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Preschool Language Arts: Auditory Skills

8/31/2014

Often, people think of preschool language arts as nothing beyond letters and words. However, it is the teacher's duty to prepare each child to become a fluent reader and competent writer. This requires many skills before and beyond letter recognition. There are five main areas into which we group our Language Arts Standards: Fine Motor Skills, Auditory Skills, Visual Skills, Thinking/Conceptual, and Language.

This blog entry will cover the Academic Standards that fall under Auditory Skills.

While repeated exposure to activities/games that include these concepts is paramount to the child's understanding, it is important to understand that a young child may not "get" a particular concept until he is developmentally ready.

Auditory Memory - This is the ability to remember and repeat a sequence of sounds or words that has been presented solely through auditory means.

Auditory Discrimination: Rhyming

Auditory Discrimination: Phonemic Awareness - The child can distinguish different environmental sounds or letter sounds.

Auditory Figure-Ground Discrimination - The child can distinguish one sound (a bell, teacher's voice) from many background sounds.

Auditory Discrimination: Beginning and Ending Letter Sounds

Synthesizing - Synthesizing is a skill requiring a child to put the sounds together. Given three separate sounds, /s/, /u/ and /n/, the child can combine the sounds to come up with the word "sun".

Segmenting into Syllables

Auditory Skills are just one small part of preschool Language Arts. We have broken Auditory Skills into seven standards:

Auditory Memory
Auditory Discrimination: Rhyming
Auditory Discrimination: Phonemic Awareness
Auditory Figure-Ground Discrimination
Auditory Discrimination: Beginning and Ending Letter Sounds
Synthesizing
Segmenting into Syllables

In our classroom, each lesson, game or classroom material has been intentionally planned and placed in the room to fulfill our Academic Content Standards.

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Preschool Language Art Standards: Fine Motor Skills

8/30/2014

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In order for a child to become a fluent reader and writer, he must become competent at the skills in each of our Language Arts Standards. There are five main groups of Language Arts Standards: Fine Motor Skills, Auditory Skills, Visual Skills, Thinking/Conceptual, and Language.

This blog entry will cover the Academic Standards that fall under the Fine Motor Skills category.

Eye-Hand Coordination

Tracing - Tracing should always be done left-to-right, top-to-bottom. Left-to-right progression (the way that we write) is a habit that must be formed, and it should be formed correctly from the beginning.

Pasting

Cutting

Hand Strength and Coordination - Zippers, buttons, locks and keys, peg boards, play dough.

Tactile Differentiation

Lacing

Pencil Skills - Writing name, coloring and drawing.

Fine Motor Skills are just one small part of preschool language arts. We have broken Fine Motor Skills into eight standards:

Eye-Hand Coordination
Tracing
Pasting
Cutting
Hand Strength and Coordination
Tactile Differentiation
Lacing
Pencil Skills

In our classroom, each lesson, game or classroom material has been intentionally planned and placed in the room to fulfill our Academic Content Standards.

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Preschool Math Standards: Problem Solving

8/29/2014

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In order for a child to have a comprehensive mathematical understanding, he must be exposed to mathematical concepts beyond numbers and counting. There are five fields into which we group our Math Standards: Number Sense, Geometry, Measurement, Sorting and Patterning, and Problem Solving.

This blog entry will cover the Academic Standards that fall under the Problem Solving category.

Thinking Ahead - By playing strategy games like "Nim," a child can develop the ability to think one or more steps ahead of her opponent.

What's Missing? - Given a pattern or a set of objects, a child can determine what is missing.

Estimation

Probability - For preschoolers, this is the ability to determine whether an outcome is likely or unlikely. Given the shapes shown below, is it likely or unlikely that I will pick up a square?

Story Problems

Skip Counting - Counting by fives, tens or twos. At this age, this could be categorized with problem solving skills or number sense.

Problem Solving is just one small part of preschool mathematics. We have broken Problem Solving into six standards:

Thinking Ahead
What's Missing?
Estimation
Probability
Problem Solving
Skip Counting

In our classroom, each lesson, game or classroom material has been intentionally planned and placed in the room to fulfill our Academic Content Standards.

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Preschool Math Standards: Sorting and Patterning

8/29/2014

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Our goal, as preschool teachers, is to expose each child to all areas of mathematics building a strong foundation for the comprehension of mathematical concepts. There are five fields into which we group our Math Standards: Number Sense, Geometry, Measurement, Sorting and Patterning, and Problem Solving.

This blog entry will cover the Academic Standards that fall under the Sorting and Patterning category.

Sorting and Patterning

Sorting by One Attribute - Sorting by One Attribute is the act of grouping objects into sets by color, shape, size, or another attribute.

Sorting by Two Attributes - Sorting by two attributes is grouping objects into sets by two attributes. When we begin making Venn diagrams, these sets would belong in the middle of the Venn diagram - groups that are red AND round or large AND blue, etc.

Make-A-Rule Sorting - Given a set of objects, a child can make her own rule and group the objects accordingly. The child who sorted the buttons below grouped them by number of holes on each button.

Pattern Copying - Pattern Copying is simply copying a pattern that has already been laid out. A child may need to be exposed to pattern copying many times before he can add on to an existing pattern or create his own pattern.

Adding on to a Pattern

Creating a Pattern

Reading and Interpreting Patterns - The child can read and interpret a pattern in a new way. The children below are reading a visual pattern and interpreting it with their bodies.

Creating a Venn Diagram

Creating a Matrix

Sorting and Patterning is just one small part of preschool mathematics. We have broken Sorting and Patterning into nine standards:

Sorting by One Attribute
Sorting by Two Attributes
Make-A-Rule Sorting
Copying a Pattern
Adding on to a Pattern
Creating a Pattern
Reading and Interpreting Patterns
Creating a Venn Diagram
Creating a Matrix

In our classroom, each lesson, game or classroom material has been intentionally planned and placed in the room to fulfill our Academic Content Standards.

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Preschool Language Arts: Auditory Skills

Preschool Language Art Standards: Fine Motor Skills

Preschool Math Standards: Problem Solving

Preschool Math Standards: Sorting and Patterning

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