The first performance indicator for this post is: Understands "yesterday" and "tomorrow." I have found that children that spend the majority of their time in structured settings conquer this one easily most of the time. Children that spend most of their time in unstructured settings do not conquer this one. Structure of schedule helps children develop a sense of the passage of time. If a child's schedule is fairly consistent from day to day even if it is as simple as meals, snacks, and naptime at approximately the same time every day, then that child will understand the passage of time. If a child's day is a random mash of events that has no consistency or order from day to day, then that child will struggle with the concept of the passage of time. This one also depends on the level of the child's language development. If a 4 year old has language delays, this concept will be a struggle for them. Language development affects everything.
The next performance indicator is: Defines objects by their use. Most 4 year olds conquer this at his/her own level. Some children will have a larger vocabulary of "uses" but most 4 year olds will define the objects they know by their uses. This one will also be determined by a child's level of language development as well as science/nature development. The amount of objects and concepts in which a 4 year old is exposed will determine the level of a child's "uses" vocabulary. If a 4 year old does not define objects by their uses, a developmental delay may be in play. Developmental screening should be employed in that case.
Next on the list is: Understands "same" and "different." Some children find this performance indicator easy. Some children do not. Left-brain children that notice details will catch sameness and differentness faster than right-brain children that look more at the whole picture. Being able to spot details in right-brain leaning children will take practice and adult-driven instruction. If a child shows difficulty in noticing details, simply switch to teacher-directed activities that demonstrate the differences. Never assume a child will learn this on his/her own. Some children really struggle with details.
The next performance indicator is: Carries out a four-order, related direction (four levels would be "Time to go to bed; you need to take a bath, brush your teeth, put on your clean pajamas and find your favorite book for me to read to you."). I do not know many 6 or 7 year old children in today's society that can actually do this one without constant reminders at every single level. My own biological children could do this 20 years ago, but even they were not the norm for their time period. I had very high expectations for following directions, and it showed. There is the key to why this one has fallen so dramatically in recent years and why my own biological children could do it. You get what you expect. Period. Many parents and even early childhood providers do not hold today's children to very high standards at all when it comes to following directions. Most of these parents were not held to high expectations as children. Therefore, the low expectations are normal to them. In the 1980s and 1990s society scolded parents for being too demanding. It was the social taboo of the era. Now, we as a society are realizing those low standards bring disastrous societal results, but we have 20 to 30 years of low expectations to redo. What amazes me is that the children in my care can do this if they have been with me for years, but they will not do the same at home. They know I have high expectations, but they also understand that their parents do not have the same expectations. The children will adjust to the expectation level of the adult. The parents cannot understand how I get the children to do the things that they do here. I try to show them how to have higher expectations, but they will always regress to what is normal for them. It takes great effort to undo that "normal" expectation.
The last performance indicator for this post is: Able to follow several unrelated directions in proper order, such as "Turn off the television, pick up the toys in your bedroom, and then come to the table for lunch. This one is directly related to the last one. Very few 4 year olds could accomplish this one in today's society because we do not expect them to follow directions that well. Following directions has to be one of the weakest skills of today's American children. Children in other parts of the world may be able to do this one well. However, we are paying for years and years and years of low expectations for following directions. To undo this, will require laying aside the stigma of high expectations for children. Very often, high expectations are demonized as cruel and demanding. Until we as a society lay that stigma aside, we will forever suffer with children that have great difficulty in following directions. We cannot have one without the other. Children are capable of so much more than we as Americans give them credit. If the children have someone in their life that holds them to a higher standard, they will pull up and meet the challenge. We are so far in the other ditch on this one, it would take great leaps to make it to being too strict and demanding. I do believe it is time for us as a society to start holding our children to a higher standard in a lot of areas. We will be so much better for it.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!! https://linktr.ee/natawade
