1. Oral Language

The most important aspect to evaluate in childcare settings for very young children is the amount of talk actually going on, moment by moment, between children and their caregivers. Oral language is arguably the most crucial area of academic focus during the pre-kindergarten years. Oral language is the primary means by which children gain knowledge about the world, and it is the vital foundation for children’s literacy development.

Oral Language Accomplishments - Listening

• Understand And Follow One- And Two-Step Oral Directions.
• Pay Attention to Sounds in Language (E.G., Recognize Rhymes, Hear Alliteration, Clap Syllables).
• Listen For A Variety Of Purposes (E.G., For Enjoyment, To Gain And Share Information, To Perform A Task, To Learn What Happened In A Story, To Converse With An Adult Or Peer).
• Enjoy Listening To And Discussing Storybooks; Demonstrate Comprehension By Asking Questions And Making Comments.
• Understand The Overall Sequence Of Events In Stories.
  
  

Speaking:

• Speak In Complete Sentences Made Up Of Three Or More Words.
• Speak Clearly Enough To Be Understood By Unfamiliar Adults And Use Appropriate Levels Of Volume, Tone And Inflection.
• Participate In Extended Conversations And Use Appropriate Conversational Techniques (E.G., Taking Turns Speaking, Listening Actively, Contributing Ideas).
• Use New Vocabulary And Grammatical Construction Appropriately In His/Her Own Speech.
• Use Spoken Language To Communicate Thoughts, Feelings, And Needs; To Describe Experiences And Observations; To Ex- Press Opinions And Ideas.
• Tell Stories.
• Repeat Or Act Out Familiar Stories, Songs, Rhymes, And Finger And Counting Games (Fingerplays) In Play Activities.
  
  

2. LITERACY

Literacy learning begins early in life and is ongoing. It does not wait for kindergarten or first grade. Starting from infancy, the informal and playful things that adults do to promote children's language and literacy really count.

Literacy Accomplishments:

• Enjoy Listening To And Discussing Storybooks.
• Develop New Background Knowledge And Vocabulary.
• Understand That Print Carries A Message.
• Identify Letters Of The Alphabet And Make Letter-Sound Matches.
• Identify Labels And Signs In The Environment And Know Some Familiar Words In Print, Such As Own First Name.
• Use Knowledge Of Letters To Write Or Copy Familiar Words, Such As His/Her Own Name.
  
  

3. Cognitive Skills and Math

As young children explore their environment, they are beginning to notice relationships that are the foundations for mathematics. They can sort and match things that are the same or different; they can also arrange things in simple patterns, based on their characteristics; they are beginning to understand the meaning of words and phrases like "more," "less," "a lot," and "the same as." In Sofia’s Playschool classrooms, children acquire math skills and concepts through adult-guided experiences that respect children's concrete thinking and need to learn through exploration.

Cognitive Skills and Math Accomplishments:

• Identify Colors, Shapes, Sizes, and Weights
• Count Everything and Put Numbers to Use (Put Four Plates on the Table)
• Recognize Numbers and Use Objects to Represent Numbers
• Practice Grouping, Sequencing and Completing Patterns
• Compare and Classify (More/Less, Bigger/Smaller, Same/Different, Long/Short, Light/Heavy, Holds More/Holds Less)
• Match Pictures or Objects That Are Alike, Opposite, or That Go Together
• Encourage Problem Solving Skills: Both Working It Out For Herself and Helping Me Come Up
  With Solutions
• Talk About Positions (Inside/Outside, Left/Right/Middle, Above/Below, Top/Bottom, Under/Over, In Front/Behind)
• Make A Play Clock and Talk about Time
• Play With Puzzles, Do Mazes and Dot to Dots
  
  

4. Science, Nature Studies and Life Skills

Young children are experimenters and testers from birth. If we observe young children as they explore their world, we will see them using science processes such as observing, classifying, experimenting, predicting, drawing conclusions, and communicating their ideas to others.
Children use the emerging abilities to explore their world and share their discoveries. As they observe living and nonliving things in the natural and physical world, they ask and answer questions about how things work and what causes change. They resolve discrepancies between what they expect to happen and what they actually observe, and they solve problems by using and transforming materials.

Sofia’s Day Care & Play School adults support in these processes by providing hands-on materials and multisensory experiences that build on children's discoveries and help them develop the habits of mind and skills associated with scientific thinking.

Science, Nature Studies and Life Skills Accomplishments

• Use Science Experiments to Learn About Cause and Effect
• Learn the Difference between Living and Non-Living Things
• Plant Seeds, Watch Them Grow, Identify Parts of Plants and What They Need To Thrive
• Learn About the Body and Self Care: Move Towards Independence With Getting Dressed, Brushing Teeth, Using The Toilet, Washing Hands
• Learn To Clean Up After Self and Basic Table Manners
• Learn About Emotions and How to Deal With Them
  
  

5. Physical Development and Health

Children are physically active, and Sofia’s Playschool teachers use children's physical actions as a gateway to learning in all areas of the curriculum. Our Program helps develop effective, engaging, teaching strategies and learning activities that promote the sequences of physical development that are essential for this age group. Learning personal care skills and acquiring habits that foster lifelong health are another important part of this curriculum area.

Physical Development and Health Accomplishments

• Encourage Unstructured Imaginative Play
• Lots of Arts And Crafts to Develop Fine Motor Skills: Include Stringing, Tracing, Cutting,
  and Pasting
• Lots of Outdoor Play to Develop Gross Motor Skills: Climbing, Jumping, Running, Balancing, Rolling, Throwing, Kicking
• Music: Singing, Dancing, Rhythm Instruments, Songs With Motion
• Build With Blocks and Lego
  
  

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