Ages & Stages: What Many Children Can Do - 5 Year Olds

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

 

Five-year-olds are cheerful, energetic, and enthusiastic. They enjoy planning, and spend a great deal of time discussing who will do what. They especially enjoy dramatic play, usually with other children. Five-year-olds are more sensitive to the needs and feelings of others around them. It is less difficult for them to wait for a turn or to share toys and material. "Best friends" become very important.

Many 5-year-olds will be going to kindergarten. Be sensitive to the needs of a 5-year-old returning from school. She may want to rest, play by herself, be free for a while from adult-directed activity, or catch up with the group happenings. Pace afternoon kindergarten children during the day with a balance of rest and activity. All-day kindergarten children need to be given every consideration when they return to your home as they may be tired, talkative, hungry, or wanting to share the day's happenings.

 

 

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT invents games with simple rules organizes other children and toys for pretend play still confuses fantasy with reality sometimes often fears loud noises, the dark, animals, and some people can take turns and share, but doesn't always want to expresses anger and jealousy physically likes to test muscular strength and motor skills, but is not emotionally ready for competition carries on conversations with other children and adults often excludes other children in play - best friends only [may] use swear words or "bathroom words" to get attention sometimes can be very bossy likes to try new things and take risks likes to make own decisions notices when another child is angry or sad - more sensitive to feelings of others prefers company of 1 or 2 children at a time; may become bossy or sulky when others join in likes to feel grown up; boasts about self to younger, less capable children begins to have a very basic understanding of right and wrong plays contentedly and independently without constant supervision takes turns and shares (sometimes) understands and respects rules - often asks permission understands and enjoys both giving and receiving enjoys collecting things sometimes needs to get away and be alone can understand relationships among people and similarities and differences in other families seeks adult approval sometimes critical of other children and embarrassed by own mistakes less fearful of the world than toddlers because understands the world better has a good sense of humor, and enjoys sharing jokes and laughter with adults

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT weight: 31-57 pounds height: 39-48 inches requires approximately 1,700 calories daily sleeps 10-11 hours at night may begin to loose baby teeth able to dress self with little assistance learns to skip throws ball overhead catches bounced balls rides a tricycle skillfully; may show interest in riding a bicycle with training wheels balances on either foot for 5-10 seconds uses a fork and knife well cuts on a line with scissors left or right hand dominance is established walks down stairs, alternating feet without using a handrail jumps over low objects can run, gallop, and tumble can skip and run on tiptoe can jump rope interested in performing tricks like standing on head, performing dance steps capable of learning complex body coordination skills like swimming, ice or roller skating, and riding bicycles may be able to tie shoelaces may be able to copy simple designs and shapes INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT understands about 13,000 words uses 5-8 words in a sentence likes to argue and reason; use words like "because" knows basic colors like red, yellow, blue, green, orange able to memorize address and phone number understands that stories have a beginning, middle, and end able to remember stories and repeat them enjoys creating and telling stories understands that books are read from left to right, top to bottom draws pictures that represent animals, people, and objects enjoys tracing or copying letters can place objects in order from shortest to tallest can understand and use comparative terms like big, bigger, or biggest sorts objects by size identifies some letters of the alphabet and a few numbers (if taught) understands "more," "less," and "same" counts up to 10 objects recognizes categories ("These are all animals; these are all toys.") understands before and after, above, and below block and dramatic play is much more elaborate and complex has good attention span and can concentrate well is project minded - plans buildings, play scenarios, and drawings interested in cause and effect can understand time concepts like yesterday, today, and tomorrow

 

 

IDEAS FOR CAREGIVERS

· Encourage body coordination and sense of balance by playing "Follow the Leader" with skipping, galloping, and hopping.

· Teach sack-walking and "twist-em," or "freeze" games to provide an outlet for their drive for physical activity.

· Play games that can teach right and left directions

· Help children learn to use a pair of scissors by letting them cut out coupons.

· Provide a plastic needle, thread, and beads to encourage small muscle development.

· Provide carpentry, take-apart, and put-together experiences with junk clocks and old small appliances.

· Show children how to repair toys and books.

· Add drama to your reading sessions each day by using different voices for different characters. While reading a familiar story, stop before the end and ask children to add their own end to the story.

· Ask 5-year-olds to tell you a story. Write it down and post it on the wall or refrigerator.

· Ask "what if" questions. What if there were 5 little [ducks] instead of 3?

· Involve children in writing "thank-you" notes, cards, and letters. If a 5-year-old enjoys copying letters, let him dictate a short message to you and copy it from your writing. Old typewriters are favorite writing tools.

· Give 5-year-olds opportunities to sort, group, match, count, and sequence with real life situations such as setting the table, counting the number of turns, sorting out socks, and matching fabric swatches.

· Help children learn to make rules and play simple games by providing opportunities for them to play in small groups.

· Help children understand and cope with strong feelings by giving them words to use when they are angry. "I can see you are SAD about going home, ANGRY at your friend ...."

· Observe how a child plays with other children. Teach him to request, bargain, negotiate, and apologize.

· Take questions seriously. Talk to children about what happens and why. Give answers they can understand.

· Specific praise helps children understand the true value of their actions. Say "Stacking those toys on the shelf that way really helped – [jazakallaahu khayr]!" rather than "You did a good job!"

· Provide a comfortable place to be alone. A large cardboard box makes a wonderful hideaway.

· Take fears seriously. Reassure children that you will make sure that nothing bad will happen to them.

· Allow 5-year-olds some privacy in the toilet. Remind them to wash their hands until it becomes a habit.

· Be patient with the untidiness and clutter. Allow plenty of time to clean up. It helps to store and organize materials on low, open shelves so that they can be found and put away easily.

· Five-year-olds will show an increasing interest in numbers. Encourage them to count anything of interest - cups, leaves, drums, number of children absent, meters, etc.

 Reprinted with permission from National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Oesterreich, L. (1995). Ages & stages - five-year-olds. In L. Oesterreich, B. Holt, & S. Karas, Iowa family child care handbook [Pm 1541] (pp. 207-210). Ames, IA: Iowa State University Extension.

 

 

Preschool Assessment (Islaamic)

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Here is a quick preschool assessment for the new school year.

 Click on the picture to download the assessment

This assessment allows the Qur'aan teacher, Islaamic Studies teacher, and the general education teacher (if used in a school) to get a quick glance of where his/her students are at. The results from the assessment are on one convenient sheet and can be placed in the students' portfolios. Of course, homeschooling parent-teachers can also place this assessment in their child's portfolio too!

To use this assessment you will need:

1. To photocopy the two pages front to back so that you only need one page for each student (optional).
2. A set of flashcards with the alphabet (upper case letters only).
3. Flashcards with basic shapes (you can download some here)
4. Flashcards with the colour (you can download some here)
5. A set of 10 or more objects (i.e. blocks or counters)

The Qur'aan and Islaamic Studies teachers/parent-teacher can use the top section of the assessment sheet and the homeroom teacher/ parent-teacher uses the above-mentioned materials to administer the assessment in the following suggested manner: show the colour cards, shape cards, and alphabet cards to the child one at a time. The teacher marks off/circles the child's answers in the appropriate sections of the assessment sheet. Next, ask the child to count as high as they can starting from the number one and record the results. Then ask the child to name the days of the week that they know and the months of the year that they know. After that, present the child with a set of objects and ask them to count the objects and record the results. Lastly, ask the child to print his/her name in the space provided (if they know how to write). Now, insha'Allaah, you have a snapshot of where your child(ren)/students are and you know what you will need to teach insha'Allaah. This assessment is also useful for parent/teacher night so parents can see the current level of their child.

And remember, there is usually no need to panic if your child does not know most (or any) of the material on the assessment. The results of this assessment guide when you start putting together your curriculum (if homeshooling) and/or your lesson plans; the results just let you know what you need to teach insha'Allaah.

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

[Cross-Post] FREEBIE: Qur'aan Workbook

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Alhamdulillaah, school is set to begin for many schools and homeschoolers. The beginning of the school year is a very important time for many reasons. It is during the first weeks of school/homeschool that students learn new routines that will help contribute to a positive learning environment. It is also during the first weeks of school that teachers/parent-teacher set expectations for the school year. These first weeks are critical then because they often set the tone for the entire school year. To help set a tone that is pleasing to Allaah, SK/Kindergarten students can work on this Quraan workbook (*Note: some SK/Kindergarten students may not be ready for the materials in this pack - you as the teacher/parent-teacher will need to determine this).

Click on the picture above to download the workbook insha'Allaah

Some of the material students will encounter in this workbook include:

Reading:

Reading Comprehension

Retelling a story

Answer questions about details in a story

Begin to recognize that words are separated by spaces and begin to apply this to own writing

Writing:

Use pictures, words, and dictation to tell about a story

Talk and write about what happened to the main character in their story

Recognize, name, and  use end punctuation

Begin to edit their own pieces of writing

There are 3 rubrics included for each type of writing students will do, 3 student editing sheets - with these students self-edit prior to submitting their work with the happy proclamation that it is 'done'.

Students will also:

• Make lists
• Learn to add details to their writing by describing something/an object with strong adjectives
• Learn about Makkee and Madanee suwar and be able to list a few suwar that fall into each category (This may be an activity that you chose to introduce later in the school year to kindergarten students)
• Make a plan for the suwar they will read from al-Quraan and start to take ownership in making sure they read the Quran daily insha'Allaah.

Are you ready to start school? Then let's begin insha'Allaah! Click on the picture above to download the workbook insha'Allaah or you can download it free here!

Ages & Stages; What Many Children Can Do - 4 Year Olds

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

"Energetic" and "imaginative" best describe the 4-year-old. Often impatient and silly, they discover humor and spend a great deal of time being silly and telling you silly things." A 4-year-old's language may range from silly words such as "batty-watty" to [language that is Islaamically inappropriate and needs to be corrected]. Loud, boisterous laughter may accompany such language.

Imagination suddenly becomes greater than life for the 4-year-old, who often confuses reality and "make-believe." Wild stories and exaggerations [may be] common.

Four-year-olds feel good about the things they can do, show self-confidence, and are willing to try new adventures. They race up and down stairs or around corners, dash on tricycles or scooters, and pull wagons at full tilt. You still need to watch them closely as they cannot estimate their own abilities accurately and are capable of trying some outlandish and dangerous tricks.

INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT can place objects in a line from largest to smallest can recognize some letters if taught, and may be able to print own name recognizes familiar words in simple books or signs (STOP sign) understands the concepts of "tallest, biggest, same, more, on, in, under, and above" counts 1-7 objects out loud - but not always in the right order understands the order of daily routines (breakfast before lunch, lunch before dinner, dinner before bed time) speaks in fairly complex sentences. "The baby ate the cookie before I could put it on the table." asks a lot of questions, including ones on birth and death enjoys rhymes, and nonsense words adapts language to listener's level of understanding. To baby sister: "Daddy go bye-bye." To Mother: "Daddy went to the store to buy food." learns name, address, and phone number, if taught asks and answers who, what, when, why, and where questions continues one activity for 10-15 minutes names 6-8 colors and 3 shapes follows 2 unrelated directions (put your milk on the table and get your coat on) has basic understanding of concepts related to number, size, weight, colors, textures, distance, position, and time understands immediate passage of time as in what happened yesterday, but may not understand calendar time has long attention span and finishes activities understands and remembers own accomplishments may ad "ed" to words. "I goed to the door and put-ed the cat outdoors. He hurt-ed me."

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT weight: 27-50 pounds height: 37-46 inches uses a spoon, fork, and dinner knife skillfully needs 10-12 hours sleep each night dresses self without much assistance (unzip, unsnap, unbutton clothes; lace but not tie shoes) can feed self, brush teeth, comb hair, wash, dress, hang up clothes with little assistance walks a straight line hops on one foot pedals and steers a tricycle skillfully jumps over objects 5-6 inches high runs, jumps, hops, and skips around obstacles with ease stacks 10 or more blocks forms shapes and objects out of clay or play dough, sometimes human and animal figures threads small beads on a string catches, bounces, and throws a ball easily likes to gallop, turn somersaults, climb ladders and trees, hop on one foot

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT enjoys playing with other children takes turns and shares (most of the time); may still be rather bossy seeks out adult approval understands and obeys simple rules (most of the time) changes the rules of a games as he/she goes along likes to talk and carries on elaborate conversations capable of feeling jealous persistently asks why boastful - enjoys showing off and bragging about possessions fearful of the dark and monsters begins to understand danger - at times can become quite fearful has difficulty separating make-believe from reality lies sometimes to protect self and friends, but doesn't truly understand the concept of lying - imagination often gets in the way may name call, tattle freely may like to shock others by using "forbidden" words expresses anger verbally rather than physically (most of the time) still throws tantrums over minor frustrations imitates parent of the same gender, particularly in play enjoys pretending, often with imaginary playmates pretending goes far beyond "playing house" to more elaborate settings like fire station, school, shoe store, ice cream shop loves to tell jokes that may not make any sense at all to adults can feel intense anger and frustration has vivid imagination and sometimes imaginary playmates enjoys dramatic play and role playing

IDEAS FOR CAREGIVERS

• Read aloud each day and encourage children to look at books on their own. Provide alternative reading material with a collection of outdated coupons, etc.
• Encourage 4-year-olds to tell stories to younger children.
• Encourage interest in writing and words. Provide children with paper and notebooks for writing. Print letters and numerals on art work, and label toy shelves with pictures and words that describe objects.
• Provide a variety of art experiences. Buy play dough. Create collages from magazine pictures [(without faces)], fabric, wallpaper, and newsprint. Encourage children to experiment with new media like wire and cork, soda straws, string, or yarn. Teach children to mix different colors with paint.
• Teach important number and space concepts. Sort and count everything in sight, like silverware, socks, rocks, leaves, etc. Talk about things being in, on, under, behind, beside, before and after, larger than, too far, etc.
• Four-year-olds have a strong need to feel important and worthwhile. Praise accomplishments, and provide opportunities to experience freedom and independence.
• Teach the use of landmarks to find their way around your neighborhood.
• Encourage physical development. Play follow the leader. Set up an obstacle course indoors with challenges such as crawling, climbing, leaping, balancing, and running across stepping stones. Encourage walking with a beanbag on the head.
• Promote respect for life and living things by letting them help you build a bird feeder and hang it up. Record the kinds of birds observed, and teach them to identify birds by significant characteristics like the red male and green female cardinals, the black caps and white cheeks of the chickadee.
• Encourage 4-year-olds to help you plan and plant a garden. They will love to water plants daily and will enjoy measuring plant growth.
• Encourage multicultural awareness through books. 
• Expand dramatic play by providing a variety of props for themes like grocery store, pizza parlour, and firefighter.

Reprinted with permission from National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Oesterreich, L. (1995). Ages & stages - four-year-olds. In L. Oesterreich, B. Holt, & S. Karas, Iowa family child care handbook [Pm 1541] (pp. 204-207). Ames, IA: Iowa State University Extension.