Welcome!

Welcome! This is a work in progress. This site has been dormant since 2009, and is now being revived. Please keep checking back to see what is new. Thank you. ~ Kathy M. ~ July 10, 2015

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Introduction:

 

Welcome to Comfort and Joy Childcare! 

The purpose of this website is to share the ins-and -outs of setting up your own preschool or small childcare center, and then information on running the program itself.  I'm no expert, but perhaps you will find a few things new to you on here.  This blog is a work in progress, and I will be filling in the blanks as I have time.

I have years of education and training in Early Childhood Education, and years of hands on experience also. My high school had a model childcare program, where for two years we worked in our own center and also went out to do practicum work at community sites.  The community college that I attended also had a model program for training teachers in two different teaching centers.  I have worked in several summer preschool programs. One of the most rewarding programs I was involved with was affiliated with Pearl Buck Center in Eugene. Our preschool was for children born to developmentally disabled parents.

I have run three daycares out of my home over the years. When I was living in Walterville, Oregon, I ran a successful family childcare named Comfort and Joy, out of our home for two-and-a-half years. I still had children at home, so it gave me a great way to be involved with the community and spend time with my family. I loved it, and we all had a great time. The bottom half of this site has pictures of some of those in our group.  

I graduated from Oregon State University a few years ago, with my B.S. Human Development and Family Sciences, majoring in Early Childhood Education. My minor is in Human Services.  My practicum work included two terms at Head Start (as a teacher and as a family advocate), one term at the Mountain Star Relief Nursery, and one term in a local elementary school kindergarten.

After graduation, I worked at Head Start for one school year as an assistant teacher. That experience taught me so much about running a program and working with others.  I took a leave of absence from the field of Early Childhood Education for 8 years, as I worked with my husband at our family business.

I most recently taught preschool in Central Oregon. I began this blog to share my thoughts and ideas as I got back into the teaching groove.  I will be posting my experiences with you on here, and also provide links to other sites. The easiest way to use this blog is to either scroll down, or look on the sidebar for areas that interest you.  Instead of new posts beginning at the top, I have made each heading it's own page and will be adding to them all as time permits.

Please keep checking back for new entries as I get this site set up. Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions.  It is still a blog, therefore, I work for comments!

Kathy Matthews:
oregongiftsofcomfortandjoy@hotmail.com



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Getting Started:




State Licensing Requirements:

Different states have different rules regarding childcare.  I am going to concentrate on how to begin a childcare business in the State of Oregon on this website.  If you live in another state, this should still give you a good idea of what you need to do.


* Registered Family Child Care Homes (For three children or less.)



Here is the link for the State of Oregon Childcare Division: State of Oregon Office of Childcare.  The following link gives you the ins-and-outs of Oregon childcare options: just click here for statues, laws and licensing requirements.


You will need to do these things:

- Attend the orientation course provided by the state.

- Attend the short Child Abuse and Neglect course offered by the state.

 - Get a criminal background check.  If you are working from home, everybody living in your household over the age of 16 will also need to have a background check.  Volunteers at your center will also need to have background checks.

 - Get your food handlers card.  You can do this online, and it only costs $10.00.  Click here to get your food handlers card online (Oregon).

 - Take an infant and child CPR course. 

 - Get insurance for your business.  Check with your agent to see if your homeowners or renters insurance covers you for the liability of caring for other people's children.

 - Register with the USDA Food Program, if you choose to.  You can get reimbursed for feeding the kids in your center.  Click here to find out how.

Equipment and Materials

Running Your Business 

How much should you charge? This might help you out: 

Advertising 

Social Media

Parent Handbooks

Being a Professional/Continuing Education:




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Your Child Care Philosophy and Different Types of Curriculum



What is your childcare philosophy?  Do you use elements of one or more of the early childhood education below?  Can you explain to your parents/clients what you believe in and how you teach?  Is your center play-based, academic or a mixture of both?  

Defining what you do and how you do it will keep you thinking about how you can grow and excel as a teacher and business owner. Here are some examples of how to write out your philosophy from NYC.org:

Program Philosophy Statement Samples

Example 1:  We at, Little Children’s Child Care believe that our program and services offer developmentally appropriate curriculum and we strive to enhance social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth in young children. Our program fosters curiosity, creativity and self-esteem by taking into account children’s abilities and interests. Child initiated and teacher supported play is an essential component of our program. (Used as an example on the Developing a Program Philosophy document to align with the Early Childhood Indicators of Progress (ECIP)

Example 2:  At our Center, you step into the wondrous world of young children where imagination and self-expression flourish. Our teachers encourage children to use critical thinking and problem solving skills in their daily experiences. The classroom environment is carefully designed to reflect the children’s interests and to cultivate positive self-image, independence, and interdependence. We foster equal opportunity in learning and education for all children regardless of race, creed, sex, religion, national origin, or physical condition.

Example 3:  Little Children Child Care’s education program is grounded in traditional and well-established early childhood educational philosophies. Therefore, our program contributes understanding that support teacher’s in maintaining a cohesive purpose: improvement of the life chances of culturally diverse children through formal education. We strive to foster an ethic of social responsibility among our children and we urge students to acquire and use all the resources of their culture that can be implemented into our program.

Example 4: The mission of our program is to prepare teachers who demonstrate the commitment and capacity to reform schooling and education for all young children’s educational needs. As educators, we believe that all children have a right to respect, regardless of their abilities. We provide an environment that is safe yet stimulating, and a curriculum that challenges them through creativity, self-choice, and learning through play.

Therefore, our program supports the following philosophy about children and their growth:

* Each child individually learns in different ways, at a different pace, by different approaches and at different ages of maturation.

* A positive self-concept develops in children who can fulfill their goals, accomplish tasks on their own, and cooperate with others and receive positive feelings from others.

* Self-disciplined children can direct their efforts towards fulfillment of their goals. Children learn self-discipline through understanding, commitment, and reinforcement.

* Self-reliance is achieved by allowing children to do as many things for themselves as they are capable of, but keeping in mind new skills.

Example 5:  Reggio Emilio philosophy is based on the recognition that young children have many ways in which they can express themselves, and that we, as educators, must tap into those ways and engage the children in their learning.

Example 6:  We believe that children experience the greatest growth when they feel secure and wanted. Therefore, We at Little Children Child Care will provide a warm, caring, comfortable and safe environment for our children. Together, we will establish routines that are predictable and consistent. All children will be treated with gentleness, honesty and respect. We will encourage them to treat others in this manner. Our classrooms cultivate an unbiased atmosphere where children and parents are encouraged to challenge their individual paradigms and subsequently see society through a lens that celebrates diversity of thought and culture. We are committed to children learning and believe that educators are important role models. Therefore, we use modeling as a vital tool in our classrooms. To maintain an atmosphere where children feel comfortable and confident, we use constructive guidance and positive reinforcement. We feel it is also necessary to establish and clearly define reasonable limits with logical consequences. The children are encouraged to take ownership in shaping our classroom dynamics through openly sharing their work, ideas and personalities which will enrich their peers and foster their intellectual development. Little Children Child Care advocates open communication with parents, for they ultimately play the most vital role in their child’s intellectual development. As much as we love to care for and guide children, we believe that parents should also be encouraged to be active participants in their children’s education. Parents and teacher share a common priority: providing the best that they possibly can for the child. Working together, we believe that optimum development will be obtained.

Example 7: The American Montessori Society is committed to promoting quality Montessori education for all children from birth to 18 years based on these key concepts: 

* The aim of Montessori education is to foster competent, responsible, adaptive citizens who are lifelong learners and problem solvers.   

* Learning occurs in an inquiring, cooperative, nurturing atmosphere. Students increase their own knowledge through self- and teacher-initiated experiences.  

* Learning takes place through the senses. Students learn by manipulating materials and interacting with others. These meaningful experiences are precursors to the abstract understanding of ideas.  

* The individual is considered as a whole. The physical, emotional, social, aesthetic, spiritual, and cognitive needs and interests are inseparable and equally important.  

* Respect and caring attitudes for oneself, others, the environment, and all life are necessary. 

Example 8: Marie Montessori School of the Golden Gate Philosophy: Dr. Montessori believed that each individual human being has an innate unique talent which, when fulfilled, is the individual's essential contribution to life and the human community on this planet. It is their purpose in life. To discover his or her unique talent, each child needs to be exposed to experiences pertaining to all facets of life. To this end, Dr. Montessori designed manipulative materials for all subject areas, activities which children experience sensorially and interactively in a multi-age and multi-ethnic classroom setting. Freedom within limits leads children to responsible choices, self-discipline, and self-respect. Self-respect leads to respect for others. We are dedicated to fulfilling the ideals of Maria Montessori, who in 1948 and 1950, earned Nobel Peace Prize nominations for "Education for Peace."

These are some of the most popular types of  ways to teach preschool in the U.S.:

Bank Street - "Development-Interaction Approach"


Creative Curriculum - "The Creative Curriculum balances both teacher-directed and child-initiated learning, with an emphasis on responding to children's learning styles and building on their strengths and interests."


High Scope -  "The HighScope Curriculum emphasizes active participatory learning. Active learning means students have direct, hands-on experiences with people, objects, events, and ideas. Children's interests and choices are at the heart of the HighScope programs."


Holistic Early Childhood Education -

Montesorri 


Reggio Emilia Inspired - "Project-Based"


Waldorf Education






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Your Center's Curriculum:






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Portfolios and Ages and Stages of Preschoolers:




Portfolios:

Portfolios are so important.  They are professional and priceless.

I bought a couple sets of 1" notebooks at Costco, I think that they are around $9.00 per set.  I fill them with clear sheet protectors, and keep samples of my students' work in them.   I include photos (a class picture too).  I document frequent observations of the child during class-time, and put those in there too.

Portfolios are available for parents to read throughout the school year.  During parent/teacher conference time at the end of the year, I write a positive summary about the child's achievements, things to work on, and future goals.  At the end of the year, I send them home for the family to keep.

Here is a sample of what I included in my portfolios.  Parents are the child's first teacher, and anything that childcare professionals can do to help them out is a blessing.  PBS has a great site full of information for parents and teachers. I printed out and made copies of this information for each child's portfolio, depending on the age of the child.  Here is the link to their page:  PBS Child Development Tracker 

"Research shows that if children start school with a strong set of attitudes and skills that help them "learn how to learn," they will be better able to take advantage of educational opportunities. While some learning skills come naturally to children, others can be developed through a supportive environment. 

Tips for building learning skills:
§  Let them choose.
Give kids a chance to make simple choices, such as what to wear or what to eat for a snack.
§  Help them finish what they start.
Children experience great satisfaction when they try and finish new things. Give them a bit of support when they need it, but be careful not to take over completely.
§  Nurture creativity.
Encourage children to ask questions, try different ways of using materials, or offer them a wide range of new experiences.
§  Don't rush activities.
Whether at home or in preschool, children need extended periods of time to really get involved in activities and to experience the "engagement" that is such an important foundation for learning.
§  Provide encouragement.
All children start life eager to learn, but if adults are critical, that eagerness may disappear by the elementary grades. Look for achievements to praise and acknowledge your child's progress whenever possible."




”There is no one like your child
Every child's development is unique and complex. Although children develop through a generally predictable sequence of steps and milestones, they may not proceed through these steps in the same way or at the same time. A child's development is also greatly influenced by factors in his or her environment and the experiences he or she has. The information in this guide explains what child development experts consider to be "widely-held expectations" for what an average child might achieve within a given year. Please consider what you read in the context of your child's unique development.
Below is a snapshot of this year.

How your child may develop this year
§  Everything is new and interesting to one-year-olds. They enthusiastically use their five senses to actively explore the world around them. They find pleasure in causing things to happen and in completing basic tasks. And once a discovery is made, one-year-olds want to make it happen again and again and again!

§  Emotionally, one-year-olds are just learning to recognize and manage their feelings. They experience a wide range of emotions and have tantrums when they are tired or frustrated. They may also respond to conflict by hitting, biting, screaming, or crying. One-year-olds seek autonomy and may say, "No!" to adult suggestions or insist that they, "Do myself!" Then, moments later, they might cling to an adult's leg or ask for help.

§  During this year, language skills typically progress from grunting and pointing to speaking single words and experimenting with simple word combinations. Pronunciation is quite difficult, however and familiar adults almost always need to "translate" for others. One-year-olds steadily build their vocabularies by absorbing the language around them. They are able to understand common phrases and simple directions used in routine situations.

§  Even though one-year-olds have no awareness of print at this age, they take pleasure in nursery rhymes and books with single pictures of familiar and related items. They may apply their growing vocabularies by naming pictures in books read to them. Children this age also have no understanding of true "writing," but many enjoy experimenting with marks and scribbles on a surface.

§  As one-year olds play, they start to build their mathematical thinking by recognizing patterns and understanding shapes. For example, they notice that night is followed by day and that socks go on feet before shoes. They begin to sort familiar objects by one characteristic, such as whether they are "hard" or "soft." They may enjoy filling and emptying containers. They know that when an object is hidden, it is still there. Many can also do simple insert puzzles when the puzzle pieces show whole objects.

§  One-year-olds are just discovering their creative abilities. Their interest in art is focused on the sensory exploration of art materials, such as paint and clay. With music, they can respond with their whole bodies to rhythm, beat and melody. Children this age make an important developmental leap by beginning to pretend during play, often by imitating adult movements.

§  Some of the most obvious changes that you will notice in your child this year are in the area of physical development. Most one-year-olds typically move from crawling to running by about 20 months. They hold their hands out to the side or poke their bellies out for balance. Their gait is a bit awkward and clumsy and falls are common. They use their new mobility to push and pull toys, dance and climb. One-year-olds also improve in hand and finger coordination, but skills at this age are still immature, so they fumble and drop objects frequently.”


Preschool Ages and Stages



Two-Year-Olds:

From: PBS Parents Child Development Tracker http://www.pbs.org/parents/childdevelopmenttracker/two/index.html

"There is no one like your child.
Every child's development is unique and complex. Although children develop through a generally predictable sequence of steps and milestones, they may not proceed through these steps in the same way or at the same time. A child's development is also greatly influenced by factors in his or her environment and the experiences he or she has. The information in this guide explains what child development experts consider to be "widely-held expectations" for what an average child might achieve within a given year. Please consider what you read in the context of your child's unique development.
Below is a snapshot of this year.

How your child may develop this year:
Two-year-olds enjoy using their senses and motor skills to explore the world and are highly curious about unfamiliar objects, events and phenomena. They can solve simple problems with the "trial and error" method and will practice an activity many times to master it. Children this age also pretend more during play, using familiar objects and situations to process their daily experiences.

New discoveries are also facilitated by a two-year-old's blossoming language skills that prompt many "why," "what" and "how" questions. During the year, children this age pick up most parts of speech to form more complete sentences. They can understand and say hundreds of words, but familiar adults may need to "translate" for others due to immature pronunciation skills. They also understand simple directions and many common phrases used in routine situations.

Children this age are laying the groundwork for reading and writing. They enjoy having books read to them and may pretend to "read" as they independently look through familiar books. Two-year-olds can sing the A-B-C song, but they don't yet understand that the letter names correspond to specific graphic designs. They also make a variety of scribble marks anywhere and everywhere and may even attempt to write the first letter of their name.

As they play and complete their daily routines, two-year-olds learn important math skills. They can use a toy to represent another object, recognize patterns with daily activities and understand concepts of time like, "tomorrow" and "yesterday." Two-year-olds are just beginning to use logical reasoning to solve everyday problems. They can sort shapes, complete puzzles with eight pieces or less and stack a set of rings on a peg by size. They also understand addition and subtraction with the numbers "one" and "two."

Physically, two-year-olds explore all the ways to travel from here to there, including rolling, crawling, creeping, walking, running, jumping and climbing. They can also kick a small ball forward, catch a rolled ball and throw a ball overhand (but with little accuracy). Two-year-olds love finger play activities (e.g., "The Itsy, Bitsy, Spider"), pounding and squeezing clay, shaking rhythm instruments and scribbling. They can turn doorknobs and unscrew lids and have improved their skills using eating utensils.

Two-year-olds also use their motor skills to explore the creative arts. They make sounds by banging and shaking instruments and household items. They enjoy dancing upon request, doing finger plays and acting out chants and songs. Children this age are also gaining control over their voices and will join in singing the refrains of their favorite songs. With art, they enjoy the sensory pleasures of the art materials and focus on the process of creating art, rather than the final product.

Two-year-olds enjoy playing alongside other children, but usually keep to themselves. When conflicts arise, adults need to step in to prevent aggression and teach appropriate behaviors. Children this age are beginning to label feelings that they recognize in themselves and others. Controlling emotions is still difficult, however, so frustration may trigger emotional meltdowns. Comfort objects like blankets or teddy bears help two-year-olds cope with new situations or strong emotions." 

Approaches to Learning for 2-year-olds

Two-year-olds enjoy using their senses to explore the world, and can solve simple problems with the "trial and error" method. They will practice an activity many times to master it, and can complete short-term, concrete tasks. Their budding language skills and desire to learn prompt many "why," "what," and "how" questions. This year typically marks the beginning of pretend play, where two-year-olds experiment with familiar objects and situations to process their experiences.

Initiative, Engagement, and Persistence
  • Makes choices (e.g., food, clothes, toys, activities) based on preferences, sometimes in opposition to adult choices (e.g., child says, "No jacket. Want hat!").
  • Increases ability to sustain attention, especially when it directly influences an activity (e.g., repeatedly stacks blocks and knocks them down).
  • Completes self-chosen, short-term, concrete tasks. Practices an activity many times to gain mastery (e.g., repeatedly moves magnetic letters on and off the refrigerator).
  • Has a growing interest in and ability to perform routine tasks independently (e.g., puts napkins on the table before dinner).
Curiosity and Eagerness to Learn
  • Is able to participate in a broader array of experiences (e.g., exploring outdoor playground equipment, climbing on rocks, investigating contents of kitchen cabinets, paging through books), thanks to increased physical and cognitive skills.
  • May ask many "why," "what," and "how" questions about a variety of sights, sounds, and experiences (e.g., asks, "Why mommy cry?").
  • Continues to show enthusiasm and pleasure in daily explorations. Enjoys solving simple problems (e.g., successfully puts on own hat after several tries, then happily jumps up and down).
Reasoning and Problem-solving
  • Becomes more systematic in using language and physical approaches to solve problems, but may become stuck on one solution (e.g., tries numerous strategies for nesting a set of cups of graduated sizes, but may keep pushing harder to get a large cup to fit into a smaller one).
  • Continues to expand use of language to get help, but may refuse assistance even when needed (e.g., may say, "I need help!" when trying to get a little car into the garage, but then says, "Do it myself!" when help arrives).
  • Grows in abilities to recognize and solve problems through active exploration, including trial and error (e.g., tries to get a large pillow into a small container by turning it this way and that; eventually folds up pillow so it fits).

Invention and Imagination

  • Engages in simple pretend play with familiar objects and situations (e.g., puts doll to bed and lays blanket over her).
  • Expands use of objects, art materials, and toys in new and unexpected ways (e.g., takes bath towels out of a closet and drapes them over chairs, crumples up paper in interesting shapes when pasting onto cardboard)"





3-year-olds:

There is no one like your child:

"Every child's development is unique and complex. Although children develop through a generally predictable sequence of steps and milestones, they may not proceed through these steps in the same way or at the same time. A child's development is also greatly influenced by factors in his or her environment and the experiences he or she has. The information in this guide explains what child development experts consider to be "widely-held expectations" for what an average child might achieve within a given year. Please consider what you read in the context of your child's unique development.

How your child may develop this year
  • Three-year-olds learn primarily through exploring, using all the senses. While playing, they are better able to ignore distractions and focus on the task at hand. They will even persist in completing something that is a bit difficult and can think more creatively and methodically when solving problems.

  • Language for three-year-olds is taking off. They learn lots of new words and make major improvements in pronunciation. They communicate in simple sentences and are refining their use of grammar. Children this age begin to initiate conversations, want to talk about areas of interest and can relate personal experiences to others with the support of some prompting from grown-ups.

  • Three-year-olds are also able to listen to and understand conversations, stories, songs and poems. They are learning their letters, but may also refer to numbers as "letters." They notice print in the environment and may ask what it means. They also realize that print in books tells a reader what to say. During the year, scribbles begin to appear more like letters and children may string several of these "letters" together to form mock words. They become aware of the uses for writing and may dictate words for adults to write down.

  • Children this age develop their logical reasoning skills as they play. They can put together simple puzzles and understand that a whole object can be separated into parts. They are able to classify and sort objects, but usually by only one characteristic at a time. Three-year-olds identify and describe objects that are the "same" or "different." They can count up to "five," and begin to recognize written numerals "0" through "9." When counting items in a collection, they can now label each object with just one number word to determine the total ("one to one correspondence").

  • Physically, three-year-olds are less top-heavy than toddlers and move with greater sureness. They have improved their abilities to run, climb and perform other large-muscle activities. They can ride a tricycle or pump a swing. They can catch a large ball using two hands and their bodies. Improved finger dexterity allows them to put together simple puzzles, use tools, hold crayons with fingers instead of fists, make balls and snakes out of clay and undress without assistance.

  • Emotionally, three-year-olds need familiar adults nearby for security as they explore and play. As they develop more independence, children this age begin to have real friendships with other children. When conflicts arise with peers, three-year-olds will typically seek adult assistance. They are learning to recognize the causes of feelings and will give simple help, such as a hug, to those who are upset. Three-year-olds can better manage their emotions, but may still fall apart under stress.

  • Three-year-olds build on their abilities in the creative arts by developing greater control over their voices and by recognizing, naming and singing their favorite songs. They can play simple rhythm instruments with a developing ability to control beat, tempo and pitch. Their art also begins to include recognizable subjects. Three-year-olds love dramatic play and will sometimes get so involved in their imagined scenarios that they continue their roles even after the play stops. They also prefer to use real objects and costumes in their pretend play."

Approaches to Learning for Three-Year-Olds


The original link to this article is PBS Parents Child Development Tracker, and it contains tons of information.

Three-year-olds increasingly know what they want and express their preferences. While playing, they are better able to ignore distractions and focus on the task at hand. They will even persist in completing something that is a bit difficult. Learning still happens primarily through exploring, using all the senses. Their growing language skills allow for more complex questions and discussion, and they can think more creatively and methodically when solving problems.

Initiative, Engagement, and Persistence
§  Becomes increasingly deliberate when choosing preferred activities and companions (e.g., child says, "I want to play at Jeremy's house today.").
§  Is able to focus attention for longer periods of time, even with distractions or interruptions, as long as the activity is age-appropriate and of interest (e.g., can repeatedly solve and dump out a wooden puzzle, even with the TV on in the background).
§  Persists with a wider variety of tasks, activities, and experiences. Keeps working to complete a task even if it is moderately difficult (e.g., persists with a somewhat challenging wooden puzzle).
§  Expands abilities to independently complete a range of self-help skills (e.g., feeding, undressing, grooming). May refuse adult assistance (e.g., tries over and over to pull on a sweater and pushes mom's hands away when she tries to help).

Curiosity and Eagerness to Learn
§  Continues to seek and engage in sensory and other experiences (e.g., listens to stories, plays with friends, takes trips to the fire station).
§  Continues to ask numerous questions, which are becoming more verbally complex (e.g., asks, "How we get to Nana's house?").
§  Seeks out new challenges (e.g., tries to dress a doll or put together a new construction toy).

Reasoning and Problem-solving
§  Continues to become more flexible in problem-solving and thinking through alternatives (e.g., when trying to put on shoes, talks to self about what to do first. If the shoe won't easily go on one foot, he or she tries the other foot.).
§  Increasingly able to ask for help on challenging tasks (e.g., says, "Can you put Teddy's pants on?").
§  Thinks more systematically. Benefits from conversations with adults and peers, as well as physical investigation.

Invention and Imagination
§  Grows in ability to sustain pretend play with other children (e.g., plays in pretend kitchen with friend, serving "cookies"). Takes on familiar roles (e.g., mom or dad) in pretend play.

§  Plays creatively with both language and objects. Expresses inventive ideas in an expanding set of situations (e.g., creates interesting scenes with small plastic animals; strings nonsense words together, "Mommy, nommy, sommy, tommy")."




4-year-olds:

There is no one like your child

Every child's development is unique and complex. Although children develop through a generally predictable sequence of steps and milestones, they may not proceed through these steps in the same way or at the same time. A child's development is also greatly influenced by factors in his or her environment and the experiences he or she has. The information in this guide explains what child development experts consider to be "widely-held expectations" for what an average child might achieve within a given year. Please consider what you read in the context of your child's unique development.

Below is a snapshot of this year. For more in-depth information click on the specific areas of development in the menu at the left.  PBS Parents Child Development Tracker

How your child may develop this year

  • When it comes to learning, four-year-olds are developing greater self-control and ingenuity. Their pretend play is more complex and imaginative and can be sustained for longer periods. They can also make plans and complete tasks. Four-year-olds want to try new experiences. They also want to be more self-reliant and seek to expand the areas of their lives where they can be independent decision-makers.

  • The language skills of four-year-olds expand rapidly. They begin communicating in complex and compound sentences, have very few pronunciation errors and expand their vocabularies daily. They can follow multi-step directions and understand explanations given for things they can see. Four-year-olds frequently initiate conversations and are less likely to change the subject of conversation to areas of personal interest. They are also getting better at sharing personal experiences without prompts from adults.

  • Four-year-olds are building their knowledge of written language. They want to know what words in their environment say and can recognize many letters. By the end of this year, many children understand that letters represent the sounds in spoken words and may associate some letters with their sounds. Most children also are capable of writing some legible letters and know that writing goes from left-to-right and top to bottom.

  • Four-year-olds have an increased capacity for learning math concepts. They use logical reasoning to solve everyday problems and can effectively use language to compare and describe objects and shapes. They can count to "ten," recognize written numerals "0" to "9" and add and subtract using numbers up to "four." Four-year-olds know some variations of a circle, square, triangle and rectangle. 

  • They know days of the week, months and the seasons, but still cannot tell time.

  • Children this age can engage in long periods of active play and exercise. They are skillful at walking, climbing, jumping, hopping, skipping, marching and galloping. They also are better able to throw, catch, kick and bounce balls. Improved finger dexterity allows them to hold writing tools with a more mature, tripod grip. Advances in hand-eye coordination help four-year-olds do puzzles, play with toys that have small parts and dress and undress without assistance.

  • Four-year-olds approach the world with great curiosity and use their imaginations to help understand it. Hands-on explorations help them to separate reality from fantasy. They can participate in the planning and implementation of simple scientific investigations and over the course of the year, will increase their abilities to make observations, gather information, compare data, identify patterns, describe and discuss observations and form explanations and generalizations.

  • Emotionally, four-year-olds continue to learn what causes certain feelings and realize that others may react to the same situation differently. They have learned to better manage intense emotions with coping strategies like talking it out or drawing a picture. Four-year-olds also show further progress in their social interactions with peers, such as by smoothly joining in a group play situation, being sympathetic to others, or suggesting ways to resolve conflicts.

  • In exploring the creative arts, children this age can identify changes in pitch, tempo, loudness and musical duration. They can sing songs of their own creation as well as memorized ones. Their art begins to be more realistic and may incorporate letters. Four-year-olds love to dance and are able to move rhythmically and smoothly. Their dramatic play is highly imaginative and now has the structure of specific scenarios, like going to the grocery store or rescuing a cat stuck in a tree.

Approaches to learning for 4-year-olds:

When it comes to learning, four-year-olds are developing greater self-control and ingenuity. Their pretend play is more complex and imaginative, and can be sustained for longer periods. They can also make plans and complete tasks. Four-year-olds want to try new experiences. They also want to be more self-reliant, and seek to expand the areas of their lives where they can be independent decision-makers

Initiative, Engagement, and Persistence
§  Further expands areas of decision-making (e.g., child may say, "This morning I'm going to work on my Lego building.").

§  Has an increased ability to focus attention, and can ignore more distractions and interruptions (e.g., at preschool, can focus on a drawing even when other children are nearby; might say, "I'll play with you later. I want to finish this.").

§  Is increasingly able to complete tasks, even those that are longer-term and less-concrete (e.g., keeping track of the days until his or her birthday on a calendar). Has greater ability to set goals and follow a plan (e.g., child says, "I'm going to pick up all these branches," and then works until it is done).

§  Increasingly makes independent choices and shows self-reliance (e.g., chooses clothes, feeds and dresses self).

Curiosity and Eagerness to Learn
§  Asks to participate in new experiences that he or she has observed or has heard of others participating in (e.g., says, "Jack goes fishing. Can I?").
§  Asks questions about future events, as well as about the here and now (e.g., asks, "When will we go to Sarah's house again?").
§  Starts to show more enthusiasm for learning letters, shapes, and numbers (e.g., while looking at a book with dad, points to a word that contains the letter "S" and says, "S! That's in my name! What is that word?").

Reasoning and Problem-solving
§  More flexible and able to draw on varied resources in solving problems (e.g., tries to build a large structure with blocks, but the building keeps falling down. After several failed attempts, he or she tries making a larger base. May also look at how other children have made their buildings.).

§  Seeks help from both adults and peers, and has a greater understanding of the kind of help that may be needed (e.g., says, "Can you hold this end of the string for me, so I can tie this?").

§  Grows in ability to understand abstract concepts, especially when his or her thinking is supported by physical interaction with materials (e.g., systematically pours sand into measuring cups, then looks at and comments on amounts).

Invention and Imagination
§  Engages in more sustained and complex pretend play (e.g., creates a long scenario with several other children, taking a pretend trip with many stops). Expands the roles acted out in pretend play. Is less dependent on realistic props.
§  Offers creative, unusual ideas about how to do a task, how to make something, or how to get from one place to another (e.g., says, "I've got a great idea! Let's walk backwards to the kitchen!").”



5-year-olds:

"There is no one like your child

Every child's development is unique and complex. Although children develop through a generally predictable sequence of steps and milestones, they may not proceed through these steps in the same way or at the same time. A child's development is also greatly influenced by factors in his or her environment and the experiences he or she has. The information in this guide explains what child development experts consider to be "widely-held expectations" for what an average child might achieve within a given year. Please consider what you read in the context of your child's unique development.

Below is a snapshot of this year. For more in-depth information click on the specific areas of development please click here:  PBS Parents Child Development Tracker

How your child may develop this year
  • Five-year-olds are creative and enthusiastic problem solvers. They offer progressively more imaginative ideas for how to do a task, make something or solve longer-term or more abstract challenges. As they participate in a variety of new experiences, five-year-olds ask more analytical questions and weigh their choices. They are also more social as they learn new things and prefer activities that involve other children.

  • The language skills of five-year-olds are well developed. They pronounce words clearly, speak in complex and compound sentences, use correct grammar for the most part and have good-sized vocabularies that continue to grow rapidly. Children this age enjoy initiating conversations, can wait their turn to speak during group conversations and are typically able to include appropriate details when sharing personal experiences.

  • Five-year-olds begin to extend their oral language skills to reading and writing. They know their uppercase and most lowercase letters and understand that letters represent specific sounds in spoken words. This knowledge helps them to sound out words in print and write out words based on their sounds. They also can discuss stories and are able to tell their own tales.

  • The mathematical thinking of children this age becomes more abstract and expands to include a greater understanding of the characteristics of shapes and numbers. They can count out a collection of up to "20" items, conduct simple addition and subtraction and identify which number in a set is larger. Five-year-olds understand and use words related to position, such as "under" or "behind." They sequence events chronologically and are learning to tell time. They can also sort objects based on more than one characteristic.


  • Physically, five-year-olds abound with energy and seek active games and environments. Their increased abilities to balance and coordinate movements allow them to ride a bike with training wheels, swim, jump rope and perform most ball-related skills. They show mature form in walking and running and are able to vary the direction, speed and quality of their movements. They can also use their fingers flexibly to control writing and painting tools, dress and undress dolls and manage zippers and buttons.

  • Five-year-olds really want to know more about how the world works. Hands-on experiences help them to form theories to explain "how" and "why" things happen. They can use tools like thermometers and scales to gather information and are able to more independently carry out simple investigations. Five-year-olds also use increasingly descriptive language to relay information, ask questions and provide explanations."


Approaches to Learning for 5-year-olds:

Five-year-olds are creative and enthusiastic problem solvers. They offer progressively more imaginative ideas for how to do a task, make something, or solve longer-term or more abstract challenges. As they participate in a variety of new experiences, five-year-olds ask more analytical questions and weigh their choices. They are also more social as they learn new things and prefer activities that involve other children.

Initiative, Engagement, and Persistence
§  Deliberates and weighs choices (e.g., may spend a long time thinking about whether to go to the store with mom or to stay home and help dad).

§  Can maintain focus on a project for a sustained period of time (e.g., spends a rainy day building a complicated fort out of chairs and blankets, complete with props and signs). Is able to return to an activity after being interrupted.

§  Persists in longer-term or complex projects, with supervision. Can return to projects begun the previous day. Uses self-talk and other strategies to help finish difficult tasks and assignments from adults (e.g., a school project to make an alphabet book).

§  Chooses and follows through on self-selected learning tasks. Shows interest and skill in more complex self-help skills (e.g., decides to learn to skate, zips jacket, prepares a snack).

Curiosity and Eagerness to Learn
§  Tries an even wider range of new experiences, both independently and with peers and adults (e.g., goes on a camping trip with grandparents, tries to learn to play piano like older brother). May deliberately take risks when learning new skills.

§  Asks higher-level questions (e.g., asks, "What would happen if we had no food?" or "Why was Raymond mad at me"?).

§  Expands verbal and nonverbal enthusiasm for learning new things, including academic (e.g., reading, writing) and physical skills (e.g., riding a bike).

Reasoning and Problem-solving
§  Is increasingly able to think of possible solutions to problems. Can use varied and flexible approaches to solve longer-term or more abstract challenges (e.g., when planning to have friends over on a rainy day, thinks about how to deal with a limited space to play).

§  Analyzes complex problems more accurately to identify the type of help needed (e.g., says, "I think I know how to play this game, but I think you'll have to help me get started. Then I can do the rest.").

§  Continues to benefit from hands-on experiences to support more abstract thinking skills (e.g., makes a book about last summer's vacation trip, complete with sections for each place visited, drawings to illustrate, and labels written with adult help).

Invention and Imagination
§  Collaborates with other children in extended and complex pretend play, taking on more varied roles and situations (e.g., acts out roles of lions, hunters, rescuers, and other animals in a dramatic and sustained scenario).

§  Offers increasingly creative, unusual ideas about how to do a task, how to make something, or how to get from one place to another (e.g., asks, "Let's use these old boxes to make a spaceship! Where's some paint?")."


Thanks to PBS Parents for the above articles.  
Please visit their site at:  PBS Parents.



The chart below came from The Long Street Clinic's website:


Age
Physical /
Motor Skills
Language /
Communication
Thinking /
Cognitive
Social /
Emotional
Birth to 3 Months
  • Makes jerky arm movements
  • Holds hands in tight fists
  • Brings hand within range of eyes and mouth
  • Head falls back when unsupported
  • Raises & moves head side to side when lying on their stomach
  • Begins reflexes including, sucking, grasping & holding their tongue to the roof of their mouth
  • Infants pay close attention to sounds and language
  • Responds to speech by looking at the person speaking
  • Reacts to changes in tone, pitch, volume and intonation
  • Communicates with movements including crying, jabbering and laughing
  • Attempts to mimic sounds
  • Most infants can see within 13 inches clearly
  • Starts to focus & follow moving objects and people
  • Can see all colors
  • Distinguishes tastes involving, sweet, sour, bitter and salty
  • Preference for high contrast items
  • Responds with facial expressions to strong odors
  • Begins to suck fingers
  • Watch and Observe Hands
  • Responds positively to touch
  • Starts to recognize body parts, examples, arms & legs
  • Learns to feel comfort with a familiar adult
  • Will respond to touch
  •  Begins to smile and express pleasure to social interaction
3 to 6 Months
  • Becomes stronger and more alert
  • Begins movements utilizing large muscle groups including rolling over and pushing the body forward
  • Starts to reach for objects
  • Grasps objects and puts them in their mouth
  • Makes discoveries of object’s qualities including the noises they make when moving them
  • Loves to have conversations through exchanging sounds, facial expressions and bodily gestures
  • Recognizes familiar voices of mom, dad and caregiver
  • Listens to conversations
  • Repeats some sounds involving vowels and consonants
  • Begins to recognize faces
  • Can differentiate people by the way they look, sound or feel
  • Reacts to and mimics facial expressions
  • Starts to respond to familiar sounds
  • Starts to anticipate routine events including changing, feeding and bathing
  • Will begin to initiate social interaction
  • Plays peek-a-boo
  • Starts to recognize their name
  • Can laugh out loud
  • Smiles more freely
6 to 9
Months
  • Babies becomes more mobile
  • Starts reaching and pulling up on furniture
  • Begins motions to crawl
  • Grasps and pull objects towards themselves
  • Transfers items between hands
  • Vocals increase
  • Begins repetitive jabbering
  • Can associate gestures with small words and two word phrases like “hey” and “bye-bye”
  • Starts to use vocal & non-vocal communication to express interest
  • At an early age, babies try to learn how things work
  • Begin to stare longer at suspended objects
  • Can distinguish between nonliving and living objects
  • Uses size of objects to decipher how close or far away they are
  • Begins to show preferences for familiar people
  • Expresses more emotions
  • Will respond to voices & gestures
  • Will display discontentment at the loss of a toy
9 to 12 Months
  • Babies will begin to sit and stand without support
  • Starts walking with assistance
  • Can roll a ball and throw objects
  • Will pick up and drop toys
  • Begins picking up objects using thumb and one finger
  • Children begin trying to talk
  • Babies can recognize the names of familiar individuals and objects
  • Displays understanding by responding with body language and facial expressions
  • Can say a few simple words
  • Understands and responds to “No-no” by stopping
  • Responds to simple questions & directions with gestures, sounds and some words
  • Expresses pleasure when looking at picture books
  • Explores how things work
  • Experiments with physical objects, turning items over and fitting them into larger containers
  • Imitates simple actions
  • Become responsive to their name
  • Will begin to feed themselves finger foods
  • Starts to hold cup with both hands and assistance
  • Expresses apprehension when separated from mom or dad
  • Waves “Bye-bye”
1 to 2 Years
  • Self-initiated movements become easier
  • Begins to walk alone
  • Will try to walk backwards
  • Picks up objects while standing
  • Can seat self in children’s chairs
  • Pushes and pulls objects
  • Can walk up & down stairs with assistance
  • Moves in response to music/singing
  • Begins to scribble using fisted hand
  • Starts to repeat & understand many words & simple phrases
  • Follows series of simple directions
  • Can communicate a few words clearly
  • Can say single words to explain an event or request for an object
  • At 18 months children begin learning about 9 words a day
  • Spends a great deal of time observing and imitating adult’s actions and language
  • Understands words & instructions by responding correctly
  • Begins matching like objects
  • Starts recognizing characters in books & movies with help
  • Can distinguish between “you” & “me”
  • Will begin to recognize themselves in pictures and the mirror
  • Obeys few commands
  • Begins to play by themselves & mimic adult behaviors during play
  • Shows pleasure in new accomplishments
  • Expresses negative feelings
  • Starts to help with small tasks
2 to 3
Years
  • Become more comfortable with motions, increased speed and coordination
  • Begins movements such as, running, jumping with both feet, walking on tip toes and kicking
  • Can stand on one foot with support
  • Turns pages of books
  • Holds drawing utensils with thumb and finger, not fist
  • Children are able to maneuver small objects with more control
  • Starts to join words to form short sentences
  • Begins to use modifiers (adverbs and adjectives)
  • Begins to point to familiar objects as they are named
  • Names objects based on their descriptions
  • Responds to simple questions including “where?” and “what?”
  • Enjoys listening to stories and reading books
  • Starts to recall and explain events that occurred that day
  • Begins to group objects by category
  • Identifies themselves in the mirror or pictures
  • Chooses picture books
  • Starts to identify objects by sound or picture
  • Enjoys role-play and imitating adult actions, for example playing house
  • Can stack items in order of their size
  • Relates what they are doing to what others are doing
  • Starts to identify gender differences
  • Indicates the need to “potty”
  • Assists with dressing and undressing themselves
  • Is assertive about their preferences
  • Uses “I” “me” and own name
  • Illustrates fear of things
  • Becomes defensive of possessions
  • Participates in activities such as singing, clapping and dancing
3 to 4 Years
  • Children have improved movements & balance including, walking in a line, running around objects, balancing on one foot and steering push toys
  • Begins to ride tricycle
  • Starts to throw and catch a ball
  • Can build towers with blocks
  • Begins drawing shapes
  • Can use slide without help
  • Language becomes more complex
  • Able to communicate more understandably
  • Uses more correct grammar such as plurals and tenses
  • Understands & recognizes size comparisons involving big and small
  • Understands time concepts and narrates past occurrences
  • Can sing songs and repeat nursery rhymes
  • Begins sorting objects based on physical attributes, including matching colors and shapes.
  • Organizes materials without help
  • Can identify parts of a whole
  • Starts to learn how to write their own name
  • Can tell you their full name & age
  • Can attend to an activity for an extended amount of time
  • Begins to follow directions
  • Can wash hands & blow nose when reminded
  • Begins to share toys & take turns
  • Uses term “we”
  • Initiates or joins other children in playing
  • Starts to create own games
  • Plays pretend (example, acting as animals, parents or objects)
4 to 5 Years
  • Children are more confident with large movements including walking backwards, skipping, jumping forward, hopping on one foot, and walking up & down stairs alternating feet
  • Begins turning flips and learning somersaults
  • Can use children’s scissors and cut in a continuous line
  • Copies more complex shapes
  • Children can start writing a few letters
  • Tries to retell stories, sometimes confusing a few facts
  • Combines thoughts to form sentences
  • · More curious, starts asking “when?” “how?” and “why?” questions
  • Can follow a series of unlike commands
  • Understands sequencing of events and comparatives using “er” & “est”
  • Begins using words like “can,” “might,” "will," “should,” and “shall.”
  • Can mimic and make sounds of letters
  • Begins to make rhymes with words
  • Can point to and name colors
  • Comprehends order and processes
  • Learns to write name
  • Describes pictures
  • Can draw a person with details
  • Counts to five
  • Is able to articulate their street address and town
  • Shows understanding of good & bad behavior
  • Begins to compare themselves with others
  • Acknowledges others feelings
  • Develops friendships
  • Begins imaginative play
  • Curious of opposite sex & other children’s bodies
  • Becomes Competitive





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