Chapter 8 The Preschool Years Getting Ready for School and Life

Focus Questions What are preschools and why are they so popular? What are preschoolers like and how can you support their physical, motor, social, emotional, cognitive, and language development? What is school readiness? What are preschool standards and how do they affect teaching and learning? What does the preschool curriculum consist of?

The Popularity of Preschools Parents in the workforce Highly educated workforce equals economic growth Intervention programs work best in the early years

What Are Preschoolers Like? Physical and motor development “slimming down” Learning to use and test their bodies Social and emotional development Initiative vs. guilt Learning Self-regulation Cognitive development Preoperational stage Language development Language skills grow and develop rapidly

Ready to Learn: Ready for School School Readiness Skills and Dispositions Approaches to learning Curiosity/ initiative Persistence Attention. Self-direction Problem solving Creativity

School Readiness Skills and Dispositions Early Literacy Skills Alphabetic knowledge (AK) Phonological awareness (PA) Rapid automatic naming (RAN) RAN of objects or colors Writing or writing name Phonological memory (PM) Language Receptive language Expressive language Symbolic language Vocabulary development

Teaching English Language Learners (ELLs) Keep ELLs active and involved Create a buddy system Teach daily living and vocabulary words and phrases Incorporate children’s culture into classroom activities Integrate technology into children’s English learning

Preschool and State Standards statements of what preschoolers should know and be able to do Preschool goals and learning standards being set by state departments of education, Preschool curriculum more academic focused.

The Preschool Daily Schedule Opening activities Group meeting/planning Learning centers Bathroom/hand washing Snacks Outdoor activity/play/walking Bathroom/toileting Lunch Relaxation Nap time Centers or special projects Group time Good-bye time

Play in Preschool Programs T 8.10 Play in Preschool Programs Learning through play Accommodating play Planning play Kinds of play