Bang’s POC Pre-K Guidelines version 1

The child may:

• use basic physical characteristics to describe self (e.g., hair color, eye color, or height)
• identify with a group or groups to which they belong (e.g., race/ethnicity, speaker of another language, family member, classroom group)
• use personal inclinations to describe self (e.g., favorite color, food, or game)
• use specific competencies to describe self (e.g., “I can tie my shoes.” or “I am good at drawing.”)

The child may:

• choose to use the stairs instead of the climbing rope on the playground
• request help from adults when appropriate
• decline help politely when not needed (e.g., “No thanks, I can do it myself.”) Social and Emotional Development 10

The child may:

• independently select a new book or game in a learning center
• work on a puzzle until it is complete
• try several strategies to solve a problem before seeking adult assistance (e.g., when a crayon breaks, the child replaces the broken crayon with a new crayon instead of raising their hand to tell the teacher) B. Self-Regulation Prekindergarten children feel safer and function more successfully in the classroom when rules and routines are consistently implemented. A well-organized classroom with well-prepared activities helps children expand their attention span and build self-control and personal responsibility. As they encounter and overcome new and various social obstacles when interacting with peers, guidance from teachers will enable them to learn acceptable ways of dealing with social and emotional stress and/or excitement. Self-regulation skills include three subskills: behavior control, emotional control, and control of attention. Subskills only appear in this section of the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines and are represented by a lowercase letter at the end of the citation. 1. Behavior Control

The child may:

• demonstrate understanding of classroom rules
• respond appropriately to classroom behavior expectations Social and Emotional Development 11

The child may:

• appropriately handle materials during activities
• clean up and place classroom materials in appropriately labeled spaces
• put away personal belongings in their designated space

The child may:

• communicate appropriately to make needs known
• wait for a turn (e.g., waits patiently at the water fountain for a classmate to finish drinking or selects another learning center when the learning center of choice is full)
• refrain from impulsive responses (e.g., waits for turn to be called on during group discussion or requests materials rather than grabbing them) 2. Emotional Control

The child may:

• demonstrate familiarity with a variety of feeling words (e.g., happy, sad, mad, scared, proud, worried, excited)
• label own feelings when prompted
• identify feelings of characters in stories or movies

The child may:

• use appropriate strategies to decrease level of distress (e.g., requests help when feeling frustrated with a task or seeks comfort from teacher when feeling sad)
• respond positively to adult guidance in using calming strategies (e.g., suggestions to separate self from frustrating situations or take a deep breath)
• show enjoyment while participating in activities that stimulate different types of emotions (e.g., playground games or music activities that require alternation of loud/quiet, fast/slow) Social and Emotional Development 13

The child may:

• select and complete an activity before moving on to a new one
• create and carry out a sequence of dramatic play plans with a peer
• follow a familiar daily routine until the task is finished

The child may:

• increase stamina on ability to pay attention during story time
• actively participate by sitting attentively (e.g., eye contact, raising hand, contributing to discussion) during circle time
• engage in a teacher-led small group activity despite what may be occurring in other small groups around her C. Relationships with Others As prekindergarten children enter school, they start forming relationships with the adults and other children in their school environment. Effective teachers offer support and assist children as they develop meaningful and rewarding relationships. During this developmental period, children often begin to develop special friendships with peers that increase their feelings of comfort, joy, and confidence in their social world. These experiences also help build a sense of empathy and caring for others. Social and Emotional Development 14

The child may:

• greet teachers and/or peers in the morning and say goodbye when leaving
• demonstrate they are listening to adults and/or peers when communicating (e.g., looks at speaker, responds to verbal or nonverbal exchanges)
• engage in conversations with adults and/or peers about what they are doing (e.g., shares stories and experiences from outside of the school)

The child may:

• readily accept and carry out “classroom helper” assignments with adult assistance
• remind his teacher that it is his turn to shut off the lights
• respect other’s workspace and time with shared materials
• take responsibility for cleaning up classroom materials after use (e.g.,” We need to put the cars away, let’s get the box.”)

The child may:

• demonstrate the ability to negotiate and compromise with peers to achieve a cooperative goal
• follow the lead of others (e.g., enters a center and adapts to the ongoing play of others)
• generate joint play goals and carry them out with at least one other peer

The child may:

• follow conflict resolution steps, with teacher’s guidance, to solve a dispute with a classmate
• ask an adult or peer for help when needed (e.g., “Teacher, Johnny isn’t listening to me; he took my toy and won’t give it back.”)
• attempt to work out problems with a peer independently before seeking adult help

The child may:

• talk with friends to plan their play (e.g., planning to play ‘house’ in the dramatic play/pretend and learn center)
• express interest in playing with a preferred playmate outside of school
• independently choose a work or play partner D. Social Awareness Prekindergarten children need adult support and guidance in learning how to socially interact with others. It can be a challenge for a young child to sense other people’s emotions or to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling. Teachers can reinforce children’s social awareness skills by facilitating peer-to-peer and adult-to-child interactions and asking thought-provoking questions with the support of rich, socially relevant educational materials.

The child may:

• use nonverbal gestures to show a response to adults and peers (e.g., nodding/smiling to show understanding/agreement, tilting head/frowning face to show confusion, or giving a thumbs up/down or to respond to questions)
• respond to requests by completing the appropriate actions (e.g., passing a pencil when a friend asks for it)
• appropriately contribute to discussions by commenting or asking questions
• provide appropriate verbal responses to questions asked by peers or adults

The child may:

• follow multi-step directions given by the teacher (e.g., “Please put your things away, then find your square on the carpet, and sit down.”)
• repeat previously given multi-step instructions to a peer or adult
• participate in songs and/or dances that require the response of various movements or gestures (e.g., “march your feet, then find a friend, grab their hand and dance with them.”)
• participate successfully in games such as “Follow the Leader” or “Simon Says” B. Speaking (Conversation) Prekindergarten children become increasingly able to describe their wants and needs, carry on conversations with others, and share information with both peers and adults. The ability to engage others in conversations involves asking questions, listening, and responding, as well as using verbal and nonverbal communication. Additionally, multilingual learners become increasingly aware of language context. For example, a staff member with knowledge of Spanish and English learns that he can have a conversation in Spanish with a bilingual librarian but will use English to express a preference to the non- bilingual art teacher. Emerge nt Literacy: Language and Communication 20

The child may:

• request help from an adult or peer when needed
• communicate feelings, needs, and wants
• participate in one-on-one or group discussions during learning activities
• share information or stories

The child may:

• initiate, participate in, or terminate conversations appropriately (e.g., engages in appropriate greetings, contributes to an interactive conversation)
• participate in a conversation with a peer or adult, taking turns talking and not interrupting
• have multiple-turn conversations with others, listening to others or extending/connecting to an idea expressed by the other person
• use nonverbal gestures appropriately (e.g., makes eye contact with the speaker, uses facial expressions to illustrate emotion, stands an appropriate distance from the speaker, uses gestures to communicate basic needs when vocabulary is limited)

The child may:

• answer questions from adults within the school, other than the classroom teacher (e.g., nurse, secretary, cafeteria staff)
• provide adequate information to update someone new to a situation about what is currently taking place (e.g., if someone walks up to a group of children playing, the child will explain what they are playing so the new person can join in)
• communicate emotions and needs/desires appropriately, (e.g., "I'm feeling sad today because...", asking permission to use the restroom, inviting others to join an activity)

The child may:

• use proper titles when speaking to people (e.g., refers to classmates by first name but uses the title “Mrs.” or “Mr.” when addressing the teacher)
• adjust voice appropriately based on the activity or situation (e.g., moves close to a teacher and speaks quietly as classmates read a book in the library, yells for a friend across the playground, uses a caring voice when talking to a friend who is crying)
• align vocabulary to match the situation (e.g., uses academic words in the classroom and more informal word choice when in the cafeteria) C. Articulation Prekindergarten children must learn to vocalize, pronounce, and discriminate sounds and words within languages. Learning to accurately perceive the difference between similar-sounding words will support children’s development of early literacy skills and help set them up for future reading and writing success. Young children will continue to acquire the ability to recognize new sounds but may mispronounce some words in their own speech. Difficulty with producing some speech sounds (e.g., /l/, /r/, or /th/) is common for prekindergarten children but may improve with practice and age. Similarly, multilingual learners may need repeated, meaningful opportunities to more closely approximate the sounds of the language with which they are less familiar. Emerge nt Literacy: Language and Communication 22

The child may:

• speak loud enough so that what is being said can be heard
• articulate individual words in a sentence
• enunciate each sound or syllable in words
• distinctly produce voiced and unvoiced English consonant pair sounds (e.g., /b/- /p/, /d/- /t/, /z/- /s/, /k/- /g/, and /v/- /f/)

The child may:

• recite nursery rhymes and songs with the correct intonation
• use appropriate intonation to represent emotion
• match intonation to the situation (e.g., talking to a baby vs. talking to an adult) D. Vocabulary Vocabulary development is one of the most important predictors of later reading achievement. Prekindergarten children experience rapid growth in their understanding of words and word meanings when they are learning in a language-rich environment. Vocabulary acquisition is largely developed by exposing children to new words through stories and engaging them in meaningful and intentional interactions with adults who incorporate new language into daily conversations. Vocabulary development occurs when educators create a space in which there are many opportunities to talk about personal experiences, read familiar stories, sing familiar songs, and play word games on a regular basis. Vocabulary knowledge reflects children's previous experiences and is increasingly refined as they learn new words and concepts through their growing knowledge of the world around them. Emerge nt Literacy: Language and Communication 23

The child may:

• appropriately identify items seen in real life, books, or pictures, naturally incorporating new terminology
• use newly learned words to describe or explain in detail things seen in real life, books, or pictures
• use descriptive words when asking questions or giving directions to peers in authentic situations (e.g., “Can you give me that small brown crayon?" or “Please grab that red cup so we can use it in the kitchen center.")
• use descriptive language to compare, contrast, and categorize objects, people, and actions
• provide opposites (antonyms) or words with similar meaning (synonyms) to demonstrate understanding of key vocabulary words

The child may:

• Emerge nt Literacy: Language and Communication 24

The child may:

• add a connected idea to another child’s comment (e.g., a child says, “My rock went to the bottom.” and then the other child responds with: “Your rock sank!”)
• respond to and use thematic vocabulary when engaging in child-initiated play
• use specific terminology when recalling facts from a book that has been read aloud or when describing the events in the story
• use new vocabulary words when asking and answering questions
• incorporate new vocabulary into comments when contributing ideas related to the current topic of conversation E. Sentences and Structure Prekindergarten children become increasingly adept at using language to express their needs and interests, share ideas, and participate in conversations with their peers. The grammatical complexity of a spoken sentence expands when they have plenty of opportunities for rich conversations with other children and adults. Children’s overgeneralization of language rules, which results in the use of invented words (e.g., saying “foots” instead of “feet”), is a normal part of language acquisition. Multilingual learners may also overgeneralize across languages (e.g., saying “the dog big” instead of “the big dog” is an example of applying the Spanish language structure “el perro grande” in an English sentence). This flexibility of usage is not a sign of confusion but Emerge nt Literacy: Language and Communication 25

The child may:

• share a personal experience using longer, detailed sentences with complex language (e.g., nouns, adjectives, verbs, prepositions, etc.)
• participate in interactive discussions accurately using sentences with complex language (e.g., nouns, adjectives, verbs, prepositions, etc.)
• respond to questions and add ideas using complete sentences
• speak using complete sentences, with standard word order when engaging in classroom activities

The child may:

• correctly use regular plurals when speaking (e.g., "I have one sister right now, but when my mom has her baby, I will have two sisters.")
• correctly use irregular plurals when speaking (e.g., "If I brush my teeth every day, how come I still lost a tooth?")
• use the correct tense when describing something he did yesterday or last week (e.g., says “went” although a younger classmate says “goed.”)
• use correct personal and possessive pronouns when speaking (e.g., uses “my” and “mine” to identify own work or “his” and “hers” to identify a peer’s work) Emerge nt Literacy: Language and Communication 26

The child may:

• use sentences with more than one phrase when talking with a friend during centers, classroom activities, or play time (e.g., “Let’s go to the store and get milk for the baby.” or "Since I am older, I will go first.")
• add information in multiple phrases during circle time or class discussions (e.g., “Birds build nests in the trees and then they lay their eggs.”)
• combine phrases to show a sequence of events when describing personal experiences or retelling a story (e.g., “We went to the grocery store and then drove back home.” or "While we were waiting for the bus, it started to rain.")
• ask questions that include more than one idea (e.g., "If I grab this book, will you come read with me?")
• use sentences that include cause and effect (e.g., "The rock was heavy, so it sank." or "The little boy was sad because he lost his toy.")

The child may:

• tell a story with lots of detail, that makes sense and stays on topic
• describe a personal experience, combining ideas, giving lots of detail, and remaining focused on the topic (e.g., “When my grandpa came over, we went to the park. We had fried chicken and played on the swings.”)
• participate in a group discussion by building on or extending the ideas of peers
• use complex sentences to contribute relevant ideas during shared and/or interactive writing experiences Emerge nt Literacy: Language and Communication 27

The child may:

• repeat or “chime in” on repeated parts of predictable stories
• ask a teacher to re-read a favorite book
• engage in “pretend readings” of familiar books, verbalizing what is happening in a story while looking at pictures and turning the pages of a book
• participate in various reading experiences, including read alouds, shared reading, listening to recorded stories with headphones, or interacting with digital books

The child may:

• independently choose a book, magazine, brochure, or other reading material to read to self, peer or stuffed animal
• select and interact with a digital book of their choice by clicking on the cover of the book they choose to read or listen to Emergent Literacy: Reading 29

The child may:

• recognize and “read” environmental print (e.g., the writing on a food container, signs, menus, etc.)
• ask the meaning of text (e.g., posters, charts, or digital materials) encountered throughout the classroom or school
• ask what a note from home says
• point to the words while pretending to read or listen to a story (e.g., a digital story or a story read aloud) B. Phonological Awareness Phonological awareness is an auditory skill that involves the understanding of the sounds of spoken language; it is the ability to detect and manipulate the sound structures at the sentence, word, syllable, and phoneme level. The overarching term refers to a continuum of skills that are universal across languages including sentence segmentation, alliteration, rhyming, syllabication, onset-rime (in English only), and phonemic awareness. Research has shown that phonological awareness begins to develop in children as young as 2.5 years old. See Appendix. Children generally develop sensitivity to large units of sound, like words and syllables first, and eventually progress to sensitivity to individual phonemes, the smallest units of sound. For example, children are able to detect and manipulate words in phrases before they can detect or manipulate syllables, and they can detect and manipulate syllables before they can detect or manipulate phonemes. Within the continuum of skills are varying levels of task complexity. To ensure learning is adequately scaffolded, task difficulty is an important consideration for phonological awareness instruction. For example, teachers should begin with easier tasks such as identification and blending (e.g., synthesis) before introducing more challenging tasks such as segmenting and manipulation (e.g., adding, deleting, or substituting). However, children do not need to master one skill or task before being introduced to or practicing another skill or task. Phonological awareness is highly predictive of success in beginning reading and writing, specifically related to automatic decoding and encoding abilities. Phonemic awareness, the most advanced skill on the continuum, facilitates children’s understanding of the individual sounds in spoken words and helps Emergent Literacy: Reading 30

The child may:

• identify a word that changes in a sentence (e.g., If the two sentences are: "The cat sat." and "The rat sat." the child will recognize that the word "cat" was replaced with "rat")
• clap (or do some other type of action like tapping, stomping, jumping, or holding up a finger) to represent each individual word in a spoken sentence
• count the number of words in a sentence
• repeat a sentence spoken by the teacher and move a counter forward as each word in the sentence is spoken
• change a word used in a sentence to make a new sentence (e.g., "Carlos plays with friends." becomes "Kevaeh plays friends." or "Carlos plays with toys.") Emergent Literacy: Reading 31

The child may:

• during a rhyming game, the child demonstrates the difference between a “bat” (e.g., makes a swinging motion) and a “pat” (e.g., pats top of head)
• point to the appropriate picture when prompted (e.g., when shown a picture of a goat and a coat, the child correctly points to the picture that matches the word spoken)
• discriminate between similar initial consonant sounds (e.g., /b/ and /p/, /g/ and /k/, or /t/ and /d/)

The child may:

• blend two words together to create a new compound word (e.g., Teacher: “If I say the words sun and flower what compound word can you make?” Child: “sunflower”)
• use picture cards to create compound words
• make compound words by responding with a second part of the word after the teacher has provided the first part (e.g., Teacher: “What word can I add to “rain” to make a compound word?” Child: “bow so you get rainbow” or “drop so you get raindrop”)
• segment a compound word by separating and naming the two smaller words that make up the compound word (e.g., Teacher: “What two words do you hear when I say starfish?” Child: “star” and “fish”)

The child may:

• take compound word picture cards apart by deleting either the first or second part and stating the word that is left (e.g., “sunflower” - “sun” =” flower”)
• create a compound word by adding a word to the given word (e.g., A teacher might point to a picture and ask, "What is a compound word that has the word rain in it?" and the child would respond with, "rainbow" or "raincoat")
• play with words to make different compound words (e.g., If the child has the word “basketball” and substitutes a picture of a basket with a picture of a foot, they now created the word “football”)
• use movements to represent manipulation of combining words to make a compound word (e.g., using one hand to represent “rain” and the other hand to represent “coat,” clapping together to make “raincoat”)

The child may:

• identify a segmented word by blending the syllables together (e.g., teacher says, /dī/-/nō/- /saur/ and the child says “dinosaur”)
• provide the second syllable when the teacher holds up a picture and says the first syllable of the word (e.g., teacher holds up a picture of a bucket and says “buck”; the child finishes the word by saying “et”= “bucket”)
• clap, tap, or jump for each syllable in a familiar word (up to three syllables)
• identify the number of syllables in own name or a peer’s name
• sort picture cards or objects based on the number of syllables in the word

The child may:

• pair pictures or objects that rhyme
• give a thumbs up if two words rhyme or thumbs down if they do not
• state which word does not rhyme when listening to a list of three words within a story
• identify the words that rhyme in a nursery rhyme, poem, or book
• generate real or nonsense words that rhyme with a given word
• listen to two words that rhyme and produces a third word (real or nonsense) that rhymes with the pair

The child may:

• pair pictures or sort objects into groups by beginning sound
• identify words in rhyming songs that begin with the same sounds
• make silly phrases by changing the beginning sounds of all words to have the same sound (e.g., “Mappy Mirthday Moo Moo")
• play name games (e.g., producing a word that begins with same beginning sound as their name - Jumping Jasmine, Dancing David, Silly Sofia, Funny Fernando)
• listen to two sentences within a story and identify which sentence has alliteration in it

The child may:

• watch an adult say a word segmented by phonemes, tapping a dot for each phoneme, and correctly identifies the word by naming it or pointing to a picture/object that matches (e.g., teacher says, /b/- ŏ/-/x/ and child points to a box or says “box”)
• pull down a chip for each phoneme they hear, when the teacher says a word segmented by phonemes
• select a picture or an object and uses sound boxes or gestures to accurately segment the word by phoneme (e.g., child points to a hat and says /h/-/ ă/-/t/) C. Alphabet Knowledge Alphabet knowledge is an essential component of emergent literacy and is a strong predictor of success in learning to read and write. Alphabet knowledge includes letter recognition, letter naming, letter- sound correspondence, and alphabetization. The distinction between each component of alphabet knowledge is identified below:
• letter recognition (a receptive skill): the ability to identify letters when asked to touch or point to a letter*
• letter naming (expressive skill): the ability to name letters with automaticity
• letter-sound correspondence: knowledge of the common sounds – the sounds that a letter represents most frequently
• alphabetization: the ability to say and place letters of the alphabet in sequential order Emergent Literacy: Reading 35

The child may:

• name letters on name cards, posters, books, and signs around the room
• identify specific letters in shared reading or writing experiences (e.g., points to a letter in a book, circles a letter on a poster, etc.)
• recognize the letters in their own name (e.g., “If your name starts with ___, please stand up" or "if you have a ___ in your name, touch your nose")
• match upper and lowercase letters, while recalling the name of the letters
• participate in letter recognition games or activities (e.g., alphabet bingo, alphabet arcs, letter hunts, I Spy the letter..., etc.) Emergent Literacy: Reading 36

The child may:

• match a letter to the picture that begins with the corresponding letter sound
• identify the letter that corresponds with a specific letter sound (e.g., “I am thinking of a letter that makes the /s/ sound. What letter am I thinking of? Can you find the letter that makes the /s/ somewhere in the room?”)
• point to the letter that matches the sound heard when shown 2-4 letters
• categorize objects or pictures by beginning sounds, matching the sound to the printed letter

The child may:

• say the correct sound when shown a letter or given a letter name
• make the correct letter sound while pointing to a letter in a book or on a poster
• produce the sound of each letter in their name as they write each letter
• say the correct sound when shown a picture of a keyword for a specific letter (e.g., says /b/ when shown the picture of a boat) D. Comprehension of Text Exposure to many kinds of books, both fiction and nonfiction, helps prekindergarten children build vocabulary, make connections to text, build schema, and background knowledge, and become familiar with how stories and other types of texts work. Children develop concepts of story structures, character actions, and knowledge about informational text structure which influences how they understand, interpret, and link what they already know to new information. Multilingual learners must have read aloud experiences in their home language regardless of bilingual education or ESL program participation. These experiences are opportunities to learn everything mentioned above without a language barrier. Teachers of multilingual students must communicate the importance of home language read aloud experiences to families and support them as they provide Emergent Literacy: Reading 37

The child may:

• participate in acting out a familiar story in whole group and small group settings
• retell the main events of a story in sequence
• use the pictures in the books to recall what is happening in the story
• organize pictures to represent the accurate sequence of events in a story read aloud
• recall characters, setting, and main idea of a story read aloud

The child may:

• relate own experiences to facts learned from books (e.g., makes connection to garden at home when reading about plant life cycles) or events in a story (e.g., relates a personal trip to the zoo to the character’s trip to the zoo)
• describe how to do something learned from reading a book
• reference information learned from a book when sorting objects (e.g., when sorting pictures based on needs and wants, the child explains the decision by referring back to how the story distinguished needs and wants)
• use information learned from a book to make comparisons about things in his world (e.g., after reading a book about community helpers, the child says, “My mom is a veterinarian. That is like a doctor, but instead of helping people she helps animals.”) Emergent Literacy: Reading 38

The child may:

• ask and answer questions about the story details and events
• ask and answer questions about the characters or actions within a story
• ask and answer questions about information learned from a text

The child may:

• actively participate while being read to by predicting what might happen next in the story
• predict what might happen in a book based on the cover or title of the book or by doing a picture walk prior to reading a story
• use illustrations to make inferences about how a character might feel or consider why a character acted in a certain way
• discuss how the story might change if it had different characters, a changed setting, or an alternate ending
• tell what might happen next if the story continued E. Concepts of Print Through daily experiences with a variety of print materials, young children delight in discovering the connections between spoken and written words. Frequent exposure to print allows prekindergarten children to understand that print carries meaning and encourages them to explore what print is used for and how it works. Children will begin to recognize the distinction between letters, words, sentences, punctuation marks, and images. They will also deepen their understanding of how books work, including print directionality and appropriate handling of books, and learn how to hold and care for books. These print concepts and skills can be taught explicitly, modeled through shared reading experiences, and Emergent Literacy: Reading 39

The child may:

• point to the print or pictures in a book when prompted
• point to specific letters within a word when prompted
• use a pointer or highlighting tape to identify a letter or word when prompted
• sort letters, words, and pictures into their corresponding categories

The child may:

• correctly turn the pages in a book from beginning to end
• imitate reading behaviors (e.g., moving top to bottom and left to right; return sweep, etc.) on charts, lists, and big books
• use a pointer or finger to track print in big books or enlarged text as the teacher is reading
• accurately model left-to-right directionality when reading labels around the room (e.g., placing a finger or pointer on the first letter of a word and moving it underneath from left to right as the word is read aloud by an adult or the child) Emergent Literacy: Reading 40

The child may:

• point to or name a period at the end of a sentence
• recognize different types of punctuation (e.g., period, question mark, exclamation) even if they don't understand the purpose of each kind
• write name with the correct case (e.g., capital letter at the beginning of the name and lowercase letters for the rest)
• recognize that the first letter in a name is capitalized
• recognize that the first word in a sentence is capitalized Emergent Literacy: Reading 41

The child may:

• use letter-like shapes when writing or making labels in learning centers Emergent Literacy: Writing 42

The child may:

• draw and attempt to write to share a personal experience (e.g., petting the animals at the zoo or eating cake at a birthday party)
• draw and label pictures to tell a story
• use various writing utensils and types of paper to create personalized cards that include drawing and writing
• make labels, signs, or menus to contribute to learning centers, using many different types of writing utensils and paper
• use a journal or hand-made paper booklet to record ideas or write stories through drawings and writings B. Writing as a Process As young children begin to understand that marks convey meaning (what they think, they can say; and what they say, they can read and write), it is important to model that writing is not simply about a product. Writing is a thought process that moves from thinking of an idea to a well-developed idea or piece of writing (one the young author is proud to share). Teachers who interact with children to compose a piece of writing over a series of days, using modeled, shared, and/or interactive writing expose children to the process of prewriting/brainstorming, writing/drafting, revising (what the writing sounds like), editing (what the writing looks like), and publishing/sharing in a way that is understandable. Children’s ability to engage in each of the stages of the writing process develops over time. Guiding children through the process of taking a piece of writing from the “thought stage” to the “sharing stage” motivates children to write and helps them see and understand the power of using print to convey meaning. Multilingual students who begin writing in two languages will also learn which language is more appropriate to use based on context and audience. Emergent Literacy: Writing 43

The child may:

• participate in brainstorming ideas for what to write about during a shared or interactive writing experience
• share the pen with the teacher to add pictures, letters, or familiar words during an interactive writing experience
• contribute relevant ideas to a shared writing activity

The child may:

• contribute ideas for adding details to the drawings and words of a story
• share ideas for how to change the details (e.g., a character, the ending, the setting, etc.) of a piece of writing
• make suggestions for deleting parts of a piece of writing that do not belong
• notice when something that has been written doesn’t make sense or sound right when read aloud (e.g., incorrect sequence, improper word usage, inaccurate tense, etc.)
• notice when there is incorrect punctuation or a need for punctuation and suggests a change in a piece of writing (some prompting may be needed)

The child may:

• read and answer questions about own writing (drawings, labels, and/or written representations of words) with an adult or peers
• engage in rereading writing that has been developed collaboratively (e.g., shared and/or interactive writing experiences)
• present individually written work to the class during share time
• actively listen to peers while they share their experiences and will respond appropriately (e.g., claps for peers, says "thank you for sharing", waits turn, asks thoughtful questions about their peers’ work) C. Conventions in Writing Foundational writing skills (also known as conventional writing skills) are important predictors of children’s future reading and writing skills. Just as children learn to talk by talking, children learn concepts of print through interacting with print. To children, it may appear that writing is simply talk that has been written down. However, there are rules that apply to writing that do not apply to speaking. These specific rules that govern how to record thoughts in writing must be learned so children can become more proficient at conveying their thoughts and actions. Shared and/or interactive writing experiences can help children better understand these conventions of writing.

The child may:

• correctly place letters from a name puzzle in order and then practices writing name on a white board
• copy or write name using sensory materials (e.g., on a “gel” bag, with shaving cream, or in sand)
• write first name from memory on attendance chart, center waiting lists, in journals, and on artwork
• sign name on letters or cards (e.g., thank you note to a visitor or a birthday card to a friend) Emergent Literacy: Writing 45

The child may:

• write known letters spontaneously to represent words when composing a message
• add labels to drawings, using one or two letters or letter strings to represent words
• write regularly in journals or blank books, using drawings, letter strings or letters to represen t words

The child may:

• use letter-like forms and actual letters to represent their name
• use approximation spelling to write simple CVC words by applying knowledge of letter-soun d correspondence, but sometimes misses the medial sounds
• attempt to write complex words, using letters to represent the sounds heard (e.g., writes btl an d says, “I wrote the word beautiful.”)
• use letter walls or labels from around the room to correctly write familiar words

The child may:

• write and put punctuation at the end of the entire piece
• write and put punctuation after each word or in sporadic places
• correctly add missing punctuation to interactive and independent writing, with teacher prompting Emergent Literacy: Writing 47

The child may:

• recite poems, fingerplay or songs that use words to count from 1 to 10
• recite number words in order up to 30
• demonstrate counting sequences from 1 to 30 using puppets, counters, or other manipulatives

The child may:

• count cars in the block center and when the teacher asks how many cars there are, the child responds with the correct number
• count 8 plastic cows and point to the number 8 on a number line
• count the number of children in a center and say, “Three of my friends are here.”
• count fingers on one hand and say, “I have 5 fingers.”

The child may:

• look at a set of 1–5 objects and quickly say the number of objects without counting (e.g., looks at 3 red cubes on the table and says three without counting)
• say the number of dots on one side of a domino quickly without counting
• look at a page in a story and say the number of dots, animals, or objects from 1 to 6 on the page Mathematics 50

The child may:

• say the number name for numerals from 0 to 10 that are written on paper, cards, or game pieces
• point out numerals 0 to 10 by name within the everyday environment (e.g., number lines, calendar, telephone, clock, deck of cards, etc.)
• play games to find “hidden” numerals from 0-10 in the classroom, such as “I Spy.”

The child may:

• draw dots or moves counters/objects to represent the quantity of a given number from 0-10
• jump, clap, or tap the number of times indicated by a written numeral from 0-10
• match a numeral card to set of objects or card that represents the quantity with dots

The child may:

• slide beads on a bracelet or abacus to represent how the number 5 can be shown by 4 and 1, 3 and 2, or 5 and 0
• Show the number 6 with 5 fingers on one hand and 1 finger on the other hand Mathematics 51

The child may:

• create sets of objects with the same amounts
• identify which set of objects in a pair is greater than the other
• explain why a set of 7 crayons is less than a set of 10 crayons B. Joining and Separating This math skill develops the concept of more, less, and the same. Children make comparisons — an understanding of these comparisons provides an important foundation which helps the child fully grasp the relationship and correlation between one number and another at the concrete level. It is especially important that young children be given numerous opportunities during the school day to manipulate objects to internalize this mathematical concept.

The child may:

• create verbal word problems (e.g., tells a story) involving adding up to 5
• show 1 finger, adds 3 more fingers, and then adds 1 more finger to create a set of 5
• count all objects from sets that are being joined (e.g., having a set of two cubes and a set of three cubes, then counting the cubes starting with 1, followed by 2, 3, 4, 5 to count all cubes)
• use a story mat and counters to model what happens when 3 birds join 2 birds in a tree Mathematics 52

The child may:

• create verbal word problems (e.g., tells a story) involving subtracting up to 5
• separate the parts of a number (e.g., starts with 4 fingers, then takes away 1 finger to show 3 are left, and then takes away 2 fingers to show 1 is left)
• remove 1-5 objects from a set and says how many are left
• use a story mat and counters to represent removing 2 from a set of 5 (e.g., teacher tells a story about 5 cookies on a plate, and after 2 cookies were eaten, child figures out only 3 were left) C. Geometry and Spatial Sense The basis of geometry and spatial sense skills begins with a child who explores, describes, and organizes objects according to their attributes and position/location. Through intentional classroom activities guided by teachers, children notice and describe small details in the materials they see in the environment, using terms that categorize their shape and describe their relative position in space. They then progress to investigating what happens when two shapes are put together, and they can apply their ideas about location to the object’s direction and distance.

The child may:

• recognize and describe attributes of shapes
• describe the objects in the environment using shape names
• point to shapes they create in the art area and use the correct names to identify them (e.g., “Teacher, look – I made a triangle.” or “Teacher, look, this crayon cup is a cylinder”) Mathematics 53

The child may:

• put shapes together to make real-world objects (e.g., uses a square and a triangle to make a house)
• place pattern block shapes together to make new shapes (e.g., uses 2 triangles to make a square)
• make and name a shape created when playing with playdough (e.g., says “I’m making a circle”)

The child may:

• use the words “near” and “far” to describe distance of objects on the playground and in the classroom
• follow directions that use location words (e.g., places a stuffed animal “on” or “under” a chair, sits “beside” or “between” friends on the carpet, gets “in front of” or “behind” a peer in line, etc.)
• tell a friend, using location words, where to find an object (e.g., says “The paper is in front of the markers in the writing center.)

The child may:

• identify who is taller when comparing the height of 2 or more friends
• place 2–10 objects from shortest to tallest or tallest to shortest on the table
• use measurement words that can describe height (e.g., uses words like “taller,” “shorter,” “longer,” or “smaller”)

The child may:

• use hands to compare weight of objects (e.g., holds pumpkins of various sizes and says which is heavier or lighter)
• use measurement words that describe which weighs more or less using mathematical terms (e.g., “heavy,” “light,” “heavier” or “lighter”)
• compare the weight of self with the weight of other objects (e.g., such as dolls, stuffed animals, or blocks)

The child may:

• use the daily schedule to describe what happens next in the day
• talk with friends about what is happening in the day (e.g., notes that snack time happens after recess or expresses excitement for an upcoming assembly that will happen after lunch)
• use time language to describe events of the day (e.g., “in the morning,” “after snack,” “before we go home,” etc.) Mathematics 56

The child may:

• sort all the cars in one box and all the trucks in a different box and describes why
• organize objects with a common attribute (e.g., all the animals that live in the ocean in a pile and all the animals that live on land in another pile and explains how they are alike and different)
• organize writing utensils in the writing center according to types and explains how they are alike and different

The child may:

• place concrete objects or picture representations on a floor graph (e.g., uses an apple or orange to show their favorite fruit)
• answer the question of the week (e.g., “Do you have a cat?”) and places a check on the yes or no graph Mathematics 57

The child may:

• identify repeating patterns in their environment
• use different materials (e.g., buttons, beads, color cubes) to create pattern necklaces (e.g., 2 buttons, 2 beads, 2 buttons, 2 beads, etc.)
• anticipate repeating patterns in a predictable book and says the next line before turning the page
• create a repeated pattern using different colored blocks
• accurately continue to add to an already established pattern Mathematics 58

The child may:

• . Ma
• observe, measure, describe, and demonstrate the numerous ways objects can move (e.g., straight, zigzag, round and round, fast, slow)
• use positional language to inform others of the location, arrangement and/or stance of an object (e.g., the books are under the table, my folder is inside my bag, you are in front of me on the carpet, the car is beside the track, the ball is near the court etc.)
• investigate, predict, and state conclusions regarding how an object moves under a variety of conditions (e.g., “The car won’t roll on the carpet,” “These wheels are bigger; it will go faster.”)

The child may:

• know the function of specific tools (e.g., a thermometer measures temperature)
• explore objects by appropriately using magnets, balances, eyedroppers, beakers/jars, etc.
• use a magnifying glass to observe, describe, and discuss the features of a common object (e.g., texture, color, shape, etc.) Science 60

The child may:

• describe common sources of energy (e.g., sun, wind, water)
• demonstrate understanding that some items/equipment must have a source of energy to function (e.g., “Teacher, we need a new battery for this toy.” or “It’s not working; it is not plugged in.”)
• identify common objects in the classroom or their home that need a source of energy to function B. Life Science Young children have a keen interest in studying living things, including the unique features of plants and animals, the environments in which they live, and what each living thing needs to thrive. Effective teachers provide opportunities for children to explore, observe, and investigate various organisms through hands-on experiences. Through these experiences, children are encouraged to use newly acquired vocabulary to describe and discuss their observations.

The child may:

• describe the color, size, and shape of organisms
• describe an organism’s need for food, water, air, light, and shelter
• compare differences and similarities of animals and plants (e.g., fish live in water, all birds have feathers, we can eat some plants) Science 61

The child may:

• plant seeds, then observe, discuss, and record the plant’s growth
• observe, record, and discuss the stages of the life cycle of an organism (e.g., a baby, dog, frog, or butterfly)
• observe and discuss human growth (e.g., measures growth using wall chart at the beginning and end of the year)
• describe the differences in baby and adult organisms

The child may:

• describe characteristics and differences between living and non-living organisms
• discuss how all organisms are dependent on other organisms (e.g., birds eat seeds, cows eat grass, humans eat vegetables and meat)
• observe living organisms (e.g., spiders, insects, worms, snails, birds) in their natural environment and discuss and record their behaviors/routines
• observe, discuss, and record seasonal changes in the environment (e.g., tree leaves turn assorted colors, birds collect nesting materials, weather is warmer) C. Earth and Space Science Young children are innately curious about nature and the outdoors. When given the opportunity, they love to play with earth’s materials – sand, dirt, water, and rocks. They are aware of weather conditions and wonder why the weather changes from day to day. They notice the clouds in the sky, and they observe that the sun moves across the sky each day and the moon changes shape. These concepts are all a part of earth and space science. Studying earth and space science expands young children’s Science 62

The child may:

• observe, discuss, and compare earth materials (e.g., rocks, soil, sand) using magnifying glasses, filters, water, and measurement tools
• identify the importance of soil, sunlight, air, temperature, and water to plant growth
• discuss and explain ways earth materials (e.g., soil, rocks) are used (e.g., building houses, road construction, decorative purposes)

The child may:

• observe and discuss characteristics of clouds (e.g., makes representation, such as finger painting the clouds in the sky, and talks about their shape, size or color when sharing their work)
• ask questions and/or makes comments about the sun, stars, and moon
• identify and/or makes comments about objects that are commonly seen in the sky (e.g., sun, clouds, moon, stars, etc.)

The child may:

• discuss “green” practices (e.g., water conservation, clean air, recycling)
• engage in conservation or recycling projects (e.g., not using as many paper towels, using both sides of the paper)
• go on a “trash hunt” to clean the school yard Science 64

The child may:

• describe self and classmates in a drawing by identifying distinguishing characteristics (e.g., color of eyes, length of hair, color or texture of hair, etc.)
• understand that people speak different languages Social Studies 65

The child may:

• ask questions about other people’s families to make connections to their own family
• make comparisons between own family and classmate’s families (e.g., “I have three sisters and you have three sisters” or “my grandma lives with me too”)
• share details about family members during circle time
• make connections to character’s families in books or movies

The child may:

• describe similarities and differences between routines (e.g., compares story time at school to story time at home)
• relate past events to current events (e.g., connects yesterday’s activity with what will happen today)
• discuss important events (e.g., field trips, moving, fire drills, school concerts, etc.)
• connect life events to stages in development (e.g., “when I was a baby I couldn’t walk, so my mom had to bring me to the park in a stroller. Now, I am bigger so I can ride my bike there.”) B. Economics Prekindergarten children learn about the world through their community. They explore the roles and relationships of consumers and producers and become aware that people produce both goods and services. Children learn that their community benefits from its members working to contribute in many different ways. Social Studies 66

The child may:

• prepare food, select dress-up clothes, and identify shelter for friends or toys in the dramatic play center
• include shelter, food, and clothing in drawings
• explain why food, shelter, and clothing are necessary
• sort things by needs and wants and includes food, clothing, and shelter into the needs section

The child may:

• talk with the other children about shopping experiences (e.g., buying or selling items at a store or garage sale)
• participate in activities using pretend money (e.g., buying or selling items found in the store/restaurant in the dramatic play center)
• identify a consumer in a story read aloud
• draw or write about experiences as a consumer (e.g., buying groceries, shopping for clothes, etc.)

The child may:

• Social Studies 67

The child may:

• name common geographic features (e.g., rivers, lakes, hills, etc.) in their surroundings
• use modeling clay to create models of common landforms at the sensory table
• include drawings of common geographic features in the scenery of their artwork
• describe the setting of a story in detail, noting common features that make the location distinctly identifiable

The child may:

• point to identify the United States or Texas flag when asked
• face the correct flag when saying the Pledge of Allegiance
• compare the United States flag and the Texas flag by discussing their similarities and differences
• recognize the United States or Texas flag in a book or when on a field trip
• include a drawing of the United States or Texas flag in a picture

The child may:

• participate in daily Pledge of Allegiance activities Social Studies 69

The child may:

• participate in voting experiences related to classroom decision-making
• share experiences about going to vote with family members
• create voting situations in dramatic play center Social Studies 70

The child may:

• manipulate modeling clay by rolling, pinching, squeezing, patting, and cutting
• mix colors to make other colors (e.g., red and yellow finger paint to make orange)
• investigate using a variety of materials to create art (e.g., different sized paint brushes, sponges, different types of paper, crayons/markers/colored pencils, etc.)
• select a variety of materials in the art center for exploration (e.g., painting with cotton swabs on paper or writing with crayons/markers/colored pencils) Fine Arts 71

The child may:

• describe own artwork (e.g., “This is me riding my bike.”)
• explain steps for creating her artwork (e.g., “First I rolled the clay into a ball. Then I…”)
• gradually create drawings and paintings that become more realistic and detailed
• share positive feelings about personal artistic creations and experiences

The child may:

• comment on and/or ask questions about the artwork of others, including classmates and illustrators
• notice differences in artwork influenced by a variety of cultures
• notice similarities in the artwork of books created by the same illustrator B. Music Prekindergarten children express themselves through singing and movement and by playing simple instruments. Like art, music is a form of experiencing, learning, and communicating with others. Children learn to experiment with musical concepts, such as volume, tempo, and sound. Their vocabulary is expanded. They begin to appreciate different types of music.

The child may:

• use props (e.g., scarves, streamers) to respond to music through movement
• follow the beat using body and musical instruments (e.g., walks or jumps to the beat)
• describe moods and feelings (e.g., happy/sad) associated with different types of music (e.g., loud/soft, fast/slow, etc.)
• talk about different styles of music including music from different parts of the world (e.g., classical, country, dance, jazz, hip-hop, Latin, rock) C. Dramatic Expression Prekindergarten children participate in expressive and spontaneous productions through creative dramatic play. Children demonstrate their unique interpretation of music, songs, and stories through movement and dramatic experiences. These experiences contribute to children’s ability to communicate more effectively and engage in cooperative play with others.

The child may:

• maintain balance while walking on a balance beam or standing on one foot
• hop on one foot, walk, jog, jump, and gallop in place or from one place to another
• carry a bowl or plate of objects from one spot to another
• coordinate large muscle movement and equipment (e.g., swing on a swing, ride a tricycle, slide on a slide, dribble a ball, jump over a rope)

The child may:

• move within a space of defined boundaries, changing body configuration to accommodate the space (e.g., moving through an obstacle course)
• use non-locomotor (axial) movements such as reaching, twisting, turning, and bending
• participate in group games involving movement (e.g., “Hokey Pokey”) B. Fine Motor Development Prekindergarten children participate in fine-motor manipulative movements through object-handling activities that emphasize motor control, precision, and accuracy of movement. Cutting with scissors, manipulating modeling dough, and drawing are the foundational skills needed for the demands of handwriting and other small-motor skills in later school years. Fine motor activities that help to strengthen the small muscles of the hands in preparation for writing are integrated into learning centers.

The child may:

• use pincer control (grasps small objects between thumb and index finger) to manipulate tools (e.g., tweezers, eyedroppers) and manipulatives (e.g., linking cubes)
• use hands and fingers to manipulate various classroom materials (e.g., molding modeling clay, placing caps on and off markers, painting at the easel, tearing paper)
• hold drawing and writing utensils in a more conventional grasp (with fingers instead of fist)

The child may:

• engage in activities that develop eye-hand coordination. (e.g., puts puzzles together, strings beads together, builds with blocks)
• accomplish self-help tasks (e.g., buttoning, zipping, snapping, eating with utensils)
• use one hand to grasp a piece of paper and the other hand to use scissors to snip a piece of paper C. Personal Safety and Health Prekindergarten children develop an understanding of health and safety issues related to their daily routines and activities. Children learn to make healthy choices in nutrition and understand the importance of well-being through exercise and rest.

The child may:

• follow safety procedures while using common tools and materials (e.g., glue, scissors, rulers, pencils, hammers, wood, safety goggles)
• show an understanding of fire safety and shelter in place procedures (e.g., stop, drop, roll or walking to an exit during fire drills)
• follow safety guidelines for day-to-day routines (e.g., walks in the hallway, looks both ways before crossing the street, applies playground rules, etc.)
• demonstrate safety precautions when interacting with animals (e.g., knows not to approach a snake on the playground, asks permission before petting a campus service dog, etc.)

The child may:

• identify healthy snacks and discuss how to make nutritious food choices
• participate in preparing healthy snacks that are filled with lots of nutrients
• identify and discuss substances and activities that are unhealthy
• demonstrate and discuss the need for exercise and rest to stay healthy Physical Development 78

The child may:

• follow basic oral or visual cues to explore a variety of interactive media websites, learning applications, and digital programs
• listen to and interact with digital storybooks and informational texts

The child may:

• use digital tools or apps to draw and write
• use a variety of digital tools with audio, video, and graphics to capture original creations and add it to a digital portfolio (e.g., photos of block buildings or artwork, recording of dramatic play, etc.)
• explore digital storytelling by co-creating digital books with adult support (e.g., child chooses photos or takes pictures of drawings to add to a story and records voice narrating the story)

The child may:

• use technology to learn new information (e.g., listens to a book or watches a video to learn about animals, participates in a virtual field trip, uses voice-activated features to get a question answered)
• interact with technology to practice recently learned skills (e.g., used in a learning app or game) Technology 80

The child may:

• follow procedures set by the teacher when using technology
• carry devices safely across the room (e.g., using two hands)
• log out when finished to maintain privacy
• access only the approved apps or websites on a device (likely from an adult-created menu) Technology 81