The first learning expectation is: Begins to identify and label objects using numbers. The performance indicator for this one is: Develops increased abilities to combine, separate and name "how many" concrete objects. Some children will conquer this one easily and some will struggle horribly. The biggest factor usually involves whether or not the child has been exposed to number concepts during his/her toddler years. Adults in previous times used to talk to small children about "how many" during many everyday conversations. Now, that just is not the case. Unless the child has been exposed to number concepts in a childcare setting or had parents/caregivers that purposefully exposed him/her to these concepts, four year old children will struggle with number concepts above two or three objects.
The second learning expectation is: Develops understanding of numbers and their association with objects. The first performance indicator for this one is: Begins to associate number concepts, vocabulary, quantities, and numerals in meaningful ways. This is the point where teaching style comes very much into play. Teachers that rely on exposure and exploration will not be able to have the same results as teachers that handle number concepts with direct instruction. Number concepts for the most part are a left brain function, and left brain function concepts need direct instruction. Students that have teachers that work with them one-on-one using direct instruction have an even greater result than direct instruction in a group setting. I have seen this first hand. Many "experts" have been blown away by how much I accomplish with direct instruction especially with children with delays and immaturity issues. Small children need one-on-one instruction more than older children and older children benefit from that method as well. Maybe someday this revelation will move outside of the homeschooling movement and into the mainstream.
The second performance indicator is: Develops increasing ability to count in sequence to 10 and beyond. Truthfully, I expect my 3 year olds to count to 10. I expect my 4 year olds to count much higher than that. By the time they are 5 years old, I expect them to be able to count to 100 or pretty close to it. Of course, I work them in this department. I make them count almost daily if not daily and most normally developing children conquer this one with that kind of practice. This is a skill and requires daily practice. Please, do not let a skill like this rely on exposure and discovery to develop. That is ludicrous. Practice makes perfect!!
Now we move on to the component - Patterns and Algebra. The first learning expectation is: Explores and begins to sort and classify objects. The first performance indicator for this learning expectation is: Shows understanding of and uses comparative words. For those that have not worked in early childhood in the last five years, this one would seem to be easy to conquer. However, I have had to directly teach so many four year olds these types of words because they walked through my door without any prior knowledge of these types of words. We really need to have an intervention with some of these parents and help them understand how important it is to talk and read to their children. The smartphone has greatly diminished family conversations in many households. Children pick up these types of concepts from everyday conversation with adults, and if they do not, you, the teacher, will have to directly teach these concepts.
The last performance indicator for this learning expectation is: Groups common related objects: shoe, sock, foot; apple, orange, plum. This one comes easier to children that the previous one, but still depends on a child's prior knowledge base. Some children conquer this one easily but those with language delays struggle. Many people do not understand how much language delays affect every other area of learning. So much in the early years depends on a child's working vocabulary. When a child's vocabulary is limited, everything else suffers. However, exposure to grouping activities helps with both categories. Grouping improves as well as a child's working vocabulary.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!! https://linktr.ee/natawade
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