| Texas Education Agency Preschool Curriculum Guidelines
Research confirms the value of early education for young children.
Prekindergarten programs that support effective teaching practices have been
shown to lead to important growth in children’s intellectual and social
development, which is critical to their future academic success. Quality
programs that provide challenging but achievable curriculum engage children
in thinking, reasoning, and communicating with others. With teacher
direction and guidance, children respond to the challenge and acquire
important skills and concepts.
The purpose of this document is to help educators make informed decisions
about curriculum content for prekindergarten children. The guidelines are
based on knowledge of theory and research about how children develop and
learn; they reflect the growing consensus among early childhood professional
organizations that a greater emphasis be placed on young children’s
conceptual learning, acquisition of basic skills, and participation in
meaningful and relevant learning experiences. The guidelines also delineate
the content that children are to learn and what they should be able to
achieve. Finally, the guidelines provide a means to align the
prekindergarten programs with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
(TEKS).
The guidelines describe specific goals for prekindergarten children in each
content area. The intent of this organizational design is to ensure that all
three- and four-year-old children have the opportunity to strive towards
these goals. Due to age differences and previous experiences, however,
children will have a great diversity of knowledge. Some children, regardless
of their age level, will be at the beginning of the learning continuum,
while others will be further along. Children with disabilities may need
accommodations and modifications of the guidelines in order to benefit from
them. For children whose first language is not English, the student’s
native language serves as a foundation for knowledge acquisition. Students
in a prekindergarten English as a Second Language (ESL) program should
receive instruction in a manner they can understand and that is commensurate
with their proficiency level in English. Children’s current strengths and
skills should serve as the starting point for new experiences and
instruction rather than become a limitation. To use these guidelines to the
best advantage and to extend the learning of skills and concepts, teachers
must build on children’s existing competencies.
These guidelines are important tools to help teachers define and implement a
comprehensive curriculum. Such a curriculum helps to build connections
between subject matter disciplines by organizing the large amounts of
information children must learn into a set of meaningful concepts. Using
concepts from the guidelines, teachers can work across disciplines to
provide many opportunities for children to achieve knowledge and skills.
This document presents the commissioner’s guidelines for prekindergarten
curriculum. Because there is no state-required prekindergarten curriculum,
use of these guidelines is voluntary. Texas Education Code § 29.153 contains
statutory requirements concerning prekindergarten.
Language and Early Literacy
During the prekindergarten years, children’s experiences with communication
and literacy begin to form the basis for their later school success. Given
adequate opportunities to interact with responsive adults and peers in
language and print-rich environments, young children develop vocabulary,
extended language skills, and knowledge of the world around them. They
develop listening comprehension and phonological awareness; understanding of
the everyday functions of print; motivation to read; appreciation for
literary forms; and print awareness and letter knowledge. They learn what
books are and how to use them. Understanding the value of literacy as a
means of communication, as well as coming to enjoy reading, are
accomplishments typical of the future good reader. These language and
literacy accomplishments are best achieved through activities that are
integrated across different developmental areas: cognitive development, fine
and gross motor development, and social and emotional development. It is
important to consider native language, augmentative communication, and
sensory impairments in accomplishing these guidelines.
Prekindergarten educators should provide opportunities to promote language
and literacy learning in children who speak a language other than English.
Except where specified, the following guidelines outline language and
literacy accomplishments for three- and four-year-old children in their
native language. For students whose first language is other than English,
the native language serves as the foundation for English language
acquisition. Specific guidelines for the language and literacy development
of prekindergarten children whose home language is not English in English-
only settings appear below in each domain.
Language and Early Literacy Development
(1) Listening Comprehension
Prekindergarten-aged children are able to comprehend what they hear in
conversations and in stories read aloud with increasing accuracy, though
three-year-old children may respond in single words or brief phrases to some
questions, especially “why,” “how,” and “when” questions. Children
demonstrate understanding through their questions, comments, and actions.
Prekindergarten children in English as Second Language (ESL) settings listen
purposefully to English-speaking teachers and peers to gather information
about their new language.
The child:
· listens with increasing attention
· listens for different purposes (e.g., to learn what happened in a story,
to receive instructions, to converse with an adult or a peer)
· understands and follows simple oral directions
· enjoys listening to and responding to books
· listens to and engages in several exchanges of conversations with others
· listens to tapes and records, and shows understanding through
gestures, actions, and/or language
· listens purposefully to English-speaking teachers and peers to
gather information and shows some understanding of the new language being
spoken by others (ESL).
(2) Speech Production and Speech Discrimination
Young children must learn to vocalize, pronounce, and discriminate the
sounds and words of language. Although most children in prekindergarten can
accurately perceive the difference between similar-sounding words, they
continue to acquire new sounds and may mispronounce words quite often in
their own speech. The ability to produce certain speech sounds such as /s/
and /r/ improves with age. Just as infants and toddlers develop control
over the sounds of their first language, young children in ESL settings
gradually learn to pronounce the sounds of the English language.
The child:
· perceives differences between similar sounding words (e.g., “coat”
and “goat,” “three” and “free,” [Spanish] “juego” and “fuego”)
· produces speech sounds with increasing ease and accuracy
· experiments with new language sounds
· experiments with and demonstrates growing understanding of the
sounds and intonation of the English language (ESL).
(3) Vocabulary
Prekindergarten children experience rapid growth in their understanding of
words and word meanings. Vocabulary knowledge reflects children’s previous
experiences and growing knowledge of the world around them and is one of the
most important predictors of later reading achievement. As children learn
through experiences, they develop concepts, acquire new words, and
increasingly refine their understanding of words they already know.
The child:
· shows a steady increase in listening and speaking vocabulary
· uses new vocabulary in everyday communication
· refines and extends understanding of known words
· attempts to communicate more than current vocabulary will allow, borrowing
and extending words to create meaning
· links new learning experiences and vocabulary to what is already known
about a topic
· increases listening vocabulary and begins to develop a vocabulary of
object names and common phrases in English (ESL).
(4) Verbal Expression
Effective communication requires that children use their knowledge of
vocabulary, grammar, and sense of audience to convey meaning. Three- and
four-year-old children become increasingly adept at using language to
express their needs and interests, to play and pretend, and to share ideas.
Children’s use of invented words and the overgeneralization of language
rules (for example, saying “foots” instead of “feet” or [Spanish]“yo no
cabo” instead of “yo no quepo”) is a normal part of language acquisition.
Second language learners in English-only prekindergarten settings may
communicate nonverbally (e.g., through gestures) before they begin to
produce words and phrases in English. The ESL accomplishments noted below
represent a developmental sequence for second-language acquisition in young
children.
The child:
· uses language for a variety of purposes (e.g., expressing needs and
interests)
· uses sentences of increasing length (three or more words) and grammatical
complexity in everyday speech
· uses language to express common routines and familiar scripts
· tells a simple personal narrative, focusing on favorite or most memorable
parts
· asks questions and makes comments related to the current topic of
discussion
· begins to engage in conversation and follows conversational rules (e.g.,
staying on topic and taking turns)
· begins to retell the sequence of a story
· engages in various forms of nonverbal communication with those who do not
speak his/her home language (ESL)
· uses single words and simple phrases to communicate meaning in social
situations (ESL)
· attempts to use new vocabulary and grammar in speech (ESL).
(5) Phonological Awareness
Phonological awareness is an auditory skill that involves an understanding
of the sounds of spoken words. It includes recognizing and producing
rhymes, dividing words into syllables, and identifying words that have the
same beginning, middle, or ending sounds. Phonological awareness represents
a crucial step toward understanding that letters or groups of letters can
represent phonemes or sounds (i.e., the alphabetic principle). This
understanding is highly predictive of success in beginning reading. Some
basic proficiency in English may be prerequisite to the development of
phonological awareness in English for second-language learners.
The child:
· becomes increasingly sensitive to the sounds of spoken words
· begins to identify rhymes and rhyming sounds in familiar words,
participates in rhyming games, and repeats rhyming songs and poems
· begins to attend to the beginning sounds in familiar words by identifying
that the pronunciations of several words all begin the same way
(e.g., “dog,” “dark,” and “dusty,” [Spanish] “casa,” “coche,” and “cuna” )
· begins to break words into syllables or claps along with each syllable in
a phrase
· begins to create and invent words by substituting one sound for another
(e.g., bubblegum/gugglebum, [Spanish] calabaza/balacaza).
(6) Print and Book Awareness
Through their daily experiences with reading and writing, prekindergarten
children learn basic concepts about print and how it works. They learn that
print carries meaning and can be used for different purposes. They begin to
differentiate writing from other graphic symbols and recognize some of the
common features of print (for example, that writing moves from left to right
on a page and is divided into words).
The child:
· understands that reading and writing are ways to obtain information and
knowledge, generate and communicate thoughts and ideas, and solve problems
· understands that print carries a message by recognizing labels,
signs, and other print forms in the environment
· understands that letters are different from numbers
· understands that illustrations carry meaning but cannot be read
· understands that a book has a title and an author
· begins to understand that print runs from left to right and top to bottom
· begins to understand some basic print conventions (e.g., the
concept that letters are grouped to form words and that words are separated
by spaces)
· begins to recognize the association between spoken and written words by
following the print as it is read aloud
· understands that different text forms are used for different
functions (e.g., lists for shopping, recipes for cooking, newspapers for
learning about current events, letters and messages for interpersonal
communication).
(7) Letter Knowledge and Early Word Recognition
Letter knowledge is an essential component of learning to read and write.
Knowing how letters function in writing and how these letters connect to the
sounds children hear in words is crucial to children’s success in reading.
Combined with phonological awareness, letter knowledge is the key to
children’s understanding of the alphabetic principle. Children will use
this sound/letter connection to begin to identify printed words.
The child:
· begins to associate the names of letters with their shapes
· identifies 10 or more printed alphabet letters
· begins to notice beginning letters in familiar words
· begins to make some letter/sound matches
· begins to identify some high-frequency words (age 4).
(8) Motivation to Read
Prekindergarten children benefit from classroom environments that associate
reading with pleasure and enjoyment as well as learning and skill
development. These early experiences will come to define their assumptions
and expectations about becoming literate and influence their motivation to
work toward learning to read and write.
The child:
· demonstrates an interest in books and reading through body language and
facial expressions
· enjoys listening to and discussing storybooks and information books read
aloud
· frequently requests the re-reading of books
· attempts to read and write independently
· shares books and engages in pretend-reading with other children
· enjoys visiting the library.
(9) Developing Knowledge of Literary Forms
Exposure to storybooks and information books helps prekindergarten children
become familiar with the language of books and story forms. Children
develop concepts of story structure and knowledge about informational text
structures, which influences how they understand, interpret, and link what
they already know to new information.
The child:
· recognizes favorite books by their cover
· selects books to read based on personal criteria
· understands that books and other print resources (e.g., magazines,
computer-based texts) are handled in specific ways
· becomes increasingly familiar with narrative form and its elements by
identifying characters and predicting events, plot, and the resolution of
a story
· begins to predict what will happen next in a story
· imitates the special language in storybooks and story dialogue, and uses
it in retellings and dramatic play [(such as “Once upon a time…”)]
· asks questions and makes comments about the information and events from
books
· connects information and events in books to real-life experiences
· begins to retell some sequences of events in stories
· shows appreciation of repetitive language patterns.
(10) Written Expression
Prekindergarten-aged children generate hypotheses about how written language
works and begin to explore the uses of writing for themselves. They also
begin to ask adults to write signs and letters for them. Through these
early writing experiences, young children develop initial understandings
about the forms, features, and functions of written language. Over time,
children’s writing attempts more closely approximate conventional writing.
The child:
· attempts to write messages as part of playful activity
· uses known letters and approximations of letters to represent written
language (especially meaningful words like his/her name and phrases
such as “I love you” or [Spanish] “ Te quiero”)
· attempts to connect the sounds in a word with its letter forms
· understands that writing is used to communicate ideas and information
· attempts to use a variety of forms of writing (e.g., lists, messages,
stories)
· begins to dictate words, phrases, and sentences to an adult recording on
paper (e.g., “letter writing,” “storywriting”).
Mathematics
Mathematics learning builds on children’s curiosity and enthusiasm, and
challenges children to explore ideas about patterns and relationships, order
and predictability, and logic and meaning. Consequently, quality
instruction occurs in environments that are rich in language, encourage
children’s thinking, and nurture children’s explorations and ideas. These
ideas include the concepts of number pattern, measurement, shape, space, and
classification.
(1) Number and Operations
Understanding the concept of number is fundamental to mathematics. Children
come to school with rich and varied informal knowledge of number. A major
goal is to build on this informal base toward more thorough understanding
and skills. Children move from beginning to develop basic counting
techniques in prekindergarten to later understanding number size,
relationships, and operations.
The child:
· arranges sets of concrete objects in one-to-one correspondence
· counts by ones to 10 or higher
· counts concrete objects to five or higher
· begins to compare the numbers of concrete objects using language
(e.g., “same” or “equal,” “one more,” “more than,” or “less than”)
· begins to name “how many” are in a group of up to three (or more)
objects without counting (e.g., recognizing two or three crayons in a box)
· recognizes and describes the concept of zero (meaning there are none)
· begins to demonstrate part of and whole with real objects (e.g., an orange)
· begins to identify first and last in a series
· combines, separates, and names “how many” concrete objects.
(2) Patterns
Recognizing patterns and relationships among objects is an important
component in children’s intellectual development. Children learn to
organize their world by recognizing patterns and gradually begin to use
patterns as a strategy for problem-solving, forming generalizations, and
developing the concepts of number, operation, shape, and space. Pattern
recognition is the first step in the development of algebraic thinking.
The child:
· imitates pattern sounds and physical movements (e.g., clap, stomp, clap,
stomp)
· recognizes and reproduces simple patterns of concrete objects
(e.g., a string of beads that are yellow, blue, blue, yellow, blue, blue)
· begins to recognize patterns in their environment (e.g., day
follows night, repeated phrases in storybooks, patterns in carpeting or
clothing)
· begins to predict what comes next when patterns are extended.
(3) Geometry and Spatial Sense
Geometry helps children systematically represent and describe their world.
Children learn to name and recognize the properties of various shapes and
figures, to use words that indicate direction, and to use spatial reasoning
to analyze and solve problems.
The child:
· begins to recognize, describe, and name shapes (e.g., circles, triangles,
rectangles—including squares)
· begins to use words that indicate where things are in space
e.g., “beside,” “inside,” “behind,” “above,” “below”)
· begins to recognize when a shape’s position or orientation has changed
· begins to investigate and predict the results of putting together two or
more shapes
· puts together puzzles of increasing complexity.
(4) Measurement
Measurement is one of the most widely used applications of mathematics.
Early learning experiences with measurement should focus on direct
comparisons of objects. Children make decisions about size by looking,
touching, and comparing objects directly while building language to express
the size relationships.
The child:
· covers an area with shapes (e.g., tiles)
· fills a shape with solids or liquids (e.g., ice cubes, water)
· begins to make size comparisons between objects (e.g., taller than,
smaller than)
· begins to use tools to imitate measuring
· begins to categorize time intervals and uses language associated
with time in everyday situations (e.g., “in the morning,” “after snack”)
· begins to order two or three objects by size (seriation) (e.g.,
largest to smallest) (age 4).
(5) Classification and Data Collection
Children use sorting to organize their world. As children recognize
similarities and differences, they begin to recognize patterns that lead
them to form generalizations. As they begin to use language to describe
similarities and differences, they begin sharing their ideas and their
mathematical thinking. Children can be actively involved in collecting,
sorting, organizing, and communicating information.
The child:
· matches objects that are alike
· describes similarities and differences between objects
· sorts objects into groups by an attribute and begins to explain how
the grouping was done
· participates in creating and using real and pictorial graphs.
Science
Young children are natural scientists. They are eager to discover all they
can about the world in which they live. In prekindergarten, children
participate in simple investigations that help them begin to develop the
skills of asking questions, gathering information, communicating findings,
and making informed decisions. Using their own senses and common tools,
such as a hand lens, students make observations and collect information.
Through these processes, prekindergarten children learn about their world.
Children enter the prekindergarten classroom with many conceptions about the
natural and constructed world-ideas that they have gained from prior
experiences. Meaningful science learning experiences help children
investigate those pre-existing ideas while building a foundation for
additional knowledge. These meaningful experiences increase children's
understanding of the natural world, living things, cycles, change, and
patterns—concepts that organize the learning of science.
(1) Science Processes
Children use the processes of science to develop an understanding about
their world. They use their senses to gather information, make tentative
statements about events and relationships, and begin to test observations,
draw conclusions, and form generalizations. Children learn by participating
in a simple investigation (for example, adding water to a dried-up sponge),
and then thinking about it, and finally discussing what happened. This
inquiry approach enables students to build understanding over time.
The child:
· begins to demonstrate safe practices and appropriate use of materials
· asks questions about objects, events, and organisms
· shows an interest in investigating unfamiliar objects, organisms, and
phenomena
· uses one or more senses to observe and learn about objects, events,
and organisms
· describes observations
· begins to perform simple investigations
· gathers information using simple tools such as a magnifying lens and an
eyedropper
· explores by manipulating materials with simple equipment, (e.g.,
pouring from a cup, and using a spoon to pick up sand or water)
· uses simple measuring devices to learn about objects and organisms
· compares objects and organisms and identifies similarities and differences
· sorts objects and organisms into groups and begins to describe how
groups were organized
· begins to offer explanations, using his or her own words
· predicts what will happen next based on previous experience
· solves simple design problems (e.g., making a box into a little
house for a storybook character, toy, or pet)
· participates in creating and using simple data charts
· shares observations and findings with others through pictures,
discussions, or dramatizations.
(2) Science Concepts
As prekindergarten children learn science skills, they develop concepts
about the natural and constructed environment. They identify components of
the natural world including rocks, soil, and water. Children observe and
describe changes, and they name organisms and describe basic needs of living
things. Prekindergarten children observe cycles (for example, wet and dry)
and structures (such as fences or buildings) and describe simple patterns
that help predict what will happen next. They compare and sort objects and
organisms based on observable differences and similarities. The children
begin using what they know to solve problems, such as where to hang a wet
cloth so it will dry quickly. The prekindergarten children can also develop
an awareness that investigations help them learn about the natural world,
that certain questions can be answered by investigations, and that those
answers can change as new observations are made.
The child:
· observes and describes properties of rocks, soil, and water
· describes properties of objects and characteristics of living things
· begins to observe changes in size, color, position, weather, and sound
· identifies animals and plants as living things
· groups organisms and objects as living or nonliving and begins to
identify things people have built
· begins to recognize that living things have similar needs for water, food,
and air
· begins to identify what things are made of (e.g., distinguishing a
metal spoon from a plastic spoon)
· uses patterns (such as growth and day following night to predict what
happens next)
· identifies similarities and differences among objects and organisms
· begins to use scientific words and phrases to describe objects,
events, and living things.
Social Studies
Social studies concentrate on the nature of people and their world, the
heritage of the past, and contemporary living and culture. The social
studies are both integral to young children’s lives and of great interest to
them. Driven by a desire to know and achieve mastery over self and their
environment, children are eager to gain understanding of the many aspects of
their cultural and environmental world. Through social studies, children
begin to develop the self-understanding that will serve as a foundation for
learning about others and the world around them.
Although all aspects of education have the goal of preparing children to
become contributing members of society, social studies are particularly well
suited to foster the skills and attitudes necessary for participation in a
democracy. Skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, and working
independently and with others in a classroom prepare children to become
fully functioning citizens.
(1) Individual, Culture, and Community
All children live in some type of group or social organization.
Prekindergarten children must learn the skills of communicating, sharing,
cooperating, and participating with others. These individual skills are
necessary for all groups to function successfully and fairly. The better
children are able to understand others, the more they will feel a sense of
community and connection with other people and with their world.
The child:
· shares ideas and takes turns listening and speaking
· cooperates with others in a joint activity
· identifies and follows classroom rules
· participates in classroom jobs and contributes to the classroom community
· identifies similarities among people like himself/herself and
classmates as well as among himself/herself and people from other cultures
· begins to examine a situation from another person’s perspective.
(2) History
Prekindergarten children are aware of time and begin to organize their lives
around it. Three- and four-year-old children learn to depend on events and
routines that occur in a regular and predictable order. They begin to
understand past events and how these events relate to present and future
activities, demonstrating evidence of their growing understanding of time,
change, and continuity.
The child:
· identifies common events and routines (e.g., snack time, storytime)
· begins to categorize time intervals using words
(e.g., “today,” “tomorrow,” “next time”)
· recognizes changes in the environment over time (e.g., growth,
seasonal changes)
· connects past events to current events (e.g., linking yesterday’s
activity with what will happen today)
· begins to understand cause-and-effect relationships (e.g., if one
goes outside in the rain, one will get wet).
(3) Geography
Geographic thinking for young children begins with the concepts of location
and direction. Children use directions to locate their relative position in
space and to locate their home and school in their community. They learn to
recognize common features in their immediate environment and begin to
represent them symbolically through drawings and constructions.
The child:
· identifies common features in the home and school environment
(e.g., the library, the playground)
· creates simple representations of home, school, or community
through drawings or block constructions
· begins to use words to indicate relative location
(e.g., “front,” “back,” “near,” “far”)
· identifies common features of the local landscape (e.g., houses,
buildings, streets).
(4) Economics
In prekindergarten, children learn about the world of work in their
community. They explore the roles and relationships of consumers and
producers, and become aware that people produce services as well as goods.
Children learn that their community benefits from many different people
working in many different ways.
The child:
· understands the basic human needs of all people for food, clothing,
and shelter
· understands the roles, responsibilities, and services provided by
community workers
· becomes aware of what it means to be a consumer.
Fine Arts
Young children express their ideas, thoughts, and feelings using a variety
of symbols. Through their art, music, and dramatic play, children actively
engage in representing what they know and how they think, using problem-
solving strategies to express ideas in different forms. The fine arts
enhance children’s ability to interpret symbols and are associated with
growth in all areas of development, including academic learning.
(1) Art
Children explore a wide variety of materials and make discoveries about
color, shape, and texture through art experiences. They learn to express
what they know and begin to recognize how others express themselves through
art. They also begin to gain control of fine-motor muscles and practice
hand-eye coordination.
The child:
· uses a variety of materials (e.g., crayons, paint, clay, markers)
to create original work
· uses different colors, surface textures, and shapes to create form
and meaning
· begins to use art as a form of self-expression
· shares ideas about personal artwork
· begins to show interest in the artwork of others.
(2) Music
Three- and four-year-old children express themselves through singing and
movement, and by playing simple instruments. Like art, music is a form of
experiencing, learning, and communicating with others. Children learn to
experiment with music concepts, volume, tempo, and sound. They begin to
appreciate different types of music.
The child:
· participates in classroom music activities
· begins to sing a variety of simple songs
· begins to play classroom instruments
· begins to respond to music of various tempos through movement
· begins to distinguish among the sounds of several common instruments.
(3) Dramatic Play
Creative drama in prekindergarten involves young children in expressive and
spontaneous productions. Children demonstrate their unique interpretation
to music, songs, and stories through movement and dramatic experiences.
These experiences contribute to children’s ability to communicate more
effectively and engage in cooperative activity with others.
The child:
· expresses feelings through movement
· begins to create or recreate stories, moods, or experiences through
dramatic representations
· begins to engage in dramatic play with others.
Health and Safety
Young children learn health-promoting habits and routines in
prekindergarten. In these early years, they develop basic concepts,
attitudes, and skills about nutrition, safety, hygiene, and physical
activity that contribute to their well being. Children’s experiences with
their health and discovery of ways to improve it enhance their desire and
ability to make wise decisions for healthy living in the future.
(1) Health
Health education includes personal hygiene and nutrition education.
Children learn that regular hygiene routines and good nutrition are
important to their health.
The child:
· becomes aware of routine healthy behaviors (e.g., brushing teeth)
· begins to follow health-promoting routines (e.g., washing hands)
· begins to understand the need for exercise and rest
· refines use of eating utensils
· begins to recognize and select healthy foods
· prepares simple healthy snacks.
(2) Safety
Prekindergarten children acquire everyday routines and procedures to remain
safe and avoid injury. They learn about fire, traffic, environmental and
personal safety, and what to do in emergency situations.
The child:
· recognizes the danger of fire and learns to treat fire with caution
· responds appropriately during a fire drill
· knows how to seek help in an emergency
· knows how to cross a street safely
· recognizes the symbol for poison
· knows never to eat substances that are not food
· recognizes the danger of poisonous substances, including drugs
· knows not to talk to, accept rides from, or take treats from strangers
· knows how to get help from a parent and/or trusted adult when made
to feel uncomfortable or unsafe by another person/adult
· knows never to take medicine unless it is administered by an adult
· knows about safe behavior around bodies of water (e.g., pools, lakes).
Personal and Social Development
Prekindergarten children develop personal and social skills that enable them
to function well within the social setting of the classroom. Children
develop a sense of who they are and their capabilities, and establish
positive relationships with others, which enables them to effectively
participate in class and community and accomplish meaningful tasks.
(1) Personal Development
Children develop a sense of self in prekindergarten. They begin to show
initiative in learning and begin to take greater responsibility for their
own behavior. They learn to channel their energies in ways that promote
effective learning experiences.
The child:
· develops a sense of personal space
· expresses interests and self-direction in learning
· begins to show self-control by following classroom rules
· begins to be responsible for individual behavior and actions
· begins to show greater ability to control intense feelings (e.g.,
anger).
(2) Social Development
Children develop interpersonal and social skills for communicating with
others. They learn alternatives for resolving conflicts and communicating
their needs and feelings verbally, and they begin to develop and maintain
productive relationships with other children.
The child:
· begins to share and cooperate with others in group activities
· respects other people’s space and personal belongings
· begins to develop friendships with others
· begins to express thoughts, feelings, and ideas through language as
well as through gestures and actions
· responds to the suggestions of others.
Physical Development
Movement is at the center of young children’s lives. Prekindergarten
children participate in experiences that foster fundamental motor and
movement skills, such as walking and running, which are necessary for
participation in games and sports throughout life. They begin to develop
gross motor skills that involve throwing, catching, and kicking, and fine
motor skills that involve greater precision and accuracy of movement.
(1) Physical Movement
Children explore their physical space and understand how their bodies
function in space through active movement experiences. They become more
skillful and expressive in their movement from one point in space to another
through running, jumping, hopping, and skipping movements.
The child:
· explores moving in space
· shows an awareness of name, location, and relationship of body parts
· moves within a space of defined boundaries, changing body
configuration to accommodate the space
· becomes more able to move from one space to another in different
ways (e.g., running, jumping, hopping, skipping)
· becomes more able to move in place (e.g., axial movements such as
reaching, twisting, turning, and bending)
· begins to move in rhythm
· begins to participate in group games involving movement (e.g.,
Duck, Duck, Goose).
(2) Gross-Motor Development
Gross-motor development requires thought and deliberate movement. Three-
and four-year-old children develop greater control of gross-motor
manipulative movements that involve giving force to objects and receiving
force from objects. Throwing, catching, bouncing, and kicking are
fundamental gross-motor manipulative skills.
The child:
· begins to throw or kick an object in a particular direction
· begins to play catch with a bean bag or a large ball
· bounces a large ball and catches it
· begins to coordinate arms and legs (e.g., swinging, stretching).
(3) Fine-Motor Development
Fine-motor manipulative movements involve object-handling activities that
emphasize motor control, precision, and accuracy of movement. Using a
computer mouse, cutting with scissors, and drawing are the foundational
skills needed for the demands of handwriting and other small-motor skills in
later school years.
The child:
· begins to develop pincer control in picking up objects (e.g.,
weaving, touching small objects)
· begins to practice self-help skills (e.g., zipping, buttoning)
· begins to hold writing tools with fingers instead of with a fist
· begins to manipulate play objects that have fine parts
· begins to use scissors.
Technology Applications
Young children have much to gain from use of technology. In prekindergarten,
they expand their ability to acquire information, solve problems, and
communicate with others. Regular access and exposure to computers and
related technology can enhance this learning. Children use engaging, age-
appropriate, and challenging software, and technology to extend their
knowledge and to enrich their learning of curriculum content and concepts.
These technologies serve as important learning tools and are integrated
throughout the instructional program.
Children learn the basic functions of the computer and related technologies.
They develop techniques for handling and controlling various input devices,
and become increasingly confident and independent users of age-appropriate
software programs.
The child:
· starts, uses, and exits software programs
· uses a variety of input devices, such as mouse, keyboard,
voice/sound recorder, or touch screen
· begins to use technical terminology, such
as “mouse,” “keyboard,” “printer,” “CD-ROM”
· follows basic oral or pictorial cues for operating programs successfully
· enjoys listening to and interacting with storybooks and information
texts (e.g., multimedia encyclopedia) in electronic forms
· uses a variety of software packages with audio, video, and graphics
to enhance learning experiences (e.g., improving vocabulary, increasing
phonological awareness).
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