The first performance indicator is: Shows understanding of stories with more complex chain of events. I hate to sound like a broken record, but children that have been read to on a regular basis conquer this while children that have not been read to on a regular basis do not. This one falls into the category of reading comprehension and requires a certain level of exposure to read-aloud stories. When that level of exposure is not there, children struggle horribly with anything sequential. I have had 4 year olds that could not do even minor sequential tasks because of the inadequacy of their exposure to read-aloud activities. A great many children in preschools and Headstarts have to conquer being able to sit through an entire story before they can even come close to conquering this particular performance indicator. Language immaturity affects everything else.
The second performance indicator is: Begins to predict what might happen next. This one is also affected by the amount a child has had an adult read to them. If they do not have enough experience with the basic structure of stories, they will not be able to do this. Also, this one takes direct instruction. Because so many children are language deprived by this age, you, the teacher, will have to work on this one. At first, the children's predictions will be wild and completed unrelated to the story. However, with practice they will begin to improve until they can with some accuracy predict what will happen next. I see this one first hand when I read in classrooms. Some kindergarten classrooms do well predicting what will happen next. Some kindergarten classrooms look at me like I am crazy when I ask them what will happen next. Some kindergarten classrooms just start telling stories that are completely unrelated when I ask them to predict what will happen next. This means 5 and 6 year old children struggle with this one. Many 4 year old children will not even touch this one until many, many other areas are pulled up to speed.
The last performance indicator for this learning expectation is: Follows a sequence of 3 directions. As I stated earlier in this post, many of today's children struggle horribly with anything sequential. If you do not believe me, go to a typical preschool or Headstart and give a child a sequence of 3 directions. Then stand back and watch. If that child accomplishes the first item on the list without having to come and ask you multiple times what it is they are supposed to do, I would be pleasantly surprised. Now most of the children in my care conquer this one by the time they are 4 years old because I expect it. If I tell a child a sequence of directions, that child knows that I mean for him/her to pay attention and do what they are told. Now I also have children with attention issues and those children do not conquer this one, but I still work this one hard and heavy even with the children with attention issues. It helps them to improve. Most of today's children have never been expected to listen and follow a sequence of directions. You get what you expect.
We will now move on to the component - Verbal Expression and Communication. The first learning expectation for this one is: Engages in Dialogue (conversation with others). The first performance indicator is: Asks questions and makes comments related to a topic of discussion. Truthfully, I have not met many kindergarten children that conquer this one nowadays let alone 4 year olds. When I read to preschools and Headstarts, I have all but given up on having the children ask me questions. They have no concept of what a question is. All 4 year olds like to make comments but it is the rare 4 year old that can make a comment related to a discussion already in progress. I have said on many occasions that language immaturity for preschoolers has nearly become the norm rather the exception in today's society. Not only do parents not read to their children, but they also do not engage them in true conversation enough.
The last performance indicator for that learning expectation is: Understands and uses past, present, and future verb tense appropriately. I will say that probably the top 20% of 4 year olds conquer this one by 5 years old and most other children will conquer this by their 6th birthday. However, I do know that kindergarten teachers have to work with nearly half of their children to conquer this one once and for all. Too many four year olds are language immature, and this skill is simply too advanced for many of them. I have had to explain verb tense and time words extensively to the 4 year olds I have had recently. They simply do not have enough language reference to understand how all of that works.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!! https://linktr.ee/natawade
