This will be the last post for 2 and 1/2 to 3 year olds. Next week we will move up to 3 to 4 year olds and begin to demonstrate the layering that should occur in the same areas from year to year. This week we look at the Science area of learning. Remember I am taking my information from the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards.
The first component for Science is Sensory Awareness, Observation, and Exploration with the learning expectation: Builds knowledge of the world through observation and awareness of surroundings. The performance indicator for this learning expectation is: Shows curiosity and asks questions about the environment; is more interested in trail and error. In my last post I stated that when the words explore and observe appear in performance indicators, learning delays and difficulties should be anticipated. Helicopter parented children do not explore and observe until they are taught to do so. Also, slow language learners will drag behind in nearly every other aspect of learning. The language delay hinders the ability to ask questions, and that constitutes a huge amount of science learning in the preschool years. Helicopter parented children also show a lack of persistence in trial and error. They will attempt something for about 5 seconds, and then call for an adult to do it for them. Until they are put in an environment that promotes self-exploration these children will drag horribly in science learning. It has gotten to the point that I have to ignore more than half of what comes out of the children's mouths because the majority of it is whining and complaining trying to get me to do things for them. Because the children go back and forth between my environment and a helicoptering environment, this whining and complaining behavior persists much longer than it would if the parents would stop helicoptering. Mondays are especially bad. Most American parents do not begin to lessen the obsessive helicoptering of their children until they hit school-age and the school systems begin to demand it. Early childhood educators have a different relationship with parents than school systems do, and therefore, cannot push the demands quite so hard. Plus, we have to walk a very fine line between the regulations, which themselves are as bad as the helicopter parenting in many respects, and what is truly best for the children.
The second component for science is Sequencing and Time. The first learning expectation is: Begins to understand consequences when re-creating events. The performance indicator for this one is: Understands the need for a coat for warmth when it is cold outside. I am not going to go off on helicopter parenting for the rest of this post. I will only show you the results. In the last several years I have seen a huge uptick in children having no concept whatsoever about dressing for the weather. They want to wear what they want to wear regardless of how hot or cold it is outside, and the level of stubbornness over this has left many parents completely flabbergasted as to how to correct it. It should be evident that allowing children to have so much choice has to be the major place for blame in this one. American children are used to getting what they want 99% of the time, and this has consequences. Most parents bring other clothes and allow the children to wear what they want to my facility. At that point, I direct them to the bathroom to change. Usually they comply without a war leaving the parents feeling so defeated. However, it really is simple. I do not allow them to argue about it. If they are dressed incorrectly, they will change. Period. The right way to do things has to be enforced in order for children to learn the right thing to do in situations.
The second learning expectation for Sequencing and Time is: Demonstrates some understanding of when things happen in relation to routines. The performance indicator is: Beings to make connection between daily events and what happens "next" (after lunch it is time for nap). The most important word in that learning expectation is routines. If a parent/caregiver follows a basic daily routine, then the child will conquer this particular performance indicator. If not, the child has no point of reference to develop this particular skill. More than any other reason, this reason for routines has to be the most important. Developing sequencing skills without a daily routine will be nearly impossible. This is how young children develop a sense of the passing of time. It might be boring for some adults, but that does not nullify its importance.
The last component for science is Problem Solving. The learning expectation for this one is: Uses reasoning skills and imagination when planning ways to make things happen. The first performance indicator is: Describes drawing made after trip to the fire station. All I will say on the parenting front is if you do everything for them, they will not know how to make things happen. As far as describing a picture about an event, that is a stretch for many in this age group. 3 and 4 year olds do much better at this one, but 2 and 1/2 to 3 year olds might not have sufficient prior experience and language skills to do this one. This has to be something the child does on a regular basis, and in the beginning they might not make much sense. However, with practice even this age group can master this performance indicator by the time they are 3 years old.
The last performance indicator for the component Problem Solving is: During dramatic play, encourages peer to blow on food that is "hot." To be honest, I have rarely seen a 2 and 1/2 year old with enough dramatic play skills to come close to this one. Dramatic play skills really are not developing in children today until they are closer to 3 and 1/2 years of age. Most of the time, we do well to get them to play side by side without war. Cooperative play takes more social skills than many children possess these days. The only time I see more advanced dramatic play behavior from 2 and 1/2 to 3 year olds is when they regularly play with older children, and by older I mean 4 and up. Children that have the opportunity to be in mixed age group settings develop many skills faster than children in same age group settings. I learned the value of mixed age settings as a homeschooling mom, but many just do not understand the value of teaching children to relate to anyone other than their age peers. This may be one of the biggest reasons, children of the past developed faster. We as a society become more deadset on dividing by age with the passage of time even though it really does not help the children become more socially adept. When we do have pockets of environments that promote this type of setting like family child care, regulators often drive them from existence with rules designed for age-divided centers. I fear our society will be upside down forever.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
Check out Natalie's children's books at: https://www.amazon.com/author/nataliewade7457
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