The Learning Tree

The following are the New York City performance standards for Universal Pre-Kindergarten Students. We hope to reach these goals years end. Though we concentrate on social skills for our early childhood learners, academic pursuits are evident from the youngest to the oldest classrooms. We approach learning with a stress on individuality. Each child is evaluated when they enter our school to discover what knowledge and social base they came to us with. Using Individualized instruction, theme teaching, small group work, and large group learning environments we attempt to achieve the goals listed below. Each class is specifically designed to meet these goals in a developmentally appropriate way.

Social and Emotional Development
Demonstrates trust that significant others will return
1. develops imagery for significant others when they are out of sight.

Demonstrates increasing self awareness
1. identifies him/herself by gender, first and last name, family member
2. shows personal interest through choice of materials and activities
3. uses initiative and decision making strategies

Demonstrates confidence and positive self image
1. expresses feelings, needs, opinions & preferences independently and in a socially accepted manner
2. uses words to identify and express needs, desires, and feelings to resolve conflicts
3. understands and shows empathy for the needs of others
4. increasingly maintains self control in challenging situations

Demonstrates initiative, cooperation, curiosity, & creativity in choosing learning activities
1. shows increasing ability to initiate and participate in discussions with peers and adults
2. engages as a learner through working and playing with peers and adults
3. seeks answers to questions through words and action

Engages in social relationships & develops connections & attachments to peers, adults & larger community
1. shows progress in developing friendships with peers & adults
2. is aware of daily routines & tasks as well as following classroom rules
3. contributes to classroom environment through assumption of responsibility
4. understands & respects similarities & differences in others
5. indicates understanding of the community through dramatic role playing

Physical Development
Demonstrate Competence in Coordinated Movement using Large Muscles (Gross Motor)
1. walks heel to toe, runs and skips unevenly
2. walks up and down steps using alternate feet
3. shows increasing confidence using playground equipment (balance beam, slide, monkey bars)
4. jumps, hops, runs, dances, & moves to music
5. catches, throws, & kicks a large ball
6. rides a tricycle, scooter & any four wheel vehicle

Demonstrates confidence in coordinated movement using small muscles and eye/hand coordination (fine motor)
1. begins to dress & undress without assistance
2. uses small pegs & boards, strings small beads, some in patterns
3. begins to build complex block structures
4. manipulates play objects that have fine parts
5. uses scissors, paintbrushes & other art materials appropriately
6. draws combinations of simple shapes
7. pours sand & liquid on a spoon, in a cup or small pitcher
8. experiments with purposeful pretend writing and graphic representations

Demonstrates spatial awareness in both fine and gross motor activities
1. shows awareness of top & bottom, up & down
2. demonstrates motor control and is able to balance
3. shows perceptual judgment and awareness of own limitations

Creative Expression/Aesthetic Development
Participate with increasing interest and enjoyment in a variety of music activities, including listening, singing, finger plays, & games
1. spontaneously sings songs
2. adds words to songs
3. makes suggestions for music activities
4. identifies simple melodies
5. follow and/or creates movements for finger plays
6. listens, enjoys and responds to a simple musical song
7. independently chooses to listen to musical recording during center time

Experiment with a variety of musical instruments
1. classifies musical instruments by sounds, shapes, sizes, & pitches
2. uses language to express musical concepts such as high/low (pitch), long/short (duration), fast/slow (tempo), & loud/soft (volume)
3. uses rhythm instruments to accompany songs and movements

Engage in a variety of personal creative movement & functional/physical movement activities, individually & in a group
1. moves in spontaneous & imaginative ways to music, stories, songs, finger plays, rhythm, & silence
2. uses creative movement props such as crepe paper, streamers, hoops, & scarves
3. taps, hums, smiles, while listening to music
4. observes & shows appreciation for classmates & others as they engage in creative movement
5. engages in fundamental movement activities such as running, jumping, throwing, & catching
6. participates in physically oriented games such as Hide & Seek, Simon Says

Participate in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex
1. engages in pretend play sequence interacting with other children using appropriate language
2. extends dramatic play to other areas such as blocks & table toys
3. pretends based on real life experiences 4. pretends based on imagination and literature
5. solves problems during dramatic play
6. plays a variety of roles

Show growing creativity & imagination in using materials & dramatic play situations
1. plans & develops purposeful dramatic play scenarios
2. uses representational materials such as puppets & costumes as means of self expression & improvisation

Gain ability in using different art media & materials in a variety of ways for creative expression & representation
1. explores & manipulates a variety of materials in different areas of the classroom
2. uses materials in unique ways
3. shows interest in what can be done with tools, texture, color, & technique

Progress in ability to create drawings, paintings, models, & other art creations that are more detailed, personal, & realistic
1. draws, paints, & constructs models from observations
2. chooses materials & subjects with intent & purpose

Develop growing abilities to plan, work independently & demonstrate care & persistence in a variety of art experiences
1. participates & plans in individual & group activities
2. uses language of art (shape, color, space, design, artist, illustrator, light, dark, etc)

Begins to understand & share opinions about artistic products & experiences
1. expresses interest in & shows appreciation for the creative work of others
2. uses descriptive language to explain or formulate questions about a piece of artwork
3. shows pride in his/her work
4. shows awareness of the art he/she constructs

Cognitive Development: Language & Literacy
Communicate experiences, ideas, needs, choices, feelings by speaking
1. interacts in a variety of conversation exchanges (one on one, small group, etc)
2. understands & participates in conversations, taking turns with peers & adults
3. uses tone of voice that is appropriate for the setting
4. engages in meaningful conversations to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, & needs
5. integrates new & more complex vocabulary
6. uses multiple word sentences & phrases of increasing length & complexity when describing ideas, feelings, & actions

Listen with understanding to conversations, directions, rhymes, songs, & stories
1. understands, reasons, & makes requests with expression & actions
2. understands & follows simple & multi-step directions
3. listens to a variety of stories, songs, poems, dramas, & rhymes
4. understands an increasingly complex & varied vocabulary

Talk for a variety of purposes
1. uses language to accompany action in solitary play
2. uses language to accompany action in play with peer
3. uses language to invent ideas & imagery in peer conversation
4. uses inventive language to experiment playfully with words
5. uses words to make connections between prior & new experiences & ideas
6. asks question to obtain information
7. uses talk & voice appropriately in conversation or group interactions of diverse settings
8. listens & responds appropriately in conversations or group interactions
9. uses talk to persuade, suggest, negotiate, clarify, & show empathy for others
10. responds to “what might happen if” question in stories, talk, interaction with peers, or when using materials

Look for meaning inVisual Symbols
1. Makes & articulates connections to photographs, pictures, drawings, & familiar written words
2. notices & recognizes environmental/familiar print in school, home, community (cereal labels, street signs, etc)
3. begins to understand that speech can be written to convey meaning
4. develops a growing understanding that print can serve a variety of functions (direction, pleasure)
5. uses stories, songs, poems, signs, labels, & drama in daily activities
6. shows a growing interest in asking for books to be read aloud & taken home
7. uses wordless books to construct stories
8. shows preference for a particular book
9. independently chooses to read/ or engage with pictures
10. exhibits a growing interest & involvement in listening to & telling a variety of stories

Exhibits a variety of behaviors when integrating with books
1. holds a book right side up & turns pages from right to left
2. verbalizes personal reaction to book
3. shows an awareness of the concepts of print, left to right progression, top to bottom, front to back
4. shows progress in understanding the association between speech & text by following shared print as it is read aloud
5. read with others
6. understand that a book has a title, author, & illustrator
7. begins to understand that books may be used as a resource for information

Describe & share their own experiences
1. begins to create their own non fiction accounts of occurrences, songs, poems
2. shows increasing interest in understanding of and ability to express the big idea of his/her own stories
3. retells or recites a familiar story, poem, song, or rhyme after hearing several times
4. uses puppets, toy, & other props to dramatize or retell stories, changing voice tones for different characters
5. uses the centers to construct & tell stories

Develop Phonemic Awareness
1. manipulates language in a playful manner
2. increasing ability to discriminate & identify sounds in spoken language
3. recognize rhyming words in context (finger plays, songs, literature)
4. orally experiments with rhyming words

Print-Sound connections
1. begins to experiment with shapes & sounds of letters
2. matches, names, & identifies, personally significant letters of the alphabet
3. spontaneously makes some letter sound matches through personal relevance

Demonstrates the behaviors of a beginning writer
1. experiments with a growing variety of writing tools & materials (crayons, pencil, marker)
2. uses drawings to represent experience
3. uses drawings, paintings, scribbles, symbols to express thought or feelings
4. begins to represent stories & experiences through pictures, dictation, & experimental print
5. understands that writing is a way of communicating for a variety of purposes
6. begins to use functional writing approximations such as making lists & names of individuals
7. recognizes his/her own name, classmates name, as well as language experience charts, cubbies, & art work

Cognitive Development: Mathematical Thinking
Develops an understanding of numbers, ways to represent numbers, relationships among numbers
1. uses manipulative to create, combine & partition sets
2. draws simple conclusions & makes statements on experience with numerical properties sets
3. classifies objects & events with rational for their classification
4. role plays simple problem scenarios around numbers
5. shows & articulates an understanding of mathematical comparisons, such as more or less & equal to
6. counts, demonstrates & tracks the number of objects in a set during play & classroom routines
7. begins to represent symbols that can be spoken, read, & written 8. begins to represent whole & fractional parts of a whole

Begins to understand the meaning of the operation of addition & subtraction & how they relate to the other
1. uses counting in play
2. uses one to one correspondence when counting
3. connects and understands the relationship of “add to” and “take away” through the use of concrete materials

Begins to understand predictions and use estimates
1. makes estimates about the number of objects displayed & checks by counting

Patterns, quantitative & qualitative properties
1. sorts objects by attributes
2. sorts, classifies, orders, & regroups objects by size, number, & other properties
3. recognizes simple patterns & can extend them
4. creates & builds own patterns
5. uses materials such as blocks and examines their relationship
6. experiences & represents patterns through different modality: auditory, tactile, & kinesthetic

Shapes & spatial relationships
1. describes objects in terms of mathematical properties (bigger/smaller, more/less, etc)

Recognize properties & characteristics of geometric shapes
1. names, matches, & identifies basic geometric shapes
2. compares & uses a variety of materials to create geometric shapes

Understand location & position
1. describes & interprets relative position of objects (near, far)
2. recognizes geometric shapes & structure in their environment
3. solves puzzles using his/her own physical experiences with shapes by turning pieces, flipping them over & experimenting with new arrangements

Measurement
1. anticipates a series of events & time periods within a daily schedule
2. compares & orders objects according to attributes
3. begins to use non standard tools of measurement (foot, hand)
4. compares & uses the attributes of length, volume, weight, time & area

Information gathering & probability
1. poses questions & gathers data about self and environmental events
2. sorts and classifies objects & communicates information
3. participates in creating & using graphs with concrete materials & pictures

Understand that predictions can be made
1. discuss class schedule in terms of daily events ( what will happen next)

Cognitive Development: Scientific Thinking
Pose questions & seek answers & develop solutions
1. observe, investigate, & ask questions about the world around them
2. collect, describe, & record data
3. compare & contrast & classify objects & events
4. uses equipment for investigation
5. makes & verifies predictions

Cognitive Development: Social Studies
Apply the skills of communicating, sharing and cooperating with others who have similar & different perspectives
1. works with others, takes turn speaking
2. participates in the classroom community by formulating and following class rules
3. identifies similarities & differences among him/herself & others

Begins to understand time change & continuity & to relate past events to their present & future activities
1. identifies routines & common occurrences
2. categorize using words such as today, tomorrow, & next time
3. identifies changes in their environment such as growth in plants
4. identifies cause & effect relationships

Develop a growing understanding of position in space, geographical location & direction
1. identifies common areas in the home & school environment (kitchen, office, bathroom)
2. produces block buildings & drawings to represent home, school, & neighborhood
3. uses words to indicate relative position such as near, far, over, under etc

Recognizes the contributions of community workers and services
1. identifies a variety of community workers & their roles in the community
Understands all living things have basic needs
1. identifies food, clothing, & shelter are necessary for human survival
2. identifies food & shelter are necessary for all animals

In addition to the above skills being taught throughout the year, the teachers will use the following themes to encourage learning through the curriculum areas.

All About Me
Harvest : apples, pumpkins, the farm
Halloween Community Helpers
Thanksgiving
Holiday Celebrations
Shoes
Polar Animals
Winter Weather
Valentines Day
Author Study
Dinosaurs
Spring Celebrations
Insects
Flowers
Rocks/Shells
Moving On – transition to next grade