Children go through stages of development as they mature. However, the rate of development and maturity vary from one child to another. Typically, 4-5 years olds are cheerful, energetic, and enthusiastic. They enjoy planning, and spend a great deal of time discussing who will do what. They especially love dramatic play, usually with other children. Four and five-year-olds are more sensitive to the needs and feeling of others around them. "Best friends" become very important at this stage.
Academic Goals and Objectives:
Since children enter Kindergarten after this age, we make sure they have sufficient academic proficiently and skills to successfully enter kindergarten. The curriculum in the Butterfly Room is designed to meet the age, developmental level, and the needs of each child. The environment is designed to promote participation, engagement, and learning of all children.
After completing our program for the 4-5 year olds, the students will be able to demonstrate their:
Language and Literacy skills through:
- Associating sound with letters through picture and word collages
- Improved writing skills through journal activities
- Becoming familiar with basic sight words in fun and engaging ways
- Increasing alphabet awareness using literacy based games, books and puzzles
Understanding of concepts in mathematics by their ability to:
- Sort and classify objects and analyze simple patterns
- Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities
- identify common geometric shapes and objects
- Progress in clarity of pronunciation and towards speaking in sentences of increasing length and complexity
Expanded reasoning and analyzing skills by:
- Asking and answering open ended questions as opposed to simple "yes" or "no" answers during small group activities
- Understanding a sequence of events such as first, next and last
- Using their senses to explore various materials
- Experimenting with spatial relationships and concepts of time
Social and emotional skills by using self-regulation by:
- Cooperating, negotiating and problem solving with their peers
- Sharing ideas, feelings, and thoughts
- Encouraging independent decision making
- Character building activities
Expanded physical abilities by focusing on their fine and gross motor skills by:
- Practicing large muscle development, engaging in physically demanding games and activities
- Engaging in art and craft activities that focus on fine motor development
- Developing independence through self-help activities such as dressing and buttoning
- Moving to music to develop spatial awareness
