedcontexts, and match a few

sounds with letters.

3-Year-Olds

4. Comprehends andresponds to storiesread aloud.

Three-year-olds are activelyengaged in understandingstories. They begin to followwhat characters say and do

in a story. Frequently,children memorize some ofthe words of the story orcan finish sentences inbooks that have repetitivepatterns of phrases.


70/114

Children demonstrate these skills by:

guessing a word by recognizing its initial letter (reads allwords beginning with s as stop);

announcing, My name and Peris name start with the letter P;

naming the letters in their first names;

asking relevant questions as the story is read;

recognizing when the reader omits part of a favorite story;

retelling a story .

C Literature and Reading


71/114


5-Year-Olds

5. Comprehends andresponds to fictionand informational textread aloud.

Kindergartners expand theirvocabulary and generalbackground knowledge asthey listen to fiction and

non-fiction texts read aloud.They demonstrate theirunderstanding of what theyhear by answeringquestions about the text,predicting what will happennext using pictures andcontent for guides, and

retelling information from astory in sequence, addingmore details and storyelements over time. Afterchildren comprehend a text,they begin to relate theirown experiences to whatthey have read.

4-Year-Olds

5. Comprehends andresponds to storiesread aloud.

As four-year-olds becomeinvolved with familiarstories, theircomprehension grows.

They begin retelling storiesin a variety of ways (lookingat the pictures and makingup the text, acting out partof the story in dramatic play,or telling the story using aflannel board) and asking

why things happened asthey did. With teacherguidance, they can begin toguess or make predictionsabout what will happen nextand to connect the story totheir own experiences.

3-Year-Olds

No benchmark for thisage group

Display a comprehension of stories by:


72/114

Display a comprehension of stories by:

looking at pictures in a book and predicting what will happen next;

recalling events in a story and beginning to add ways in which the story

relates to their own experiences;

answering questions and adding their own comments about a story as it isbeing read;

predicting what will happen to characters in a story based on the characters

actions thus far;

guessing book or story content from the books title and cover;

retelling a story in sequential order (beginning, middle, and end);

comparing books they are familiar with to a new story they are listening to;

asking questions and making comments about a story;

retelling the main events of a story just read or told by the teacher;

telling about the table manners they use at home after hearing Pass the

Cheese, Please;

guessing what will happen next by looking at the picture on the followingpage;

thinking about the intent of a character in a story (for example, why did the

mouse need to use manners).


73/114

Cognitive

Development &General Knowledge


74/114

Subdomain V.A.:

MathematicalThinking

A M th ti l P


75/114

A. Mathematical Processes

5-Year-Olds

1. Shows interest insolving mathematicalproblems.

Solving real-life problemshelps children makeconnections among themath they are learning atschool, other parts of theirlives, and other types oflearning. Problem-solvinginvolves posing questions,trying different strategies,and explaining onesthinking by stating reasonsa particular strategyworked. Young children

solve problems and explaintheir reasoning by workingwith concrete objects,drawing pictures, or acting

out solutions.

4-Year-Olds

1. Begins to use simplestrategies to solvemathematicalproblems.

Four-year-olds encounterreal life mathematical

problems throughout theday: How many cartons ofmilk do we need for snack?How can I fit these boxestogether? How many daysuntil we go to the zoo? Withguidance, and in aclassroom environment that

supports asking questions,preschoolers can begin tosolve simple mathematicalproblems in concrete ways,and offer basic explanationsfor their solutions.

3-Year-Olds

1. Shows interest insolving mathematicalproblems.

Three-year-olds are drawninto the world ofmathematics in many ways.They observe people

counting money, measuringthings, and talking abouttwo shoes and two eyes.Adults frequently ask them

how old they are.

E l f l i th ti l bl


76/114

Examples of solving mathematical problems:

asking questions to clarify problems (for example, How many

smaller pieces of bread does it take to make a whole slice?);

solving problems by guessing and checking, using concrete objects(such as figuring out how many pieces of chicken each child shouldtake to have enough for everyone);

estimating whether there is enough food for everyone; discussing two small bowls rather than one large, four smaller

pieces of bread equal one slice;

counting the number of friends at the table.

B Patterns Relationships and Functions:


77/114

B. Patterns, Relationships, and Functions:

5-Year-Olds

2. Sorts objects intosubgroups, classifyingand comparingaccording to a rule.

Sorting objects intogroups according to

attributes is an importantmathematical skill thatrequires children torecognize similaritiesamong objects. Althoughsome five-year-olds canonly perceive one

attribute at a time, mostare able to integrateseveral attributes, suchas sorting by color andsize.

4-Year-Olds

2. Recognizes simplepatterns andduplicates them.

Like sorting andclassifying, recognizingand creating patternsalso introduce children

to the concept of orderin the world. Four-year-olds natural curiositycan be directed towardrecognition of patterns.They can copy simplepatterns with sounds

and objects.

3-Year-Olds

No benchmark for thisage group

Examples of skills in sorting and patterning


78/114

Examples of skills in sorting and patterning:

sorting the trash products into the trash can;

classifying the silverware and plastic cups in separate containersafter the meal is finished;

explaining the rule they used to sort objects;

classifying foods through discussion (example, what is crunchy,

what is sweet, what is a vegetable?).

C. Number Concept and Operations


79/114

C. Number Concept and Operations

5-Year-Olds

1. Shows understanding

of the concept ofnumber and quantity.

Kindergarten children cancount objects to at least 20,many learn to count verbally(that is, by rote) to 100. Theycan count using one-to-onecorrespondence reliably, use

objects to representnumbers, and use numeralsto represent quantities. Withexperience, they can beginto understand that a set ofobjects equals the samenumber regardless of theposition, shape, or order of

the objects. They continue tolearn about ordinal numbers(first through tenth) andunderstand that the lastnumber named in acollection represents notonly the last object, but thetotal number of objects aswell.

4-Year-Olds

1. Shows beginning

understanding of theconcept of numberand quantity.

Four-year-olds can countfive to ten objectsmeaningfully using one-to-one correspondence, andsome can count verbally up

to 20 or 30. Most four-year-olds understand that thelast number named in thecollection represents thelast object as well as thetotal number of objects.They are just learning thatthe next number in the

counting sequence is onemore than the number justnamed and continue toexplore the meaning ofmore and less.

3-Year-Olds

1. Shows curiosity and

interest in countingand numbers.

Most three-year-olds areinterested in numbersand counting. They mayask, How many? andbegin to say numbers inorder, counting verbally

up to three, six, or eventen with help. They cancount small sets of one,two, or three objects withone-to-onecorrespondence. Mostthree-year-olds canidentify a group of one,

two, or three objectswithout counting, visuallyrecognize whether twosets have the same orone has more, and makesets of up to three items.

Examples of skills in numbers and counting:


80/114

Examples of skills in numbers and counting:

explaining that there are 11 people at the meal table, after counting

them aloud with their classmates;

naming correctly the sixth, seventh, and eighth, etc. children;

using number words to show understanding of the commonnumerical property among eleven plates, spoons, cups, etc.;

Discussing the concepts of more and less; Discussing the concepts of larger than and smaller than;

following directions for getting just two pieces of chicken;

commenting that everyone at the meal table has served themselves

some of all of the menu items.

D. Geometry and Spatial Relations


81/114

y p

5-Year-Olds

1. Recognizes and

describes someattributes of shapes.

As children play with unitblocks, table blocks, patternblocks, shape sorters, pegboards, and geoboards, theygain a concreteunderstanding of shape and

form. Five-year-olds canidentify, describe, label, andcreate a variety of common2-D shapes and solids(circle, square, triangle,rectangle, cube, sphere) andbegin to describe theirattributes (corners, curves,

edges). This concreteexperience is important tolater geometrical thinking

and problem solving.

4-Year-Olds

1. Begins to recognize

and describe someattributes of shapes.

Four-year-olds begin tonotice similarities anddifferences in the attributesof different shapes ifattention is drawn to shapesin the classroom andenvironment. Withencouragement, four-year-olds can recognize differentvariations of shapes (forexample, equilateraltriangles and isosceles

triangles are all triangles),identify particular shapes indifferent orientations asbeing the same shape, andlabel shapes and discusstheir characteristics.

3-Year-Olds

1. Identifies several

shapes. Three-year-olds becomeaware of shapes in theirworld when they aretaught to identifygeometric shapes thathave been labeled by theteacher. Although they

focus initially on circles,they can be expected tomatch and identifysquares and triangles aswell. They begin to lookat common objects with anew focus and gainmastery when

encouraged to observe,explore, and name

various shapes.

Examples of a familiarity with geometric shapes:


82/114

Examples of a familiarity with geometric shapes:

discussing that 4 small squares of bread equal one largesquare;

recognizing that the shape of the orange slices is a half circle.

D. Geometry and Spatial Relations


83/114

y p

5-Year-Olds

2. Shows

understanding ofand uses direction,location, andposition words.

Children learn positionalvocabulary as they

develop spatialawareness and arecognition of symmetryand balance. Throughdiscovery,experimentation, andexperience, children

form beginningunderstandings ofdirection (Which way?),distance (How far?),and location (Where?).

4-Year-Olds


of and uses severalpositional words.

Four-year-olds continueto develop spatial sense,which is the awareness ofthemselves in relation to

the people and objectsaround them. Theyacquire the vocabulary ofposition and begin tolearn about direction,distance, and location. Byage four, children should

understand a number ofpositional and directionalwords, such as above,

below, under, beside,

and behind.

3-Year-Olds

2. Shows

understanding ofseveral positionalwords.

Three-year-olds tend todescribe things inrelation to their ownposition in space, but

show understanding ofcommon positionalwords when asked toplace objects on top ofor below something, orwhen asked to point tothe bottom, or toindicate up and down.

They can understandsuch positional wordsas over, under,above, on, and nextto.

Examples of an awareness of position include:


84/114

Examples of an awareness of position include:

placing an object inside and outside the serving bowl, behind andin front, under and above, beside and on the plate, and describing

changing locations;

commenting that a bowl of food is nearer to me and farther fromyou;

identifying who is sitting beside the teacher and who is sitting in

front of her; giving directions to a friend at the meal table, The milk is in front

of you, the bread is next to Zachary.

going over to sit beside (or in front of) a classmate when asked todo so;

using positional words when referring to a friend or the placementof food at the table;

using direction, location, and position words spontaneously asthey participate in the meal time.

E. Measurement


85/114

5-Year-Olds

1. Orders, compares, and

describes objects bysize, length, capacity,and weight.

Five-year-olds are veryinterested in ordering andcomparing objects (forexample, You have more

ice cream than I do.).They start by being ableto order only four or fiveobjects, and graduallyincrease to eight or ten.Many children begin todifferentiate among size,length, and weight and

use appropriate terms todescribe each attribute.These direct comparisonsof length, volume, andweight form thefoundation for morecomplex measuringactivities.

4-Year-Olds

1. Orders, compares, and

describes objectsaccording to a singleattribute.

Grouping things based ona single attribute thatchanges systematically(small to large, short to

long, soft to loud) is calledseriation. Ordering orseriation requires childrento observe anddistinguish slightdifferences among two orthree objects. Four-year-olds begin to compare

and seriate according tosize, length, height, andweight as they explore theproperties of things anddecide which things arebigger, longer, shorter, orheavier.

3-Year-Olds


of some comparativewords.

Words describing size areused frequently ineveryday conversation(for example, big, little,

tall, short, long).

Examples of comparison skills include:


86/114

Examples of comparison skills include:

noticing that one child is taller than another;

discussing the comparison of bowl sizes, using two smallbowls instead of one large bowl;

using measurement words when describing things to peers orthe teacher (for example, announcing, My piece of chicken is

the biggest.).

E. Measurement


87/114

5-Year-Olds

2. Estimates and

measures using non-standard and standardunits.

When children begin tomeasure objects, theyfirst select a unit ofmeasurement, compare

that unit to the object,and count the number ofunits required torepresent the object.Five-year-oldsspontaneously use suchunits as a foot, hand

span, paper clip, orblock to measureobjects.

4-Year-Olds

2. Participates in

measuring activities.As four-year-olds learnabout their world, theybegin to explore length,height, and weight,although understandingweight is still difficult for

them. They have limitedawareness of time,although many four-year-olds recognize howevents are sequenced(first we eat snack, thenwe have free time, then

we go to the gym).Four-year-olds arecurious and interested inthe measuring tools thatadults use and areeager to explore withthem.

3-Year-Olds

2. Participates in

measuring activities.Three-year-olds enjoyusing cups andmeasuring spoons in thedramatic play cornerand are just beginningto understand the

teachers use ofmeasuring cups for acooking project.

Examples of measuring skills include:


88/114

Examples of measuring skills include:

guessing whether or not one large bowl can hold the contents

of two smaller bowls; estimating that a smaller bowl of food will weigh less than a

bigger bowl;

using the big pitcher of water to fill many small cups of water.


89/114

Subdomain V.B.:Scientific Thinking

A. Inquiry


90/114

5-Year-Olds

1. Seeks informationthrough observation,exploration, anddescriptiveinvestigations.

Five-year-olds naturalcuriosity about their worldfrequently leads them toask, Why? As questions

are raised, kindergartnersseek answers primarilythrough exploration,manipulation, and carefulobservation using theirsenses. After observing,children need adult help toorganize their observations

into thoughts that will assistthem in making furtherdiscoveries. They enjoy thechallenge of sorting objects,making comparisons,seeing patterns in nature,and noticing differences andsimilarities.

4-Year-Olds

1. Asks questions anduses senses toobserve and explorematerials and naturalphenomena.

Exploration is the heart ofthe four-year-olds world.Looking, touching, lifting,listening, and experimenting

are all very natural at thisage. They are justbeginning to articulate theirobservations about theworld in an organized way.In the course of play,childrens experiences leadthem to raise such

questions as, What willhappen if? With teacherguidance, children can beled to answer questionsthrough further observation,making charts, or otherwiseorganizing observations intoinformation that helps themunderstand their

explorations.

3-Year-Olds

1. Uses senses toobserve and exploreclassroom materialsand naturalphenomena.

Three-year-olds are verycurious. They naturallyexplore and study mostcommon objects and living

things. They will study anant crawling on thesidewalk or an interestingtwig they find lying on theground. They are more aptto express their wonderabout the world bycommenting about their

observations than by askingmeaningful questions.

Examples include:


91/114

Examples include:

becoming more accurate and precise when reporting

observations (for example, trying to use all senses whenobserving);

wondering how butter is made;

observing various things or processes and guessing theanswers to why and what questions;

touching the chicken and noticing it feels warm, handling themilk carton and noticing that it feels wet and cold.

A. Inquiry


92/114

5-Year-Olds

3. Forms explanations

andcommunicatesscientific information.

Scientific thinkingrequires observing,asking questions, drawingconclusions, andproposing explanations

about current and futureevents. Children canbegin to guess thereasons for what theyhave observed even ifthose reasons are notscientifically correct asthey organize, with

teacher support andguidance, the informationthey have gathered. Five-year-olds communicatescientific informationthrough speaking,drawing, and writing.

4-Year-Olds

3. Makes comparisons

among objects.Four-year-olds readilymake comparisons aboutobserved objects whenencouraged and guided.They become enthusiasticabout different kinds ofpaw prints in the snow ordifferences in footprints inthe sand. They enjoyfinding things that are thesame or different. Theircomparative statementsrepresent how very youngchildren begin to draw

conclusions fromobservations.

3-Year-Olds

3. Makes comparisons

among objects.Three-year-olds enjoycalling attention to detailsand exploring, with adultsupport, the ways inwhich things are alike ordifferent. They comment

on what they see, butneed to be given words todescribe more accuratelywhat they are observing.

Evidence of these skills include:


93/114

de ce o t ese s s c ude

comparing characteristics of foods raw and cooked such as Are

green beans crunchy? Not when theyre cooked. comparing tastes of foods (sweet versus salty);

comparing colors of foods on the plate;

comparing the kinds of food on the plates to see if everyone got all

of the menu items.


94/114

Subdomain V.C.:Social Studies

A. People, Past and Present


95/114

5-Year-Olds

1. Identifies similarities

and differences inpeoplescharacteristics, habits,and livingpatterns.(SS.B.2.1)*13

Five-year-olds develop self-identity by comparingthemselves with others. Atfirst, these comparisonsfocus on physicalcharacteristics andpreferences, but soonextend to recognizingsimilarities and differenceswithin families or culturalgroups. They continue to

explore family roles and toexamine other families tosee how they differ from orare the same as their own.They learn about theirclassmates cultures throughconversations, dramatic playinteractions, and items they

bring to school from home.

4-Year-Olds

1. Identifies similarities

and differences inpersonal and familycharacteristics.

Four-year-olds noticesimilarities and differencesamong themselves andothers. Initially they focuson physical characteristicsand family habits. Withteacher guidance, theybegin to show awarenessthat people are members ofdifferent cultural groups thathave different habits,

traditions, and customs.

3-Year-Olds

1. Begins to recognize

own physicalcharacteristics andthose of others.

For three-year-olds,understanding culturebegins withunderstanding

themselves and theirfamilies. Three-year-oldscombine their developingexpertise in languagewith observations ofthemselves and thosearound them. They beginto identify their ownphysical attributes andpoint outoften in loud,clear languagetheattributes of others. .

Examples include:


96/114

p

exploring physical similarities and differences (such as, everyone

has hair, but hair comes in different colors, textures, and lengths); tasting a food that a classmate from another culture brings to school

and exploring its relationship to holidays and other specialoccasions;

naming all the girls at the table, and adding, and Im one, too;

announcing that they are girls, and Kevin and Raul are boys.

talking with a classmate about the celebration of a holiday, such asThanksgiving, Memorial Day, or a special ethnic celebration;

B. Human Interdependence


97/114

5-Year-Olds

1. Begins to understand

how people rely onothers for goods andservices. (SS.B.2.1)

Five-year-olds are learningto distinguish betweenwants and needs and arebeginning to realize thatmaking one choice means

that you may not be able todo something else (forexample, deciding to take aturn at the computer meansyou will not have time tobuild with blocks). Personalexperience with makingtrades leads to a beginning

awareness of money as ameans to purchase goodsand services. As their socialworld expands, children thisage can begin tounderstand that all peopleneed food, shelter, and

clothing.

4-Year-Olds


family needs, roles,and relationships.

Four-year-olds are veryinterested in learning aboutfamily roles andrelationships. Throughdramatic play andconversation, they actively

explore the jobs familymembers perform to meetthe familys needs (working,preparing dinner, driving thecar, taking care of children).When they realize that aclassmates family structurediffers from theirs, they

want to explore thosedifferences.

3-Year-Olds


family structure androles.

As three-year-olds engagein role-playing, they come tounderstand their own lifeexperiences and learnabout the roles of theirfamily members. Thisunderstanding developsthrough concreteexploration during dramaticplay, informalconversations, and trying

things out.

Evidence of these skills include:


98/114

wondering aloud about how food gets to the grocery store;

talking with the teacher or each other about when their mommiesor grandpas go to work and what they do there;

telling someone about a family routine, such as saying, I used to

have food on the way to school;

asking questions about other families (for example, how theycelebrate holidays, where they go to church, or who goes to work).

C. Citizenship and Government


99/114

5-Year-Olds

1. Demonstrates

awareness of thereasons for rules.

(SS.C.1.1)Childrensunderstanding of thereasons for rules andlaws comes about asthey discuss problemsin the classroom andschool and participate inmaking reasonable rulesthat directly involvethem. They demonstratetheir understanding of

rules and laws byshowing such positivecitizenship behaviors assharing, taking turns,following rules, andtaking responsibility for

classroom jobs.

4-Year-Olds

1. Demonstrates

awareness of rules.Four-year-olds can bevery strict aboutadhering to classroomrules. They like havingclear rules and preferthat rules be followed.

They can begin tounderstand, withguidance, why rules areimportant forcooperative living.

3-Year-Olds

1. Shows awareness of

group rules.At three, children arebeginning to learn abouthow to behave ingroups. They do not yetunderstand the reasonsfor rules. Although they

might be able to repeatrules, they cannot followthem consistently

without adult help.

Children show an understanding of rules by:


100/114

Children show an understanding of rules by:

explaining that we do not lick the servi

mealtime incl. ps

Documents