Preschool

GOALS & OBJECTIVES FOR 3-5 YEAR OLDS

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SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Sense of Self:

• Shows ability to adjust to new situations
• Demonstrates appropriate trust in adults
• Recognizes own feelings and manages them appropriately
• Stands up for rights

Responsibility for self and others:

• Demonstrates self-direction and independence
• Takes responsibility for own well-being
• Respects and cares for classroom environment and materials
• Follows classroom routines
• Follows classroom rules

Prosocial behavior:

• Plays well with other children
• Recognizes the feelings of others and responds appropriately
• Shares and respects the rights of others
• Uses thinking skills to resolves conflicts

Physical Development

Gross Motor:

• Demonstrates basic locomotor skills (running, jumping, hopping, galloping)
• Shows balance while moving
• Climbs up and down
• Pedals and steers a tricycle (or other wheeled vehicle)
• Demonstrates throwing, kicking, and catching skills

Fine Motor:

• Controls small muscles in hands
• Coordinates eye-hand movement
• Uses tools for writing and drawing

Cognitive Development

Learning and Problem Solving:

• Observes objects and events with curiosity
• Approaches problems flexibly
• Shows persistence in approaching tasks
• Explores cause and effect
• Applies knowledge or experience to a new context

Logical Thinking:

• Classifies objects
• Compares/measures
• Arranges objects in a series
• Recognizes patterns and can repeat them
• Shows awareness of time concepts and sequence
• Shows awareness of position in space
• Uses one-to-one correspondence
• Uses numbers and counting

Representation and Symbolic Thinking:

• Takes on pretend roles and situations
• Makes believe with objects
• Makes and interprets representations

Language Development

Listening and Speaking:

• Hears and discriminates the sounds of language
• Expresses self using words and expanded sentences
• Understands and follows oral directions
• Answers questions
• Asks questions
• Actively participates in conversations

Reading and Writing:

• Enjoys and values reading
• Demonstrates understanding of print concepts
• Demonstrates knowledge of the alphabet
• Uses emerging reading skills to make meaning from print
• Comprehends and interprets meaning from books and other texts
• Understands the purpose of writing
• Writes letters and words

The Creative Curriculum for Preschool