Pre-K Curriculum

Fall Mountain Regional School District Early Childhood Enrichment

PROGRAM AND CHILD OUTCOME STANDARDS SERESC

Fall Mountain Regional School District SAU #60 159 East Street Charlestown, NH 03603 (603) 826-7756

www.sau60.org Updated May 2012

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EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Early Childhood Enrichment Program and Child Outcome Standards Program Standards for the Fall Mountain Regional School District’s describe the curriculum, instruction, assessment and overall resources offered to the pre-kindergarten children who reside in the Fall Mountain Regional School District. These standards incorporate the classroom characteristics and the educational experiences provided to the children. Child Outcome Standards describe the knowledge and skills children should acquire by the end of the school year. Outcome Standards incorporate the range of knowledge and skills children should master and how it can be demonstrated that children have met those standards.

PROGRAM STANDARDS Curriculum: The Fall Mountain Regional School District’s Early Childhood Enrichment Programs implement a curriculum that is consistent with its goals for children and promotes learning and development in each of the following areas: • Approaches to Learning; • Communication; • Language Development and Literacy; • Creative Expression/Aesthetic Development; • Cognition and Knowledge of the World (Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Technology); Physical Development and Health; • Social and Emotional Development.

The curriculum draws on research that assists teachers in identifying important concepts and skills as well as effective methods for fostering children’s learning and development. When informed by teachers’ knowledge of individual children, the well-articulated curriculum guides teachers so they can provide children with experiences that foster growth across a broad range of developmental and content areas. A curriculum also helps ensure that the teacher is intentional in planning a daily schedule that (a) maximizes children’s learning through effective use of time, materials used for play, self-initiated learning, and creative expression as well as (b) offers opportunities for children to learn individually and in groups according to their developmental needs and interests.

Instruction: The Fall Mountain Regional School District’s Early Childhood Enrichment Programs use developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate and effective instructional approaches that enhance each child’s learning and development in the context of the program’s curriculum goals. Teaching staff purposefully employ multiple instructional approaches to optimize children’s opportunities for learning. These approaches include strategies that range from structured to unstructured and from adult directed to child directed. Children bring to learning environments different backgrounds, interests, experiences, learning styles, needs, and capacities.

Teachers’ consideration of these differences when selecting and implementing instructional approaches helps all children succeed. Instructional approaches also differ in their effectiveness for teaching different elements of curriculum and learning. The instructional approach creates a teaching environment that supports children’s positive learning and development across all areas.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Assessment: The Fall Mountain Regional School District’s Early Childhood Enrichment Programs are informed by ongoing systematic, formal, and informal assessment approaches to provide information on children’s learning and development. These assessments occur within the context of reciprocal communications with families and with sensitivity to the cultural contexts in which children develop. Assessment results are used to benefit children by informing sound decisions about children, teaching, and program improvement. Teachers’ knowledge of each child helps them to plan appropriately challenging curricula and to tailor instruction that responds to each child’s strengths and needs.

Further, systematic assessment is essential for identifying children who may benefit from more intensive instruction or intervention or who may need additional developmental evaluation. This information ensures that the program meets its goals for children’s learning and developmental progress and also informs program improvement efforts.

CHILD OUTCOME STANDARDS Content Standards: The standards or curriculum frameworks define the range of knowledge and skills that all children should master. (What is it we want all pre-kindergarten children to know and learn?)

Performance Standards: These standards describe how it can be demonstrated that the children have met the content standards. (How will we know if they learned it?)

Sources: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER)

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Approaches to Learning: Children will demonstrate positive attitudes, habits and learning styles.

Content Standards P1.1 Children will actively and confidently engage in play as a means of exploration and learning.

Performance Standards Children will: • Interact with a variety of materials through play.

• Participate in multiple play activities with same material.

• Engage in pretend and imaginative play.

• Use “trial and error” method to figure out a task, problem.

• Demonstrate awareness of connections between prior and new knowledge.

P1.2 Problem Solving Children will: Children will actively engage in • Identify a problem and try to solve it independently. problem solving.

• Attempt multiple ways to solve a problem.

• Communicate more than one solution to a problem.

• Engage with peers and adults to solve problems.

P1.3 Creativity and Imagination Children will: Children will approach tasks, • Choose materials/props and use novel ways to represent ideas, activities and problems with characters, and objects. creativity, imagination and/or • Identify additional materials to complete a task. willingness to try new experiences • Seek out connections, relations and assistance from peers and or activities. adults to complete a task.

• Communicate more than one solution to a problem.

P1.4 Curiosity and Initiative Children will: Children will demonstrate • Ask questions using who, what, how, why, when, where, what if. curiosity and a willingness to • Express an interest in learning about and discussing a growing participate in tasks and challenges. range of ideas.

• Actively explore how things in the world work.

• Investigate areas of interest.

• Takes objects and materials apart and attempts to reassemble them (e.g., puzzles, models, nuts and bolts).

• Willingly engage in new experiences and activities.

P1.5 Persistence Children will: Children will demonstrate an • Maintain focus on a task. increased ability to show initiative, • Seek assistance when the next step seems unclear or appears too accept help, take risks and work difficult. towards completing tasks.

• Modify strategies used to complete a task.

P1.6 Self Organization Children will: Children will demonstrate an • Increase their ability to understand a task as a series of steps. increased ability to establish goals, • Increase their ability to organize themselves and. materials. develop and follow through with • Follow through to complete tasks and activities. plans.

P1.7 Reasoning Children will: Children will demonstrate an • Increase their ability to generate several approaches to carry out a increased ability to identify, task. evaluate and provide possible • Pursue alternative approaches to problem solving. solutions to problems.

P1.8 Applications Children will: Children will use their prior • Reflect upon events and experiences. experiences, senses and • Use prior knowledge to understand new experiences. knowledge to learn in new ways.

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Communication, Language Development and Literacy: Children will develop skills in listening, in expressing their thoughts and ideas, and will explore their environment and build the foundations for learning to read and write.

Content Standards Performance Standards P2.1 Children will: Children will engage in play as a • Develop and experiment with conversation during daily activities means to develop their listening and interactions. and expressive language.

• Represent stories and experiences through play.

• Think and talk about play experiences.

P2.2 Children will: Children will develop skills in • Listen and understand stories, songs and poems. listening and in understanding • Listen and increasingly understand directions, conversations and language. questions.

• Follow directions that involve multiple steps.

• Learn to wait and take turns during conversations.

P2.3 Children will: Children will use verbal and non• Communicate needs or thoughts through non-verbal gestures, verbal language to express and to actions, expressions or words. communicate information.

• Participate in communication around a topic.

• Use more complex and longer sentences.

• Speak clearly enough to be understood by unfamiliar listeners.

• Begin a conversation with other children and adults.

• Understand and use increasingly complex and varied vocabulary.

• Communicate with familiar and unfamiliar adults and children.

P2.4 Children will: Children will engage in play as a • Use symbols and forms of early writing to create more complex means to develop literacy skills. play.

• Use writing tools and materials in all areas of the learning environment.

• Create play ideas that come from favorite stories, poems, rhymes and songs.

P2.5 Early Writing Children will: Children will demonstrate an • Use letters or approximations of letters to write their first name. interest and ability in using • Demonstrate awareness that print conveys a meaning. symbols to represent words and • Use scribbles, shapes, approximations of letters and/or letters to ideas write or represent words or ideas.

• Begin to dictate ideas, sentences and stories.

• Use pictures, symbols and/or letters for a variety of purposes.

P2.6 Early Reading Children will: Children will demonstrate an • Make predictions of what will happen next in a story. understanding and appreciation • Listen to and talk about a variety of types of literature. that books and other forms of print • Tell or retell a story based on the illustrations. have a purpose.

• Take care of and handle books in a respectful manner.

• Exhibit accurate book handling skills such as holding the book appropriately and turning the pages from front to back.

• Chooses to explore and investigate books and other forms of print.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Communication, Language Development and Literacy: Children will develop skills in listening, in expressing their thoughts and ideas, and will explore their environment and build the foundations for learning to read and write.

P2.7 Print Awareness and Children will: Concepts • Demonstrate awareness that print conveys a meaning.

Children will recognize the • Demonstrate an understanding that print is used for a variety of association between spoken and purposes (list, letter, label). written words by following print • Show an interest and can recognize some letters and words written as it is read aloud. in books and in the environment.

• Recognize first name in print.

Creative Expression/Aesthetic Development: Children will enjoy, express, create and learn about the arts through experiences with a variety of art forms and media.

Content Standards Performance Standards P3.1 Children will engage in play Children will: as a means of self- expression and • Spontaneously engage in pretend play using a variety of materials creativity. to dramatize stories and experiences.

• Use movement, a variety of media and music while playing to represent stories, moods and experiences.

• Bring musical instruments and tools from various art forms as props into dramatic play.

P3.2 Creative Expression Children will: Children will engage in individual • Explore various roles in dramatic play through the use of props, or group activities that represent language and fantasy roles with others. real-life experiences, ideas, • Use movement and a variety of musical styles to express feelings, knowledge, feelings and fantasy. understand and interpret experiences.

• Participate in musical activities using a variety of materials for expression and representation.

• Plan, work cooperatively and create drawings, paintings, sculptures and other art projects.

• Demonstrate care and persistence when engaged in art projects.

P3.3 Tools Children will: Children will use a variety of tools • Experiment with different tools to creatively express and present and art media to creatively express ideas. their ideas.

• Select and use a variety of tools to accomplish tasks.

P3.4 Appreciation of the Arts Children will: Children will express interest in • Begin to understand and to develop a vocabulary to share opinions and begin to build a knowledge about artistic creations and experiences. base in the arts.

• Enjoy participating in a variety of art experiences.

• Appreciate and demonstrate respect for the work of others.

• Begin to notice differences in the Arts from a variety of cultures.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Mathematics (Cognition and Knowledge of the World): solve problems and to think about math.

Content Standards P4.1 Children will engage in play to develop and add to their mathematical thinking and problem solving.

Children will develop ways to

Performance Standards • Children will: • Begin to make groups and math objects.

• Use counting and number vocabulary as a natural part of play.

• Experiment with patterns and shapes.

• Explore measurement, number and quantity with various materials.

P4.2 Numbers and Operations Children will show interest and curiosity in counting and grouping objects and numbers.

• Children will: • Match, sort, put in a series and re-group objects according to one characteristic.

• Begin to use numbers and counting as a means for solving problems and measuring quantity • Use one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects.

• Begin to associate a number of objects with the names and symbols for numbers.

• Use such words as more than/less than, add/subtract to express some number concepts.

P4.3 Geometry and Spatial Sense Children will show an interest in recognizing and creating shapes and an awareness of position in space.

• Children will: • Describe and name common shapes found in the natural environment.

• Use language to understand the arrangement, order and position of objects that are on top of, next to, bottom, underneath, beside, and in front of other objects.

• Group objects according to their shape and size

P4.4 Patterns and Measurement Children will show an interest in recognizing and creating patterns, comparing and measuring time and quantity.

Children will: • Group and name a number of similar objects into simple categories.

• Begin to understand that some events take place in the past/yesterday, present/today or future/tomorrow.

• Order, compare or describe objects according to size, length, height and weight using forms of measurement.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Physical Development and Health:

Children will develop and strengthen their large and small muscles, sensory experiences and practicing healthy behavior.

Content Standards Performance Standards P5.1 Children will engage in play Children will: as a means to understand healthy • Engage in a variety of physical fitness activities. behavior and develop their • Engage in large motor activities (e.g., marching, hopping, running, physical bodies. jumping, dancing) in increasingly longer periods of time as skill and endurance develop.

• Participate in activities designed to strengthen major muscle groups.

• Participate in activities to promote balance and flexibility.

P5.2 Gross Motor Children will: Children will increasingly move • Maintain balance during sitting, standing, and movement activities. their bodies in ways that • Demonstrate body and space awareness to move and stop with demonstrate control, balance and control over speed and direction coordination.

• Navigate age appropriate playground equipment.

• Throw, catch or kick a large, lightweight ball (8” - 10”).

• Participate in a series of large motor movements or activities such as dancing, follow the leader, or Simon Says.

P5.3 Fine Motor Children will: Children will use their fingers and • Use pincher grasp (index finger and thumb). hands in ways that develop eye• Use materials such as pencils, paintbrushes, eating utensils and hand coordination, strength, blunt scissors effectively. control and object manipulation.

• Manipulate small objects with ease (fits objects into holes, strings wooden beads, stacks mini blocks, uses geo boards, etc.).

• Uses buttons, zippers, snaps, and hook and loop tape successfully.

P5.4 Senses Children will: Children will increase their • Identify sights, smells, sounds, tastes and textures. understanding of the use of their • Use descriptive words to discuss sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and eyes, ears, fingers, nose and mouth textures. and how the senses work together. • Demonstrate appropriate body awareness when moving in different spaces.

• Demonstrate awareness of spatial boundaries and the ability to work within them.

P5.5 Healthy and Well-Being Children will: Children will demonstrate personal • Demonstrate growing independence in using personal hygiene care and hygiene skills and an skills (e.g., washing hands, brushing teeth, toileting, etc.) awareness and understanding of • Exhibit self-help skills when dressing, cleaning up, participating in healthy habits. meals, etc.

• Recognize and communicate when experiencing symptoms of illness.

• Recognize the importance of good nutrition, water, rest and sleep in order to be healthy.

Describe the role of doctors, dentists and other health care workers in keeping him/herself healthy.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Physical Development and Health:

Children will develop and strengthen their large and small muscles, sensory experiences and practicing healthy behavior.

P5.6 Health and Safety Children will: Children will demonstrate an • Verbalize and demonstrate safety rules such as holding an adult’s awareness and understanding of hand when walking on sidewalks or near a street. safety rules.

• Understand that some practices could be unsafe (e.g., playing with matches, playing near a busy street, not wearing a bike helmet).

• Demonstrate knowledge of bus safety (e.g., crosses in front of the bus after the driver signals, wears seatbelt).

• Participate in fire evacuation drills, understand what the alarm bell is and the need to go to a safe location, etc.

• Explain how to get help in emergency situations.

Science (Cognition and Knowledge of the World): Children will understand and use the scientific method of asking questions, observing, predicting, experimenting, recording findings and drawing conclusions.

Content Standards Performance Standards P6.1 Children will: Children will engage in play as a • Ask questions based upon discoveries made while playing. means to develop their scientific • Use play to discover, question and understand the natural and skills physical world.

• Use scientific tools as props in their play.

P6.2 Scientific Knowledge Children will learn about the development of the natural and physical world.

Children will: • Collect, describe and learn to record information through discussion, drawings and charts.

• Use tools and their senses to make observations, gather and record information and make predictions of what might happen.

• Investigate changes in materials and cause-effect relationships.

• Ask and pursue their questions through simple investigations.

P6.3 Scientific Skills and Methods Children will begin to use scientific tools and methods to learn about their world.

Children will: • Explore the natural processes of growing, changing and adapting to the environment.

• Make simple observations, predictions, explanations and generalizations based on real-life experiences.

• Explore time, temperature and cause-effect relationships based on everyday experiences.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Social and Emotional Development: Children will demonstrate a strong and positive self-concept, appropriate self-control and growth in their awareness of their responsibilities when interacting with others.

Content Standards Performance Standards P7.1 Children will use play as a Children will: vehicle to build relationships and • Participate in a variety of individual and group play experiences. to develop an appreciation for their • Play cooperatively with others by developing rules, solving own abilities and disagreements and dealing with frustrations and limitations. accomplishments.

P7.2 Self-Regulation Children will: Children will increase their • Understand, accept and follow rules and routines within the capacity for self-regulation and to learning environment. deal with frustrations and increase • Use materials purposefully, respectfully and safely. their awareness of their own • Effectively manage transitions between activities. abilities.

• Progress in expressing feelings needs and opinions.

• Begin to cope with frustration and disappointment.

P7.3 Interactions with Others Children will: Children will develop successful • Play, work and interact easily with one or more children and/or relationships with members of adults. their learning community.

• Develop friendships with peers.

• Demonstrate empathy and caring for others.

• Develop ability to take turns and to interact without being overly submissive or directive.

• Participate in resolving conflicts and disagreements with others.

P7.4 Accountability Children will: Children will understand and • Understand and follow routines and rules. follow routines and rules.

• Engage easily in routine activities (e.g., story time, snack time, circle time).

• Use materials purposefully, safely and respectfully as set by group rules.

• With assistance, understand that breaking rules have a consequence.

• Apply rules in new, but similar situations.

P7.5 Sense of Community Children will increasingly demonstrate a sense of belonging to the classroom, family and community.

Children will: • Begin to understand the rights of others.

• Demonstrate a growing understanding and appreciation of the relationships, people and places that make up their communities.

• Demonstrate progress toward an understanding and valuing of similarities and differences among people.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Social Studies – (Cognition and Knowledge of the World): Children will develop a basic awareness of self as an individual, self within the context of family, and self within the context of community.

Content Standards Performance Standards P8.1 Children will engage in play Children will: as a means to develop an • Identify him/herself by using characteristics such as gender, understanding of their community. ethnicity, race and religion.

• Describe how each person is unique and important.

• Identify family members, family characteristics and functions.

• Identifies as a member of a family.

• Recognize some community workers and describes what they do.

P8.2 Geography Children will demonstrate knowledge of the relationship between people, places, and regions.

Children will: • Identify features of own home and familiar places.

• Name the street, neighborhood, city or and town where he/she lives.

• Use words that indicate direction, position and relative distance.

• Describes topographical features of familiar places (hill, river, roads, mountains, etc.).

• Identify routines and common occurrences in his/her life.

• Demonstrate interest in current events that relate to family, and community.

P8.3 Civics, Citizenship and Government Children will demonstrate an understanding of roles, rights, and responsibilities and begin to learn the basic civic and democratic principles.

Children will: • Recognize that all children and adults have roles, rights, and responsibilities at home, school, in the classroom and in the community.

• Express that rules are for everyone.

• Describe possible consequences when rules are not followed.

• Apply the skills of communication, cooperation, respect and empathy with others.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Technology – (Cognition and Knowledge of the World): Children will explore technology tools in the classroom, both traditional and digital technology, to support the learner-centered and play-oriented early childhood curriculum.

Content Standards Performance Standards P9.1 Foundations to Technology Children will explore and use a variety of tools appropriately.

Children will: • Identify the functions of certain tools (e.g., cell phone, pulley, hammer, hearing aid, and microwave).

• Follow simple directions for appropriate use of tools and demonstrates how they are used (e.g., computer, hammer, digital media or simple machine).

• Describe and use a variety of tools independently or with assistance (e.g., scissors, nut and bolt, incline plane, or lever).

• Use common tools to create simple objects or structures.

P9.2 Using Technology Children will understand the operation of technology systems and use the knowledge of technology to increase learning.

Children will: • Explore digital material with an adult as mediator and co-player.

• Explore touch screens loaded with a wide variety of and developmentally appropriate interactive media experiences that are well designed and enhance feelings of success.

• Begin to explore use of "traditional" mouse and keyboard computers.

Note: Celebrate children’s accomplishments with digital media displayed on a digital projector or on a classroom website.

Record children’s stories about their drawings ort heir play; make digital audio files for documentation of progress

Note: These frameworks are adapted from the proposed position of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. It is the position of NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center that technology and interactive media are learning tools that, when used in intentional and developmentally appropriate ways and in conjunction with other traditional tools and materials, technology can support the development and learning of young children. (2011)

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EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Sample Rubric for Evaluating Progress Progress Monitoring Key Area of Excellence

Area of Competence Area of Development

Area of Concern Not Applicable

The student demonstrates superior performance and skills, appropriate to content and grade level.

The student consistently performs beyond requirements in subject area.

The student demonstrates solid performance appropriate to content and grade level. The student applies skills in a variety of situations.

The student shows partial accomplishment of knowledge and skills in specific situations with support. The student is showing progress over time.

The student demonstrates little of no progress or achievement.

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3 2

1 N/A

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EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Resources Early Learning Standards: Creating the conditions for success. (2002). A joint position statement of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in the State Department of Education (NAECS/SDE).

Epstein, A., Schweinhart, L., DeBruin-Parecki, A., & Robin, K. (2004). Preschool Assessment: A guide to developing a balanced approach. Preschool Policy Matters Issue 7.

Espinosa, L.M. (2002) High-quality preschool: Why we need it and what it looks like. Preschool Policy Matters, 1. New Brunswick, NJ: NIEER. Learning to read and write: Developmentally appropriate practice. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

NAEYC and NAECS/SDE (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8.

National Association for the Education of Young Children & International Reading Association. (1998).

Learning to read and write: Developmentally appropriate practices for young children (A joint position statement). Washington, DC. National Institute for Early Education Research. The state of preschool. Supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts.Neuman, S., Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S. (2003).

Neuman, S., Copple, C. & Bredekamp,S, (2000). Learning to read and write: Developmentally appropriate practice. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

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