It is not recommended that Kindergarten students complete worksheets as assignments. Research has shown that, in most cases, worksheets are too abstract for four- to six-year-olds; therefore, devoting time to them is not a wise investment in the education of our children. Rather, children should be involved in an activity-centred program which provides writing tools and paper at a variety of the activity centres, offers numerous concrete materials, and includes teacher-directed activities such as songs and fingerplays which meaningfully involve students of this age.
While it is important that children learn about letters and numerals, it is not recommended that time be scheduled for formal instruction or drill on letters and numerals. For many children of this age, sitting passively for extended periods of time is often frustrating and stressful. Research has shown that Kindergarten students will learn letters and numerals more effectively through the use of concrete materials, teacher modelling (experience charts, graphs on chalkboard, etc.), self- initiated writing activities, and teacher-directed fingerplays, games, poems and songs in a stimulating, print-rich environment. Activity centres such as the imaginative play centre, quiet-time relaxation centre, block building centre, computer centre and writing centre offer opportunities for incidental teaching of letters and numerals.
As children recognize that print communicates meaning, feel the excitement of self-expression through writing, and experience the satisfaction that reading and writing bring, they will usually learn letters and numerals at a very fast pace.
They are appropriate materials to place in activity centres. Thus, the children can choose when and if they want to use them.
Children arrive at Kindergarten as emergent writers. Their writing may be in the form of scribbling or random letters, but these represent stages of writing development just as babbling represents a stage of speech development. Teachers should accept children in the stage that they are at and optimistically anticipate advancement. They should not teach formal printing lessons, but should provide numerous opportunities for growth in a fertile environment.
For example, every Kindergarten should include a writing centre, well stocked with items such as paper, pencils, crayons, staplers, and hole punches so that children can make booklets, write letters, stories, etc. during their play time. In addition, writing tools and paper should be located in areas such as the imaginative play centre and the block building centre so that children can create maps, menus, lists, signs, etc. as needed to support their play activities.
It is important for children to see teachers model proper letter formation when writing poems, songs, thank you letters, etc. It is also important to have print displayed in a variety of ways in the classroom (e.g., signs, labels, posters).
Teachers should be available to assist children on an individual basis as required. For example, if a child asks how to make a "D", the teacher could point one out on a nearby alphabet chart or demonstrate how to make one on a scrap of paper.
These are only a few ways that teachers can guide children in becoming confident and capable writers.
In a developmentally appropriate program there are unlimited opportunities for growth and learning for everyone. A balanced program which considers the whole child provides socio-emotional and physical challenges in addition to intellectual ones. Individual activities are planned to help meet the needs and interests of each child.
In order to enhance this student's interest in reading, a teacher could place in various activity centres books, pamphlets, magazines and other print resources that support the current classroom theme and are at the child's reading level.
However, this area of the child's development should not be overemphasized. The Kindergarten curriculum advocates developing the whole child, physically and socio-emotionally as well as intellectually. It is as important to provide opportunities for each student to learn to cooperate with others and develop small and large motor skills as it is to offer experiences with print.
Yes. The Kindergarten program, with its emphases on meeting the needs of individual children and using play as a vehicle for learning, can be adapted to accommodate children with special needs.
The inclusion of children with disabilities in regular classrooms is one of the recognized "best practices" for children with exceptional needs. Involvement with nondisabled peers can be an enriching experience for all concerned, provided an appropriate program is in place and adequate support is available. This support might include human resources such as a resource teacher, a teacher associate (teacher assistant), a speech therapist and a special education consultant. It might also include materials support such as print and non-print resources that offer information and guidance, and special equipment to assist the teacher in meeting the individual needs of the student with a disability.
If schools offer developmentally appropriate programs based on the physical, socio-emotional and intellectual needs of the students, then most four-year-olds will adjust easily.
Kindergarten is optional in Saskatchewan; therefore, a child can enter Grade 1 without having gone to Kindergarten. However, the Kindergarten program is aimed at developing the whole child to her/his full potential so that all children can become active participants in a journey of life-long learning. The Kindergarten program prepares children for Grade 1 by developing interest in learning and providing a variety of learning challenges at the appropriate level.
A teacher could respond by inviting the person into his/her classroom to observe the learning that takes place during the Kindergarten day. If the invitation is accepted, a checklist could be provided to help guide the observations.
The teacher could also offer to lend the person a resource that aptly explains the value of play. There are presently many excellent materials available on the topic, including videos, booklets, articles and books. Several of these titles have been included in Children First: A Bibliography for Kindergarten, Saskatchewan Education, Training and Employment, 1994.
The child-centred philosophy is generally not supportive of retaining children. Reliable studies have indicated that the majority of children do not benefit from retention. A preferable alternative to retention is to promote the child to a Grade 1 program that will adapt to the needs of the child.
Decisions about student progress and placement should be based on the principle of providing the most appropriate learning environment for each child. This decision should be made by team initiated by the classroom teacher and should include the principal, the parents/caregivers and the student.
Readiness or screening tests should not be used as a basis for admission to the Kindergarten program. Some standardized tests tend to be biased in the areas of gender, culture and socio- economics and may measure only certain areas of children's learning. It is difficult for tests to measure curiosity, the ability to get along with others, appreciation of beauty and diversity in the world, kindness towards others, persistence in real-life situations, or a sense of responsibility for self and others.
Furthermore, a child's test results can vary greatly in a short period because young children change so quickly. Their skills, abilities and understanding blossom with tremendous speed throughout the early childhood years.
In addition, readiness tests may force delayed entrance upon the very children who need school the most--those who have experienced relatively less stimulating learning environments in their preschool years.
The main question in the child-centred view is not whether the child is ready for the Kindergarten curriculum, but whether the Kindergarten program is ready or appropriate for the child. Unless there are unusual circumstances, all children who meet the entrance age requirement should be allowed to attend Kindergarten.
Some teachers feel that it is important for students to use every centre frequently. Therefore, they organize schedules or signal children to move periodically. While their intent is admirable, the result is often that children are deprived of opportunities to become engaged in activities that really interest them. Further, structuring their play this way does not allow students to plan and organize their learning. What, then, can teachers do to help children who seem to float aimlessly from centre to centre or who visit the same centre day after day, and whose play seems to be stagnant?
Firstly, teachers can provide varied, subject-integrated activities that are changed frequently at every centre. This way, if a child has a favourite centre, she/he can spend a lot of time there and still experience many different learning opportunities. Also, a new addition to a centre may suddenly spark the interest of the child who wanders.
Secondly, teachers can limit the number of children who are allowed to use a centre at one time. Children will feel attracted to and be more comfortable in areas where they have room to manoeuvre.
Thirdly, during group assembly, teachers can make children aware of new materials that have been added to centres, thus stimulating their interest.
Fourthly, teachers can organize a system that helps children to plan their own learning (e.g., personal charts).
Fifthly, and most importantly, teachers need to carefully observe children and document their activities in order to determine the best way to extend the play experiences of each individual child. Sometimes students may have physical or emotional challenges that need to be dealt with and sometimes they merely require a gentle word of encouragement. If teachers feel that, after much effort, they are not seeing progress, they should confer with the principal and the parents/caregivers. In some situations the assistance of other professionals such as doctors or child psychologists may be required. The teacher's role in children's play should be to enable and extend their play.
In a primary multi-grade classroom, the presence of Kindergarten offers opportunities for activity-centred learning for all children. By starting from the Kindergarten curriculum, the teacher can build an appropriate program based on the developmental level of the students.
Desks are not needed, but tables, chairs and adequate space for personal belongings should be available, as well as quiet areas for reading and writing. Activity centres must be equipped with a wide variety of materials, from simple to complex, in order to meaningfully engage all the children.
A teacher could suggest that a parent/caregiver leave a personal belonging with the child. This often makes the child feel secure enough to stay.
Sometimes it helps to invite the child to participate in a specific activity such as water play or block building.
A teacher should not suggest that a parent/caregiver sneak away, since this will leave the child feeling deserted. However, he/she should suggest that a parent/caregiver try to make arrangements to pick up the child after school and that these plans be carefully explained to the child.
Volunteers need to know that they are welcome in the classroom and that their work is important. An invitation for them to participate can be extended at the orientation meeting and through letters or telephone calls. Parents/caregivers should be made aware that their involvement will contribute to their children's success in school because it reflects the attitude that school is important. People from the community, such as the elderly, should be told that their contributions are welcome and valued.
Once volunteers have offered their services, teachers should be flexible in assigning duties. Tasks should suit the interests and schedules of the helpers. Training sessions could be offered so that volunteers are clear about their responsibilities.
The work of volunteers should be well recognized. Some ideas for expressing gratitude to volunteers include inviting them to teas or meals, presenting them with student-created gifts, cards or letters, and displaying their pictures in places of honour.
Parents/caregivers should model a positive attitude towards school. Research has offered evidence that the attitude of the parents/caregivers toward education has a strong impact on student success.
It is extremely important that parents/caregivers read to children and recite traditional verses, rhymes and stories. Children need to hear the rhythm of language and they benefit from repeating the same stories and verses over and over again. If their parents/caregivers value literature, then children usually will too.
Parents/caregivers can provide writing tools and paper for their children and encourage them to "write" lists, thank you notes, etc.
Also, parents/caregivers can help children explore their environment by taking them to libraries, stores, farms, lakes, museums, art galleries and parks. These are great opportunities to talk with children about what they see, hear, smell, taste and feel. These outings will expand their horizons and enhance further learning. For example, a story about a farm will mean much more to a child if she/he has visited one.
Parents/caregivers can provide suitable toys and manipulatives to enrich their children's play experiences.
Additionally, parents/caregivers could take advantage of programs on topics related to parenting that are offered at local libraries and churches.
This is a decision that every teacher will have to make individually. Where children have arisen very early to catch the bus or attend a child care facility, a snack might be necessary. In low income communities, food programs sometimes offer snacks for the children.
Some teachers feel that an organized snack time provides an invaluable opportunity for social interaction. Others feel inconvenienced by the time it takes from other activities and by the added responsibility of having to carefully supervise children who have food allergies and who are on special diets. Some teachers eliminate snack time, but allow students to eat outside at recess. Others compromise by organizing regular cooking activities instead of scheduling a daily snack time. Still others set up a snack centre where children can go anytime during their free play period.
Teachers should consider the numerous possibilities and then make arrangements for snack time according to the needs of their children.
Teachers can model gender-fair language and equitable interaction with the students. They should have equally high expectations for both males and females and should encourage and respect the interests and abilities of students of both genders. For example, if girls are interested in participating in sports that have been traditionally considered masculine (such as football or hockey) they should be encouraged to do so. If boys are interested in participating in activities that have been traditionally considered to be feminine (such as cooking or playing with dolls) they should be encouraged to do so.
Teachers can choose fair and equitable resources for the classroom. For example, the puppet theatre could include a male nurse puppet and a female firefighter puppet. The literature that is shared with children should include a balance of male and female protagonists.
Teachers can point out inequities in resources and interactions to children so that they will learn to recognize bias and stereotypes.
Teachers can group students heterogeneously rather then by gender. They can encourage cooperation between the genders and try to ensure that neither gender interrupts nor takes ownership of an activity or project to the exclusion of the other.
Student assessment should encompass the whole child and include a variety of methods in which teachers observe students, record information and collect information in student files and assessment portfolios.
Systematic observation of children in the Kindergarten program is an essential first step in planning and the most effective way of assessing the students' progress. Even a few minutes daily of focused observation and recording can be of great assistance in planning an appropriate program that facilitates student learning.
There are numerous means of recording observations, including videotapes, audiotapes and photographs. Three of the most common formats are anecdotal records, observation checklists and rating scales.
The assessment portfolio is a method of storing student-produced materials and various forms that the teacher has completed on the students' progress. It allows teachers to assess student growth and overall learning progress during a period of time. Work samples, such as drawing, emergent writing and print-outs of computer work, are major components of the assessment portfolio.
After assessment information has been gathered it is analyzed and shared with students and parents/caregivers. Indications of growth and development are communicated through a variety of methods, including scheduled information sharing sessions, informal visits, assessment portfolios and sometimes, depending on local evaluation policy, through report cards.
Students are influenced by what they see and hear. The images and behaviours they are exposed to can become a reality for them through time. Stereotyped images have long been associated with Indian, Métis and Inuit peoples, so it is important that their perspectives, traditions, institutions and achievements are accurately reflected in the classroom program. Kindergarten provides a unique opportunity to develop sound attitudes toward one's self and others.
Instruction that is based on accurate information helps to off- set negative images students may hold. It builds confidence and a positive self concept in all students. A positive cross- cultural approach makes a conscious effort to address stereotyping, bias and discrimination, and their effects on the community and the learner.
Students who are actively taught to identify bias in resources and interactions, and to examine its effect on their thinking, will learn to understand other individuals and groups. They may then transfer their understanding to their personal lives. The result will be students who are developing the attitudes, knowledge and skills necessary for successful living in a complex, diverse world.
"Milton, the Monkey" by Karson