4K Curriculum

 Table of Contents

Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Overview
Today’s Play . . . Tomorrow’s Success!
Wisconsin Rapids 4K Community Collaborative Curriculum
Guiding Principles
Wisconsin Early Learning Standards and How They are Being met in 4K Classrooms
WI Model Early Learning Standards met
I. HEALTH AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
II. SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
III. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATION
IV. APPROACHES TO LEARNING
V. COGNITION AND GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

 

 

Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Overview

“Given that early childhood is a journey and not a destination, our goal is for each child to be an active, engaged learner who will grow to their full potential in a high quality, nurturing, and educational environment.”

The Wisconsin Rapids 4K Community Collaborative Program includes sections located in both public schools and community sites. All 4K teachers have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in education and are involved with continuing professional development related to the needs of the program. Ratios are kept to 17:2 with the second adult being a teacher’s educational assistant.

The program follows the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards. Classroom environments meet the standards of Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS). Appropriate learning materials are available to all students regardless of location. Materials directly correlate with performance standard goals.

The 4K program is play-based. Within these play experiences; children are exposed to a literacy/print rich environment. They are provided opportunities for dialogue, learning through social interaction, dramatic play, listening to stories, and writing. A play-based program allows children to develop at individual rates. Teachers are able to differentiate instruction to meet the various needs of their learners.

Research shows that play in early childhood is the best foundation for success in school. Play develops many skills that are necessary for children to learn to read and write for success in math and science. Play also develops behaviors that help children learn all school subjects.  

The following curriculum enables teachers to implement all performance standards as it meets the needs of the individual student. Standard domains are isolated and linked to classroom opportunities and experiences.

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Today’s Play . . . Tomorrow’s Success!

Today’s play in early childhood is the best foundation for success in school.  Play develops many skills that are necessary for children to learn to read and write for success in math and science.  Play also develops behaviors that help children learn all school subjects.  This chart shows the skill that children are learning as they play and the ways that these skills help children develop into better students.  This does not mean that preschoolers are ready to be taught to read and write.  It means that they are learning many of the things that will lead to success in elementary school by spending their time playing today.

Today’s play
(examples of play)
When children build with blocks, buildings, houses, cars, etc…		 Helps preschool-age children learn
  They are learning spatial relationships – learning to judge distance, space and size.
  They are improving their visual memory – remembering what they see.
  They are learning to achieve a self-selected goal – completing their own projects.		 Leads to elementary school success
  Understanding spatial relationships helps children to succeed in math and science.
  Visual memory is needed for learning to read.
  Independent completion of tasks is very important for success in all school subjects.
When children put blocks away onto labeled shelves… They are learning to match, classify and sort by shape and size. Matching, classifying and sorting are important underlying skills for many types of learning, especially math and science.
When children play with small interlocking blocks… They are improving their small muscle control – picking up and moving objects. Good small muscle control is needed for learning to write.
When children work a puzzle…

They learn to stick to a job and complete it, and feel good about completing it.
They are learning to make figure-ground discriminations – noticing the difference between the background and the picture.

 Children who are persistent learners do better in all school subjects.
Children need to make these type of distinctions to learn to recognize letters and to learn to read.
When children string beads… They are improving their eye-hand coordination – their ability to use their eyes and hands together. Eye-hand coordination is needed for learning to write.
When children mix two colors of paint to make another color They are developing an understanding of cause and effect. The foundation for science education is real-life experience with cause and effect.

Today’s play
(examples of play)
When children draw a picture of the sun…		 Helps preschool-age children learn
They are learning to use pictures or symbols to represent their ideas.		 Leads to elementary school success
Understanding that letters and words are symbols, and practice with using symbols is needed for children to learn to read and write.
When children pretend to write with markers and crayons… They are learning directionality – the way that adults write across the page from left to right in English. Understanding the directionality used in English gives children the background they need to make sense of reading and writing.
When children choose whatever they wish to do with art materials… They are learning to make choices, to try out ideas, to plan and experiment. Children who are independent learners and who can try out their own ideas are better learners in all school subjects.
When children play fireperson or adult roles…   They are developing perspective-taking skills – the ability to think about the way others act, think and feel, and develop empathy and feelings for others.
  They are learning to use symbols to represent something else – a block can become a firetruck.		   Children with perspective-taking skills understand that their teacher sees their work differently than they do.  This skill is needed for children to make use of the feedback about their work from their teacher.
  Learning to use symbols is what learning to read and write is all about.
When children play restaurant together or play grocery store together…   They are improving their language skills.
  They are learning how to work together to overcome problems.
  They are developing an understanding of social expectations and the attitude of others, and they develop the ability to anticipate how to act in real-life situations.		   Language skills underlie all learning in school.
  Problem-solving skills help children to learn in every school subject.
  Children become better at figuring out what is expected of them, academically and socially.
When children play in water…   They are learning conservation of volume – that no matter what size or shape the container is, a specific amount of water will not change.
  They test, experiment and guess what will happen.		   Conservation of volume is an important science concept.
  This is the same process scientists use in research.
When children play in wet and dry sand… They observe first-hand the changes that water makes to sand, learning that combining things together can create new and different things. Observing changes when things are combined is just like many types of scientific experiments

3/98
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Wisconsin Rapids 4K Community Collaborative Curriculum

  Guiding Framework

  •          The “Guiding Principles” and the five domains from the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards will serve as the framework for all instruction in four-year-old kindergarten (see attached). 
  •          Four-year-old kindergarten will be a play-based environment. 
  •          Four-year-old kindergarten will provide a literacy/print rich environment that includes exposure to literature and vocabulary, opportunities for dialogue, learning through social interaction, and opportunities for dramatic play, listening, and writing. 
  •          Four-year-old kindergarten will provide an environment that allows students the opportunities for choice, hands-on activi­ties, independent as well as small and large group activities, and activities that emphasize process, rather than product. 
  •          Four-year-old kindergarten will provide a nurturing environment for children, where students have clear guidelines that they help to create.  These guidelines are modeled for and practiced by the students.  A daily schedule/routine will be followed and communicated to children and parents. 
  •          Four-year-old kindergarten will provide activities that are differentiated to meet the developmental levels of students. 
  •          Four-year-old kindergarten will provide a variety of opportunities for parents to get involved.  Communication will be frequent and through multiple means such as newsletters, volunteer opportunities, conferences, field trips, etc. 
  •          Four-year-old kindergarten will involve community resources whenever available and appropriate. 
  •          Four-year-old kindergarten will provide a classroom with a variety of materials and centers that are accessible and appealing to four-year-olds. 
  •          Four-year-old kindergarten teachers will follow the curricular guidelines, program and student assessment structures, professional development activities, and site agreement guidelines set out by the four-year-old kindergarten steering committee.

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Guiding Principles

 1.      All children are capable and competent. 

      Development and learning begins at birth, for all children and in all settings.  The Early Learning Standards support practices that promote development and protect young children from the harm that results from inappropriate expecta­tions.  In this, they are aligned with ethical principles of the early childhood profession.

2.      A child’s early learning and development is multidimensional. 

      Developmental domains are highly interrelated.  The Early Learning Standards reflect the interconnectedness of the domains of children’s development: social and emotional development, approaches to learning, language development and communication, health and physical development, and cognition and general knowledge.

3.      Expectations for children must be guided by knowledge of child growth and development. 

      The Early Learning Standards are based on research about the processes and sequences of young children’s learning and development, and the conditions under which children develop to their fullest potential.

4.      Children are individuals who develop at various rates. 

      The Early Learning Standards recognize that there are individual rates of development and learning across any age range.

5.      Children are members of cultural groups that share developmental patterns.

      The Early Learning Standards acknowledge that children’s development and learning opportunities reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of children, families and environments. 

6.      Children exhibit a range of skills and competencies within any domain of development. 

      The Early Learning Standards support the development of optimal learning experiences that can be adapted for individ­ual developmental patterns.

7.      Children learn through play and the active exploration of their environment. 

       The Early Learning Standards reflect the belief that children should be provided with opportunities to explore and apply new skills through child-initiated and teacher-initiated activities, and through interactions with peers, adults and materi­als.  Teachers and families can best guide learning by providing these opportunities in natural, authentic contexts.

8.      Parents are children’s primary and most important caregivers and educators.

      Families, communities and schools all have significant roles to play in terms of what opportunities are available to children, and how well a child is able to take advantage of those learning opportunities.

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Wisconsin Early Learning Standards and How They are Being met in 4K Classrooms

This program is designed to expose young children to many ideas that will provide a foundation for future academic expectations.  The following standards are introductory.  Mastery of these concepts is not required to continue on to five-year-old kindergarten.

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS/ FAST START 
Children are exposed to…
The concept that reading and writing go from left to right and top to bottom with a return sweep
Letters and sounds
The concept that letters can be put together to make words
Punctuation at the end of a sentence
How to read classmates’ names
Modeled writing
1:1 correspondence
WI Model Early Learning Standards met:

  • News & Announcements
  • Health and Physical Development: B.EL.2
  • Social and Emotional Development: B.EL.6, C.EL.3, C.EL.5
  • Language Development and Communication: A.EL.2, A.EL.3, B.EL.3, C.EL.1, C.EL.2, C.EL.3, C.EL.4, C.EL.5, C.EL.6, C.EL.7, C.EL.8
  • Approaches to Learning: A.EL.1, A.EL.2, A.EL.3, B.EL.1, B.EL.2, C.EL.3
  • Cognition and General Knowledge: A.EL.4, B.EL.3

Fast Start

  • Health and Physical Development: A.EL.4
  • Social and Emotional Development: B.EL.6, C.EL.3, C.EL.5
  • Language Development and Communication: A.EL.1, A.EL.2, A.EL.3, A.EL.4, B.EL.2, B.EL.3, C.EL.1, C.EL.2, C.EL.3, C.EL.4, C.EL.5, C.EL.6, C.EL.7, C.EL.8
  • Approaches to Learning: A.EL.1, A.EL.2, A.EL.3, B.EL.1, B.EL.2, C.EL.1, C.EL.2, C.EL.3, C.EL.4
  • Cognition and General Knowledge: A.EL.1, A.EL.2, A.EL.3, A.EL.4, A.EL.5, B.EL.2, B.EL.3

 

CALENDAR/ WEATHER 
Children are exposed to…
Counting to 30
Patterns
Conventions of writing
The days of the week and months of the year
The seasons of the year
Observing the weather and talking about appropriate dress
WI Model Early Learning Standards met:

Health and Physical Development: A.EL.4, B.EL.2
Social and Emotional Development: B.EL.6, C.EL.3
Language Development and Communication: A.EL.2, A.EL.3
Approaches to Learning: A.EL.1, A.EL.2, B.EL.1, B.EL.2, C.EL.2, C.EL.3
Cognition and General Knowledge: A.EL.2, A.EL.3, A.EL.5  

GREETING/ SHARING 
Children are learning…
To take turns
Classmates’ names
To be valued as part of the group
To work as a teammate
To share experiences
To cooperate with the teachers and classmates
WI Model Early Learning Standards met:

Health and Physical Development: A.EL.4, B.EL.3
Social and Emotional Development: A.EL.1, A.EL.2, A.EL.3, A.EL.4, A.EL.5, B.El.1, B.EL.3, B.EL.4, B.EL.5, B.EL.6, C.EL.1, C.EL.3
Language Development and Communication: A.EL.4, B.EL.1, B.EL.3
Approaches to Learning: A.EL.1, B.EL.1, C.EL.1, C.EL.2, C.ELL.3, C.EL.4
Cognition and General Knowledge: B.EL.1, C.EL.1, C.EL.3, C.EL.4 

CENTER TIME 
Children are learning…             
To remain at a center activity for an appropriate amount of time
To share, play cooperatively, and to make friends
To clean up and store classroom materials
FREE PLAY Children are learning…
To interact with classmates
To share and take turns
To put away materials when finished
To resolve conflicts in socially acceptable ways
Social skills (cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control)
To develop creativity and enhance imagination

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WI Model Early Learning Standards met:

Health and Physical Development: A.EL.2, A.EL.4, B.EL.1, B.EL.2, B.EL.3
Social and Emotional Development: A.EL.1, A.EL.2, A.EL.3, A.EL.4, A.EL.5. B.EL.1, B.EL.2, B.EL.3, B.EL.5, B.EL.6, C.EL.1, C.EL.2, C.EL.3, C.EL.4, C.EL.5
Language Development and Communication: B.EL.1, B.EL.3
Approaches to Learning: A.EL.1, A.EL.2, A.EL.3, B.EL.1, B.EL.2, B.EL.3, B.EL.4, C.EL.2, C.EL.3, C.EL.4
Cognition and General Knowledge: A.EL.4, B.EL.1, B.EL.2, C.EL.1, C.EL.3  

GROUP TIME/ ART Children are learning…
To improve fine motor skills
To cut with scissors
To follow a model or oral directions
To express emotions through art
To clean up work area when finished
WI Model Early Learning Standards met:

Health and Physical Development: A.EL.2, A.EL.4, B.EL.1, B.EL.2, B.EL.3
Social and Emotional Development: A.EL.1, A.EL.2, A.EL.3, A.EL.4, B.EL.1, B.EL.2, B.El.3, B.EL.4, B.EL.6, C.EL.1, C.EL.3, C.EL.5
Language Development and Communication: A.EL.1, A.EL.3, B.EL.1, B.EL.2
Approaches to Learning: A.EL.1, A.EL.2, A.EL.3, B.EL.1, B.EL.2, C.EL.2, C.EL.3, C.EL.4  

STORY TIME Children are learning…
To enjoy stories from a variety of genres
To recall characters and events
To listen and be attentive
To make predictions
WI Model Early Learning Standards met:

Health and Physical Development: A.EL.4, B.EL.3
Social and Emotional Development: A.EL.1, A.EL.3, A.EL.4, A.EL.5, B.EL.6, C.EL.1, C.EL.3
Language Development and Communication: A.EL.1, A.EL.2, B.EL.1, B.EL.2, B.EL.3, C.EL.1, C.EL.2, C.EL.5, C.EL.7, C.EL.8
Approaches to Learning: C.EL.1, C.EL.2, C.EL.3, C.EL.4
Cognition and General Knowledge: B.EL.3, B.EL.4, C.EL.1, C.EL.2, C.EL.4 

RECESS/GROSS MOTOR Children are learning…
To use large muscles
The importance of being active
How to run, jump, and swing
To control his/her body while in motion  

WI Model Early Learning Standards met:

Health and Physical Development: A.EL.2, A.EL.3, B.EL.1, B.EL.2, B.EL.3
Social and Emotional Development: A.EL.1, A.EL.2, A.EL.3, A.EL.4, B.EL.1, B.EL.2, B.EL.3, B.EL.6, C.EL.1, C.EL.2, C.EL.3, C.EL.5
Language Development: A.EL.1, A.EL.3, A.EL.4
Approaches to Learning: A.EL.1, A.EL.2, A.EL.3, B.EL.1, B.EL.3, B.EL.4, C.EL.3, C.EL.4
Cognition and General Knowledge: B.EL.1, B.EL.3, C.EL.1, C.EL.3, C.EL.4 

ARRIVAL/ DISMISSAL/ BATHROOM Children are learning…
To put on and take off coats, snow pants, hats, boots, and mittens
To zip, button, or snap
To be responsible for his/her belongings
To be independent in the bathroom
To wash their hands at appropriate times
WI Model Early Learning Standards met:

Health and Physical Development: A.EL.1, A.EL.2, A.EL.3, A.EL.4, B.EL.1, B.EL.2
Social and Emotional Development: A.EL.2, A.EL.3, A.EL.4, B.EL.1, B.EL.2, B.EL.3, B.EL.5, B.EL.6, C.EL.5
Language Development and Communication: A.EL.1, A.EL.3, B.EL.1
Approaches to Learning: A.EL.1, A.EL.2, B.EL.2, C.EL.2, C.EL.3, C.EL.4 

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Performance Standards Performance Indicators (3-5 Year Olds) Classroom Opportunities

I. HEALTH AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
I.A.
Physical Health and Well Being
Developmental Expectation
Children in Wisconsin Rapids will be physically active, physically healthy, and effectively care for their physical well being.		  Learners will show evidence of develop-mentally appropriate abilities in:
1. Self-care routines
2. Safety rules and directions
3. Components of a healthy lifestyle, including nutrition, exercise, rest, and the role of health-care providers
4. Use of multi sensory abilities to proc­ess information		 Learners will be exposed to:
·Dressing and undressing without assistance (arrival/dismissal time)
·Bathroom independence
·Riding safely on a bus (bus evacuation)
·Washing hands at appropriate times (snack time, bathroom)
·Helping develop classroom guidelines (establishing a classroom routine)
·The importance of being active (recess/gross motor activities)
Making healthy food choices (snack time)
Program Standard WRPS 4K will provide increasingly complex and diverse opportunities for children to understand and care for their physical well being.

Suggestions for Classroom Experiences
 

  • Washing hands—Glitter germs. Ask: What is a germ? How big is it? Why is it important to wash your hands? Put a small amount of hand lotion in each student's hands. Sprinkle a small amount of glitter into each student's hands.  Next, have a few kids try to get the glitter off with dry paper towel or cold water. Let everyone wash his or her hands with warm, soapy water.  Ask, "What does the glitter represent (Germs)? What happened when you tried to get it off with just paper towels? Cold water? Warm, soapy water? Why is it important to properly wash your hands?
     
  • February is Nutrition Month
     
  • Provide opportunities for different Learning styles.  These are simply different approaches or ways of learning. Visual (learning through seeing), Auditory (learn through listening) and Kinesthetic/Tactile (learn through moving, doing and touching)
     
  • Lead children in singing songs or saying rhymes that include movement.  For example, “Shake my Sillies Out” by Raffi

 

  • Explore healthy food options during snack time, encourage parents to provide healthy snacks, include literature associated with fruits and vegetables.

 

 

Performance Standards Performance Indicators (3-5 Year Olds) Classroom Opportunities
I. B. Motor Development
Developmental Expectation
Children in Wisconsin Rapids will
effectively master the use of small
and gross motor skills to advance
their learning and to achieve
optimal physical health.		 Learners will show evidence of develop-mentally appropriate abilities in the following areas:
1.      Strength, control, balance, coordina­tion, locomotion, and endurance
2.      Hand-eye coordination, strength, con­trol, and object manipulation
3.      Use of their senses to take in, experi­ence, integrate, and regular responses to their environment		 Learners will be exposed to:
·Beginning to demonstrate fine motor control such as using crayons, scissors other writing utensils appropriately.
·Drawing recognizable pictures (writing/art center)
·Beginning to print name (fine motor activities)
·Throwing and catching a ball (recess/gross motor activities)
·Running, jumping, and galloping (recess/gross motor activities)
Acting out/experiencing the world around them (dramatic play opportunities, field trips, guest speakers)
Program Standard WRPS 4K will provide increasingly complex and diverse opportunities for children to develop their small and gross motor skills and to use their senses to integrate and act on their environment.

Suggestions for Classroom Experiences

  • Fine Motor Activities provided in Fine Motor Development Activities to Develop Hand Skills in Young Children by Mary Benbow.

  • Field Trip opportunities such as Down on the Farm, Fire Station, Christmas Tree Farm, Local businesses such as grocery stores, restaurants, etc.

  • Music and Movement opportunities—Responds with appropriate movements to songs/books such as Animal Action by Greg and Steve.
  • Imitate movement of animals (For example hops like a bunny, jumps like a frog, gallops like a horse)

  • Have the children participate by singing “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” and coordinate the words to the finger movements.

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Performance Standards Performance Indicators (3-5 Year Olds) Classroom Opportunities
II. SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
II. A.
Emotional Development
Developmental Expectation
Children in Wisconsin Rapids will be emotionally healthy.		 Learners will show evidence of develop­mentally appropriate abilities in the following areas:
1. Expressing a wide range of emotions in a variety of settings (pretend, play, drawing, dancing, etc.)
2. Seeking adult interactions as needed for emotional support, physical assis­tance, social interaction, and approval
3. Self-control
4. Use of words to communicate emo­tions
5. Understanding and responding to oth­ers emotions		 Learners will be exposed to:
·Taking turns (group time, free play)
·Being valued as a part of a group (morning meeting)
·Working as a teammate (gross motor activities/games)
·Sharing experiences
·Cooperating with others (center time, free play)
·Vocalizing needs (child/teacher interactions)
·Respecting and sharing the rights of other peers/adults (free play opportunities, and center time)
·Demonstrating independence (free play opportunities)
Program Standard WRPS 4K will provide increasingly complex and diverse opportunities for children to develop emotional competence.

Suggestion for Classroom Experiences

  • Encourage the children to talk about how they feel—have pictures of feelings such as happy, scared, lonely, jealous, etc posted in the room.  You can refer to these periodically through stories (how does the character feel?) or during situations that arise in the classroom.

  • Share time—Have a special day for each student to share something about him or her or something they like from their house.
  • Have activities that require more than one person such as acting out a story.  Encourage children to invite other children to take part in dramatizing the story with them.
 

 

Performance Standards Performance Indicators (3-5 Year Olds) Classroom Opportunities
II. B. Self-Concept
Developmental Expectation
Children in Wisconsin Rapids will have a sense of personal well being		 Learners will show evidence of develop­mentally appropriate abilities in the following areas:
1. Self-esteem
2. Self-direction in choices and actions
3. Self-awareness, including abilities, characteristics, and preferences
4. Creative self-expression
5. Willingness to make needs known and to trust in others
6. Views self as a teacher/learner		 Learners will be exposed to:
·Seeking new experiences or exhibiting curiosity (dramatic play experiences, centers)
·Maintaining interest in play activities (free play, centers and art projects)
·Remaining at an activity for an appropriate amount of time (free play opportunities, centers)
·Vocalizing needs (teacher child interactions)
·Participating in classroom activities (play based activities)
Program Standard WRPS 4K will provide the environment, context, and opportunities for children to develop and strengthen their sense of personal well being.

Suggestions for Classroom Experiences

  • The children can take on different pretend roles and situations in the Dramatic Play area.  “I’m a Doctor.  Call me if you are not feeling well.”

  • There will be a variety of learning centers set up in the classroom:  block area, listening center, computers, art center

  • Teacher encourages the child to vocalize their needs instead of assuming (tie shoes)

Performance Standards Performance Indicators (3-5 Year Olds) Classroom Opportunities

II. C. Social Competence
Developmental Expectation

Children in Wisconsin Rapids will be socially competent in early learning environments.

 Learners will show evidence of develop­mentally appropriate abilities in the following areas:
1. Interacting with one or more other children
2. Seeking out peers as play partners
3. Participating successfully as a mem­ber of a group
4. Using words and other positive strate­gies to resolve conflicts
5. Understanding when and how to ask for adult help		 Learners will be exposed to:
·Being aware of their own personal space and the personal space of others (teacher/child, peer interactions)
·Being polite and respectful
Demonstrating a well-balanced interaction between adults and peers (small/large group opportunities, free play, centers, recess)

Program Standard WRPS 4K will provide the environment, context, and opportunities for children to develop social competence.

Suggestions for Classroom Experiences

  • The children are encouraged to recognize the feelings of others and respond appropriately.  “You can share the blocks with me?”
  • The children share toys, books, games, etc. that they are using with others and respect their rights.  “We will divide up the red blocks so everyone will have some to use.”
  • The children use thinking skills to resolve conflicts.  When they want to play with a toy, they agree to play with another toy while waiting for their turn.  They may suggest trading a toy for another.
  • Manners

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Performance Standards Performance Indicators (3-5 Year Olds) Classroom Opportunities
III. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATION
III. A.
Listening and Under-standing
Developmental Expectation
Children in Wisconsin Rapids willcon­vey and interpret meaning through listening and understanding.		 Learners will show evidence of develop­mentally appropriate abilities in the following areas:
1. Deriving meaning from verbal and non­verbal cues.
2. Listening with understanding to stories, books, directions, and conver­sations
3. Following directions of increasing com­plexity
4. Listening and responding to music and rhythm		 Learners will be exposed to:
·Listening and following simple directions (games, art activities/projects, calendar, music, play based activities)
·Speaking clearly (morning meeting, peer interaction)
·Answering a direct question
·Expressing thoughts and ideas (teacher/child, peer interactions)
·Showing interest in literature (shared, independent reading, group projects)
Program Standard WRPS 4K will provide the environment, context, and opportunities for children to develop their abilities to listen and understand.

Suggestions for Classroom Experiences

  • Use charts with written directions and picture clues to explain a project.  As you are modeling, follow the direction chart.  You may want a consistent symbol for some tasks such as cut, glue, etc.  This chart allows for different learning styles to be successful.
  • During free play time monitor children by circulating around the room asking questions.  This gives the children the opportunity to put words to their actions.  “Tell me about you picture (writing center), What are you acting out? (Dramatic Play), Tell me about what you built.
  • Use flannel board pieces that go with a story.  This allows children to actively retell a story such as “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?” by Bill Marin Jr. and Eric Carle.  You also can print pictures and use Velcro to manipulate them on a flannel board.

 

 

Performance Standards Performance Indicators (3-5 Year Olds) Classroom Opportunities
III. B.
Speaking and Communicating
Developmental Expectation
Children in Wisconsin Rapids will con­vey and interpret meaning through speaking and other forms of communicating		 Learners will show evidence of develop­mentally appropriate abilities in the fol­lowing areas:
1. Communicating needs and thoughts through gestures, sounds, and/or words
2. Using increasingly complex and var­ied vocabulary and language structure
3. Using speech understandable to famil­iar and unfamiliar listeners		 Learners will be exposed to:
·Listening and following simple directions (classroom activities)
·Speaking clearly (classroom discussion, sharing, free play)
·Answering a direct question (show and tell, morning meeting)
·Expressing thoughts and ideas (peer interaction, teacher/child interactions)
·Vocalizing needs (classroom routine)
Program Standard WRPS 4K will provide the environment, context, and opportunities for children to develop their abilities to speak and communicate.

Suggestions for Classroom Experiences

  • Have a sharing opportunity for the children. (Show and Tell, Special student, Sharing)  This allows for the children to speak about themselves or an object from their home.  It also give the other children the experience with listening and asking questions.

  • When a child needs some more material or other assistance, encourage them to use their words. “May I go to the bathroom, please?”

  • Encourage children to actively participate in conversations with peers during free play time.  For example discuss with a friend how to use the blocks to make a house.

  • Express thought to adults/peers in the classroom.  “Look I made an “E” with the play dough.”

 

Performance Standards Performance Indicators (3-5 Year Olds) Classroom Opportunities
III. C. Early Literacy
Developmental Expectation
Children in Wisconsin Rapids will have the literacy skills and concepts needed to prepare them to learn to read and write.		 Learners will show evidence of develop­mentally appropriate abilities in the following areas:
1. Understanding concepts of print (book and print awareness)
2. Using a variety of strategies to derive meaning from a text
3. Alphabetic awareness
4. Phonological awareness
5. Understanding language structure
6. Associating sounds with written letters
7. Understanding and use of writing to represent thoughts or ideas
8. Understanding increasingly complex and varied vocabulary used in lan­guage and the environment		 Learners will be exposed to:
·Understanding that reading and writing go from left to right and top to bottom with return sweep (shared reading/writing)
·Being introduced to letters of the alphabet (reading books, environmental print, writing center)
·Understanding that letters can be put together to make words (shared reading/writing, writing center opportunities)
·Identifying that punctuation belongs at the end of a sentence (reading books, shared and independent reading)
·Beginning to read classroom names (morning meeting, environmental print)
·Observing modeled writing
·Experiencing rhythms and rhymes through songs, etc.
·Phonemic awareness

Program Standard WRPS 4K will provide the environment, context, and opportunities for children to develop literacy concepts and skills.
Suggestions for Classroom Experiences

Suggestions for Classroom Experiences

  • Have appropriate texts available for children to experience (variety of genres and interests).  The children will have the opportunity to enjoy and value reading.
  • Provide opportunities to create names/words with the alphabet through a variety of manipulatives (magnetic letters, play dough, sand, etc.)
  • When sharing a Big Book with the children, use a pointer or your finger to guide under the text.  This demonstrates that print has meaning, goes left-to-right, and top-to-bottom with return sweep.
  • The children use traffic signs in the block area to show understanding of environmental print.  They reach for the stop sign in the block area and say, “This says stop.  You need to stop when you see this sign.”
  • FAST Start

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Performance Standards Performance Indicators (3-5 Year Olds) Classroom Opportunities
IV. APPROACHES TO LEARNING
IV. A.
Curiosity, Engagement, and Persistence
Developmental Expectation
Children in Wisconsin Rapids will be curious and open to new tasks and challenges, using initiative, task persis­tence, and attentiveness to extend their learning.		 Learners will show evidence of develop­mentally appropriate abilities in the following areas:
1. Discovering and trying new things
2. Extending learning through attempt­ing, repeating, experimenting, refining, and elaborating on an activity
3. Persistence in working on an activity		 Learners will be exposed to:
·Seeking new experiences or exhibit curiosity (science area, centers, field trips, and games)
·Maintaining interest in play activity (play-based activities)
·Applying past experiences to new learning (play based activities, field trips)
Program Standard WRPS 4K will provide the environment, context, and diverse opportunities for children to extend their learning through curiosity, engagement, and persistence.

Suggestions for Classroom Experiences


  • The children show persistence while sorting activities.  They try putting several shapes in the hole of a sorting toy before finding the right one.

  • The children work on sequencing a story on the flannel board/magnetic board to show awareness of putting items in order.  You can also have sequence cards for life cycles in the science area.

  • The children work with Legos to make and interpret representations. “Look, I made a fire truck.”

 

 

 

Performance Standards Performance Indicators (3-5 Year Olds) Classroom Opportunities

IV. B.
Invention and Imagination
Developmental Expectation

Children in Wisconsin Rapids will use invention and imagination to extend their learning.

 Learners will show evidence of develop­mentally appropriate abilities in the following areas:
1. Trying new things and taking risks
2. Problem-solving using a variety of strategies
3. Using complex scenarios in pretend play
4. Exploring movement, music, and a variety of artistic media
Learners will be exposed to:
·Participating in classroom activities (peer interactions, teacher/child interactions, classroom routine, songs, dance, dramatic play, flannel board, play-based activities)
·Wonders, “What will happen if…?” and tests out possibilities
·Developing an awareness of different kinds of music and learn about the body’s ability to move in different ways.
Program Standard WRPS 4K will provide the environment, context, and diverse opportunities for children to extend their learning through use of invention and imagination.

Suggestions for Classroom Experiences

  • The children experiment with sink and float, and describe what they think will happen.
  • The children mix paint colors and predict which color will be produced.
  • The children will sing songs and learn movements to songs such as The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

 

Performance Standards Performance Indicators (3-5 Year Olds) Classroom Opportunities
IV. C. Cognitive Skills
Developmental Expectation
Children in Wisconsin Rapids will develop their capacity to use cognitive skills as a tool to acquire knowledge and skills.  These skills include reasoning, reflection, and interpretation.

Learners will show evidence of develop­mentally appropriate abilities in the following areas:

1. Thinking about, relating and asking questions about events and experi­ences, using progressively more complex language structure.
2. Learning from experience
3. Linking new learning with past learning
4. Generalizing and adjusting to new learning and experiences


Learners will be exposed to:

  • Making connections between self-to-self, self-to-text, and self-to-world (field trips, classroom guests, shared reading, play-based activities)
  • Adapting to change (transitions, classroom routine)
  • Vocalizing thoughts and ideas (peer interactions)
Program Standard WRPS 4K will provide the environment, context, and increasingly complex opportunities for children to extend their learning by using cognitive skills as a tool to acquire knowledge and skills.

Suggestions for Classroom Experiences

  • The children express themselves using words about connections to projects/books that are shared in the classroom.  While reading “The Mitten” by Jan Brett, a child shares a story about when they lost a mitten.  They were worried they would never find it.
  • The children share with adults/peers in the classroom about how they are sorting the bugs in the science area.
  • The children describe their drawing in the writing center.  “It stopped raining.  Here’s the sun, so everyone is happy they can go outside to play.”

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Performance Standards Performance Indicators (3-5 Year Olds) Classroom Opportunities
V. COGNITION AND GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
V. A.
Mathematical and
Logical Thinking
Developmental Expectation
Children in Wisconsin Rapids will understand and use early mathematical concepts and logical thinking processes to extend their learning.		 Learners will show evidence of develop­mentally appropriate abilities in the following areas:
1. Group and arrange objects in a series and recognize similarity/relationships
2. Count, join, separate, and tell how many
3. Recognize and use numerals to represent quantity
4. Understand words that locate an object in relation to its environment, put together progressively more difficult puzzles, and recognize and create two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional objects
5. Understand the concept of measurement
6. Collect, describe, and record information using all senses		 Learners will be exposed to:
·Participating in number activities such as rote counting 1:1 correspondence (math manipulatives, puzzles, games and calendar)
·Sorting objects (graphs, puzzles, math manipulatives,)
·Recognizing simple patterns (math manipulatives, calendar)
·Recognizing basic shapes (puzzles, math manipulatives, books)
·Participating in activities which expose them to positional words (songs, books, games), such as:  on, off, behind, near, far
Program Standard WRPS 4K will provide a supportive context and increasingly complex opportunities for children to extend their learning through the use of mathematical and logical thinking processes.

Suggestions for Classroom Experiences

  • When playing outside the children announce, “I’m going to see how many times I can jump, Ready. 1,2,3,4.  I did it 4 times.”
  • The children use one-to-one correspondence when setting the table for four people.  They put a spoon and plate by each chair.
  • The children string beads in a pattern to show they recognize and can repeat a pattern.  (red, blue, red, blue)
  • The children put together a group of chained links to measure how tall they are.  “Look, I have 2 more links than my friend.”
  • While building with blocks, have the children count how many they use to build their creations.  We used 20 blocks, 5 red, 10 blue and 5 yellow.

 

 

Performance Standards Performance Indicators (3-5 Year Olds) Classroom Opportunities
V. B.
Scientific Thinking and Problem Solving
Developmental Expectation
Children in Wisconsin Rapids will understand and use early mathematical concepts and logical thinking processes to extend their learning.		 Learners will show evidence of develop­mentally appropriate abilities in the following areas:
1. Use their senses to observe character­istics and behaviors in the physical world
2. Use tools to gather information, com­pare observed objects, and seek answers to questions through active investigation
3. Hypothesize and make predictions
4. Form explanations based on trial and error, observations, and explorations		 Learners will be exposed to:
· Predicting events (science experiments, sensory activities, outdoor discovery and mature walks)
· Using words for problem solving
· Describing processes (Informational books, shared reading
· Assembling materials (science experiments)
· Respecting and caring for classroom environment and materials
· Recognizing cause and effect (science experiments)
Program Standard WRPS 4K will provide the environment, context, and increasingly complex opportunities for children to extend their learning through the use of scientific reasoning and problem solving.

Suggestions for Classroom Experiences

  • The children approach problems with flexibility.  They use a variety of magnets to try to pick up the spoon until they find the one that will lift it.
  • The children use the balance scale to weigh and compare small objects.  “I need to add more to this to make it even.”
  • The children sort rocks to show the different kinds, “ We have more shiny rocks than black rocks.”  They could make a graph to show their results.
  • Have the children experience a (caterpillar/butterfly, tadpole/frog, egg/chick) life cycle. 
  • They will demonstrate an awareness of time—“A long time ago our frog used to be a tadpole.”
  • The children will melt snow or ice cubes, mix colors, sink and float.

Performance Standards Performance Indicators (3-5 Year Olds) Classroom Opportunities
V. C.
Social Systems
Understanding
Developmental Expectation
Children in Wisconsin Rapids will understand the characteristics and structures of social systems.		 Learners will show evidence of develop­mentally appropriate abilities in the following areas:
1. Recognize and respect shared and different characteristics of self and others, including values and beliefs
2. Understand family and community interdependence
3. Comprehend the concepts of fairness and equality and the reason for rules and laws
4. Recognize the interdependence of humans with the natural world
Learners will be exposed to:
·Respecting and tolerating others (using C.A.R.E.S.)
·Following classroom guidelines
Understanding how humans impact the environment (multicultural exposure—books, toys, posters, field trips)
Program Standard WRPS 4K will provide the environment, context, and increasingly complex opportunities for children to extend their learning through an understanding of the characteristics and structures of social systems.

Suggestions for Classroom Experiences

  • The children respect and care for the classroom environment and materials by cleaning up their materials and following with classroom routine.
  • The children participate in classroom activities after clean-up they go to the carpet for large group time.
  • The children take an active role in cleaning up and preparing activities creating hopes and dreams with students.

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