Instructional Standards

PRE-K Goals for Learning

Communication Standards

Speaking & Listening Standard

Ask & answer questions
Communicates needs, ideas and thoughts
Relate meaningful experiences
Listen and follow directions
Distinguish environmental sounds
Listen and respond to different types of books
Awareness of correct grammar through modeling
Ability to converse; give & take, on topic
Share ideas
Recite phrases learned
Participate in small group discussions & conversations
Exposure to other languages

Vocabulary

Expanding their vocabulary through experiences
Expanding vocabulary through books, poems and visitors to the classroom
Communicates with teacher, and child to child
Teachers listen attentively as child relates experiences

Creative Art Standards

Drama

Participates in pretend and real life experiences through dramatic play
Uses dramatic play to explore, learn, experience

Has used various materials and techniques to create, including scissors
Process is valued over end result allowing for exploration and creativity
Introduced to different styles of art
Learning descriptive language for art experiences

Music and Movement

Sing songs
Moves to rhythm and movement activities of songs
Exposure to instruments and different types of music
Experiences the dynamics of softer and louder, slow and fast

Literacy (Reading/Writing) Standards

Print Concepts and Phonemic Awareness

Familiarity with books including opening front, begin at left, turning pages, move to right
Introduced to all types of books
Recognize letters of own name and in the environment
Recognition of upper case & lower case letters
Associate letters (print) with sounds
Name words that begin with the same sound
Begin to recognize rhyming words
Begin to blend sounds to form a three letter word

Comprehension

Use picture clues to discover what a book is about
Enjoy different types of books including poetry
See connections in a story that relate to their own experience
During story, can make a prediction of what will happen next
Identify characters and feelings in a story
Tells about a story in their own words
Begin to discuss & learn from a story
Dramatize stories and use an expressive voice
Recite a phrase

Literature Standard

Selects books of interest to them
Refer to books for information
Have experience with many types of book (informative, historical, stories, picture, humorous, rhyme & rhythm)
Exposed to other cultures and experiences through books
Introduced to author, illustrator
Participate in creating a story
Able to verbalize a story of their own experience or fantasy through dictation to a teacher
Learning to differentiate between real and make-believe

Writing

Starts with verbalizing experiences
Shares their ideas for a story
Associates telling a story by drawing a picture
Will tell about drawing with teacher adding dictated words
Correct pencil grasp
Forms letters from top to bottom and writes from left to right
Transitioning from upper case letter print to lower case

Math Standards

Number Sense

Knowledge of quantity and of comparisons of quantity (all, some, non, fewer, more)
Develop one-to-one correspondence up to 10, counts to 20
Begin to associate number words with objects counted
Begin to use numbers to predict and make realistic guesses
Discover numbers always represent the same quantity – regardless of the arrangement (close or spread out)

Patterns and Functions of Numbers

Practice sorting, classifying, and ordering
Works puzzles, developing visual skills and problem solving
Observe and distinguish differences in objects, including ordering them (ie: biggest to smallest)
Learn to recognize, duplicate, and create patterns
Identify sequence of events of current time and past events
Introduction to charts and graphs as a way of collecting and organizing information
Building knowledge of things that go together
Can identify six basic shapes – circle, square, rectangle, triangle, oval/ellipse, diamond/rhombus

Collecting information, describing, and problem solving

Making collections of items, sorting by 1 or 2 characteristics (attributes)
Make observations and predict outcomes
Problem solving by testing ideas and finding solutions
Exploring size, shape, and spatial arrangements
Naming various shapes, including exposure to rhombus for diamond and ellipse for oval
Manipulating shapes to make new shapes
Verbalizing positional words as above, behind, below, middle, over, far, near

Measurement

Introduction to the concept of time
Knowledge of time-related words: day/night, yesterday/today/tomorrow, days of week
Developing knowledge of sequence (what comes next), through consistency, in time & events
Uses length of familiar object to learn measuring, introduced to use of standard measuring tools
Verbalizing changes in temperature, seasons, growth, etc

Computation

Recognizing small groups of numbers without “touch counting”
Combining and separating groups of objects
Beginning to estimate quantity
Introduction to currency concepts
Exposure to whole and fractions

Physical Development & Health Standards

Will choose and participate in various physical activities
Demonstrates control, balance, strength and coordination in large muscles
Participates in activities to develop eye-hand coordination in large and small muscles
Manipulates writing and/or painting utensils with increasing skill
Learning to make healthy food choices for healthier bodies

Science Standards – Earth, Physical, Life

Show curiosity and seek information
Learning to describe what they are doing
Explore and try different ways
Sensory exploration
Expanded vocabulary of descriptive words
Exposure to changes – applying heat, combining elements, freezing
Uses tools to explore – tweezers, eyedroppers, magnifying glasses
Uses tools to record – graphs, photos, drawings
Explores life science by discovering animals, insects, and life cycles in animals and plants
Simply describes weather and seasons
Learns to make comparison between similar and different objects
Aware of the process of growth and development of their own bodies
Awareness of healthy choices
Combining and cooking activities to explore results

Social Studies Standards

Celebrate each child’s uniqueness – made by God!
Discovering their own likes & dislikes, as well as those of their friends
Learning to stretch their focus beyond themselves
Awareness that children all over the world have the same needs – love, food, safety
Notes differences in other’s appearance and abilities – which makes every one special!
Learning to accommodate give and take in play – taking turns, sharing, communication
Awareness of other’s needs and offering to help
Discovering typical food, family life, travel, and play of children from various cultures
Learning to negotiate through disagreements
Introduction to a wide range of jobs with dramatic play opportunities
Learning about things that are made and jobs that serve others
Exchange of money
Discuss travel and explore a globe, use a map
Consider different climate and natural environments through books, visitors, dramatic play
Family traditions, sharing their own and learning others
Familiarity with the terms describing family members – i.e brother, aunt, grandpa, cousins
Learns democratic way of the preference of the majority
Shows respect and manners

Social/Emotional Standards

Affirmed they are loved and important by the actions and words of their parents and teachers
Can separate from parents and transition between activities
Developing self confidence by realizing their ideas and needs are valued
Experiences the freedom of trying, failing, and trying again – persistence
Hears encouragement and is celebrated in accomplishments
Learning to balance self needs and helping others
Feels worthy to be heard, confident to explore
Learning to resist the urge to be powerful over others –
“I won’t be your friend!” and chooses kindness instead
Can verbalize needs
Can express strong emotions with words instead of being physical
Knows that it is OK to want to take a break from others for awhile
Learning self control by waiting for a turn, or for attention from a teacher, and behavior choices
Learning that limits and boundaries are for their best interests
Know they can always ask for help
Shares responsibility, builds teamwork in tasks
Can acknowledge error and ask for forgiveness
Feels that joy, curiosity, and sharing are fostered at preschool
Can be “the best” and not make fun of others
Learns how to play considerately thereby forming positive peer relationships
Builds friendships
Knows right from wrong

Spiritual Standards

Children will understand that…

God created the world and everything in it
God is powerful – greater than any one or any thing else
God made each one of us special and unique
Jesus is God’s Son and He loves us
Jesus takes our punishment
Jesus is alive
We are forgiven and are to forgive others
God loves our praise
The Bible is God’s letter to us
God and Jesus want us to treat others with respect and kindness
We can talk to God and Jesus anytime – it’s called prayer
God and Jesus want us to obey our parents
God and Jesus wants us to choose right over wrong

Resources
National Association of the Education of the Young Child – NAEYC
Gaye Gronlund’s Connecting Your Practice & Curriculum to State Guidelines
Colorado State Standards and Adams 12 Pre-Kindergarten School District Standards