Pre-Kindergarten Expectations: Overview

                          A.B.C of Pre-K:Aligns with Common Core

A Attention span: able to attend to adult-directed activities

B Buttons: count them, sort them, and learn to button them on your own

C Cuts: with scissors, Counts to 10

D Draws: simple shapes

E  Eats: in the lunchroom

F Follows: directions

G Grouping: able to sort items by shape, size and color

H Habits: establish good bedtime and mealtime routines

I Independence: inspires confidence

J Jobs: able to follow through on simple tasks

K Kicking: able to kick a ball without losing balance, does not kick peers

L Listens: to a short story without interrupting

M Macaroni: pictures, necklaces, etc.

N Name: able to recognize own name in writing

O Open: to new experiences

P Plays well: independently and with other children

Q Quiet: understands the difference between indoor and outdoor voices

R Recognizes: rhymes

S Separates easily: from parent or caregiver, shares with others

T Time: understands the general concept of time of the day

U Understands: and is able to follow simple rules and directions

V Vocal: able to verbalize his wants and needs

W Writes: understands words are representations

X Extra love and attention: may be needed in the beginning

Y Yellow: knows her colors

Z Zipping: able to zip his own jacket

v  The Common Core State Standards were designed for grades K-12.  These skills taught in Pre-K 3-4 prepare students for the kindergarten expectations of the Common Core standards.

 Pre- Kindergarten Expectations:

         Personal and Social Development

Approach to learning

• Shows eagerness and curiosity as a learner
• Persists in task and seeks help when encountering a problem
• Is generally pleasant and cooperative

Self-Control

• Follows rules and routines
• Manages transitions (going from one activity to the next)
• Demonstrates normal activity level

Interactions with Others

• Interacts easily with one or more children
• Interacts easily with familiar adults
• Participates in group activities
• Plays well with others
• Takes turns and shares
• Cleans up after play

Conflict Resolution

• Seeks adult help when needed to resolve conflicts
• Uses words to resolve conflicts

Pre- Kindergarten Expectations:

                                                  The Arts

Creative Arts

• Identifies 10 colors:  red, yellow, blue, green, orange, purple, black, white, brown, pink
• Uses a variety of art materials for tactile experience and exploration

Music/Movement

• Participates in group music experiences
• Participates in creative movement/dance

Creative Dramatics

• Makes believe with objects
• Takes on pretend roles and situations

Pre- Kindergarten Expectations:

                             Language and Literacy

Listening

• Listens with understanding to directions and conversations
• Follows one-step directions
• Follows two-step directions

Speaking

• Speaks clearly enough to be understood without contextual clues
• Relates experiences with some understanding of sequences of events

Literature and Reading

• Listens with interest to stories read aloud
• Shows interest in reading-related activities
• Retells information from a story
• Sequences three pictures to tell a logical story

Writing

• Uses pictures to communicate ideas
• Uses scribbles, shapes, and letter-like symbols to write words or ideas

Alphabet Knowledge

• Recites/sings alphabet
• Matches upper-case letters
• Matches lower-case letters
• Identifies upper-case letters
• Identifies lower-case letters

Pre- Kindergarten Expectations:

                         Mathematical Thinking

Patterns and Relationships

• Sorts by color, shape, and size
• Orders or seriates several objects on the basis of one attribute
• Recognizes simple patterns and duplicates them

Number concept and operations

• Rote counts to 20
• Counts objects with meaning to 10
• Matches numerals
• Identifies by naming, numerals 0-10

Geometry and spatial relations

• Identifies 4 shapes- circle, square, rectangle, triangle
• Demonstrates concepts of positional/directional concepts (up/down, over/under, in/out, behind/in front of, beside/between, top/bottom, inside/outside, above/below, high/low, right/left, off/on, first/last, far/near, go/stop).

Measurement

• Shows understanding of and uses comparative words (big/little, large/small, short/long, tall/short, slow/fast, few/many, empty/full, less/more.

 Pre- Kindergarten Expectations:

                          Physical Development

Gross-Motor Skills

• Pedals and steers a tricycle
• Jumps in place, landing on two feet
• Jumps consecutively- 7 jumps
• Balances on one foot for 5 seconds
• Hops on one foot 2-3 hops
• Throws a ball with direction- 5 ft.
• Catches a thrown ball with arms and body
• Climbs a playground ladder
• Skips smoothly for 20 feet

Fine-Motor Skills

• Stacks 10, one-inch blocks
• Strings 4 1/2″ beads in two minutes
• Completes a seven piece interlocking puzzle
• Makes a pancake, snake, and ball from play dough
• Grasps pencil correctly
• Copies:  vertical line, horizontal line, circle, cross, square, V, triangle
• Copies first name
• Prints first name without a model
• Grasps scissors correctly
• Cuts within 1/4″ of a 6″ straight line on construction paper
• Cuts out a 3″ square on construction paper
• Cuts out a 3″ triangle on construction paper
• Cuts out a 3″ circle on construction paper
• Uses a glue stick appropriately
• Uses appropriate amount of glue for tasks

Character Development

  “You can’t become who you should be,

                   If you don’t do what you should do.” 

Looking at the positive the attributes of character, teachers both model and promote positive character traits in the classroom.

Students are introduced to a character trait each month. We encourage students to show and notice good character behaviors in their environment.

We also reinforce these traits using “teaching moments”   when good behavior is noticed. It is highlighted, discussed, celebrated.

Complete Elementary Education Program: