This post will look at the area of learning - Math covering the components - Numbers, Patterns, Spatial Sense, and Problem Solving. Remember that I am taking my information from the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards (TN-ELDS).
We will start with the component - Numbers with the learning expectation - Begins to build understanding of more, and one-to-one correspondence. The performance indicator for this one is: Responds to "one" and "one more"; begins to count by imitation. Like most everything, a language delay will affect this performance indicator. Children without a language delay will conquer this one easily, but I am seeing so many children with language delays that the delay is becoming the norm. These standards were developed well over a decade ago and they no longer apply. I see this behavior in 3 year olds not 2 year olds. What are we doing to our children?
Next, we move on to the component - Patterns with the learning expectation - Begins to understand the relationship between objects, solving simple jigsaw puzzles and matching similar shapes. The first performance indicator for this one is: Begins to identify simple objects by their use, color, and shape. I fear I will be a broken record in this post. A child must have a certain level of language development to conquer this performance indicator. I have seen 3 year olds struggle with this performance indicator because it also assumes quite a bit of attention capability. Many of today's children do not pay enough attention to detail to notice use, color, and shape much less identify it. I have found that many of these areas have to be directly taught before children attain this level. They will not discover this without exposure.
The second performance indicator for this one is: Correctly stacks nesting cups, completes simple inset puzzles, and completes stacking ring in correct order through trial and error. I will start with the last one. Any teacher will tell you that the majority of children today will not stay with a task long enough to figure anything out by trial and error. That is laughable. I have had 4 year olds that I had to work with to make them understand inset puzzles. Stacking nesting cups became one of my items to learn before kindergarten my last several years of teaching preschool. It is hard to believe that these skills used to be considered normal for 2 to 2 1/2 year olds. Even with instruction many, many 2 year olds will struggle with these skills but this is the age where you should start the instruction. Exposure will finally bring about success.
Now we will move on to the component - Spatial Sense with the first learning expectation: Matches circle, square, and triangle shapes. The performance indicator for this one is: Uses trial and error to complete circle, triangle, square form board. Two words in that performance indicator make this one laughable - trial and error. Not many children in the 21rst century have enough patience to learn anything by trial and error. However, many 2 year olds can learn their shapes using direct instruction. Children at this age often know more words than they can say. When you work with them directly, they can learn this by the time they are 2 1/2 years old if you start when they turn 2 years old.
The second learning expectations is: Explores world, and understands position in space and how to get around. The performance indicator for this one is: Understands how to climb up, go around, in, or through various spaces to get to or to reach an out of reach object. This performance indicator, since it has little to do with language, actually usually does not present a problem for most 2 year olds. We all know how adept they are at climbing and getting to something out of their reach. Some children are very adept causing much consternation for parent and caregiver alike. However, this performance indicator can also be "helicoptered" from existence. If you never, ever let them explore in this fashion, it will cause them to miss valuable lessons in risk necessary for this age. We cannot save them from all the bumps and bruises that come with normal childhood. We can, however, bolt down all heavy furniture so they do not kill themselves.
Lastly, we will look at the component - Problem Solving with the learning expectation - Explores materials and understands simple acts of cause and effect. The performance indicator for this one is: Begins to build simple block designs through trial and error. Two things about that performance indicator make it laughable - blocks and trial and error. Children these days do not play with blocks like they once did. Most children dump blocks, throw blocks, and maybe use blocks in dramatic play but very few actually build with the blocks. In the latter years of my tenure as a preschool teacher (I am now retired), I had to directly teach them how to build with blocks. I have already covered the ludicrous aspect of children in today's world learning anything through trial and error so I will not belabor the point. In today's entertainment culture you will probably find it necessary as I did to directly teach many things we learned as children through simple play. This will be one of them.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
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