· Chapter 8 Chapter 8: The Preschool Years The preschool years are important. Research shows us that children who attend preschool do better in kindergarten and first grade. However, not every state offers public preschool. And, many schools that do offer this, offer it only to children with special needs (and then regular education students may need to win a lottery to get in). Although children who do not have a special need may attend, they are usually screened and placed on waiting lists. Also, there is typically a tuition to pay for the child if he/she does not have a special need. Your text introduces the idea of universal prekindergarten: providing preschool for every child whose parents want it (preschool for all children) on page. But, keep in mind that universal prek doesn’t mean that your child must attend, it simply means that it is available if you would like it. I point this out because many people (in particular, stay at home moms) think that this is the government’s way of not allowing them the choice to stay home and educate their own child. Therefore, there are parents who are against this.  In the past, socialization skills were the focus of prekindergarten however; sad but true, today there is a decided move away from socialization as the primary function for enrolling children in preschool. Preschools are now promoted as places to accomplish many more skills than just socialization! This plays a role in my comments above about not all parents favoring universal prek; the stress toward academic success is definitely a concern for many. Of course, high-quality affordable preschool can be difficult to come by.  We know that children benefit from attending high-quality preschool, but high-quality preschool also often comes with a high price. Thus, it can be difficult for many parents to have the ability to send their child to preschool. The children of today are different than the children of the past.  Aside from the many academic expectations the children have placed upon them, we may need to find new and innovative ways to teach them - making the learning environment interesting and engaging everyday! Physical Development  During the preschool years, children begin to "slim down" as they have a more elongated look.  Their muscle development continues to develop and their actions become more precise.  They enjoy activities such as drawing, painting, cutting, and coloring.  They also learn more about how to take care of themselves as they learn about hygiene - washing hands and brushing teeth - as well as the ability to dress one's self. Social/Emotional Development Preschool children are in Erikson’s psychosocial development state of initiative versus guilt. It’s important to keep this in mind because it can be difficult to have patience with young children! You want children to want to take initiative and try things. Provide them with freedom and do not make them feel bad (or “guilty”) for having motivation and willingn ...

1. · Chapter 8
Chapter 8: The Preschool Years
The preschool years are important. Research shows us that
children who attend preschool do better in kindergarten and first
grade. However, not every state offers public preschool. And,
many schools that do offer this, offer it only to children with
special needs (and then regular education students may need to
win a lottery to get in). Although children who do not have a
special need may attend, they are usually screened and placed
on waiting lists. Also, there is typically a tuition to pay for the
child if he/she does not have a special need.
Your text introduces the idea of universal prekindergarten:
providing preschool for every child whose parents want it
(preschool for all children) on page. But, keep in mind that
universal prek doesn’t mean that your child must attend, it
simply means that it is available if you would like it. I point
this out because many people (in particular, stay at home moms)
think that this is the government’s way of not allowing them the
choice to stay home and educate their own child. Therefore,
there are parents who are against this.
In the past, socialization skills were the focus of
prekindergarten however; sad but true, today there is a decided
move away from socialization as the primary function for
enrolling children in preschool. Preschools are now promoted as
places to accomplish many more skills than just
socialization! This plays a role in my comments above about not
all parents favoring universal prek; the stress toward academic
success is definitely a concern for many.
Of course, high-quality affordable preschool can be difficult to
come by. We know that children benefit from attending high-
quality preschool, but high-quality preschool also often comes
with a high price. Thus, it can be difficult for many parents to
have the ability to send their child to preschool.

2. The children of today are different than the children of the past.
Aside from the many academic expectations the children have
placed upon them, we may need to find new and innovative
ways to teach them - making the learning environment
interesting and engaging everyday!
Physical Development
During the preschool years, children begin to "slim down" as
they have a more elongated look. Their muscle development
continues to develop and their actions become more precise.
They enjoy activities such as drawing, painting, cutting, and
coloring. They also learn more about how to take care of
themselves as they learn about hygiene - washing hands and
brushing teeth - as well as the ability to dress one's self.
Social/Emotional Development
Preschool children are in Erikson’s psychosocial development
state of initiative versus guilt. It’s important to keep this in
mind because it can be difficult to have patience with young
children! You want children to want to take initiative and try
things. Provide them with freedom and do not make them feel
bad (or “guilty”) for having motivation and willingness to try.
Children will also begin to demonstrate self-regulation during
this time as they gain the ability to control their emotions and
behaviors.
Cognitive Development
It is important to note that preschoolers are in the
preoperational stage of intellectual development. Remember:
the preoperational stage is Piaget’s second stage of
development. Characteristics of the preoperational stage are
1. children grow in their ability to use symbols, including
language
2. children are not capable of operational thinking (an operation
is a reversible mental action), which explains why Piaget named
this stage preoperational:
3. children center on one thought or idea, often to the exclusion
of the other thoughts (this also means that children focus on

3. only one attribute when looking at something. A big, red ball is
either “big” or “red).”
4. children are unable to conserve (for example, the child does
not understand that when you transfer liquid from a round
container to a square container it is actually still the same
amount of liquid)
5. children are egocentric. Be careful with this one! Although
you may already be familiar with this term and may often refer
to the children in your class as “egocentric,” try not to do this
in a negative way. Remember: the child isn’t doing this to be
selfish, he/she honestly does not realize that the
world doesn’t revolve around him/her!
Ready to Learn: Ready for School
School “ readiness” may mean various things to various types of
people. However, context clues suggest that the term simply
refers to when a person believes that a child is “ready” for
school. Here is a list of important readiness skills…
· LANGUAGE: This includes…
Receptive language: listening to the teacher and following
directions
Expressive language: demonstrated in the ability to talk fluently
and articulately with teacher and peers, the ability to express
oneself in the language of the school, and the ability to
communicate needs and ideas.
Symbolic Language: knowing the names of people, places, and
things, words for concepts, and adjectives and prepositions.
Just because you have one type of language, doesn’t mean that
you have another. There may be times in which you notice that
a child has expressive language, but not receptive language.
Today, it is quite common to have English Language Learners
(ELLs) in your classroom. If you do have a child in your class
whose first language is something other than English; do not be
upset by this. As we discussed in the previous chapter, early
childhood is a sensitive period for language learning; children
can easily pick up a second language at this time. Always
remember to speak with this child just as you would every child

4. in your class who already speaks English. But, remember your
skills of teaching language to infants and toddlers: repeat words
often, be sure to annunciate and show children when
necessary. This will assist in helping children learn English.
It is important to note that different cultures have different
values regarding the purpose of school, the process of
schooling, children’ s roles in the schooling process, and the
family’s and culture’s roles in promoting readiness. Thinking
about children and families whom you already know, you may
be able to think of some examples of this.
Daily Schedule
Your text goes into a bit of detail in regards to this topic, so I
don’t want to be redundant. However, I did want to include this
short paragraph in the notes so that you remember that a well-
structured daily routine is important. Look at the sample on
page 220. This schedule is probably very similar to a schedule
that you follow now or have followed before.
Play in Preschool Programs
We hear about play often, but why is play important? We can
easily note Froebel here who suggests that children learn and
develop through play. And there are so many things a child
learns through play! Social skills, how to interact with people
and objects, how things work, how to make sense of the world
around them: the list just goes on and on! Anita Wadley has a
terrific poem entitled "Just Playing." You can find it
here: http://anitawadley.com/Site/Poem.html
Keep in mind that although play can certainly be spontaneous,
plan for it as well. Integrate specific learning activities with
play to achieve learning outcomes. Also, provide materials that
provide cooperative play.
And there are definitely all different types of play! Carefully
review the Parten Scale of Social Participation (page 229 where
it states “Kinds of Play”) . You should be able to recognize the
types of play that you see happening amongst preschoolers. In
my opinion, you’ll hear people use the term “parallel play” the
most (whether or not they use the term appropriately!). But,

5. there are 5 other types of play that are also part of this Scale.
Along with the Parten Scale, we also learned about Functional,
Symbolic Informal/Free Play, Sociodramatic and Outdoor Play.
And in the next chapter, we move on to Kindergarten!
·
Chapter 9: Kindergarten Today
Today, kindergarten is very different than the kindergarten you
remember attending. You may have heard before that
kindergarten is “the new first grade.” This is because
kindergarten now has an academic focus instead of a
social/emotional one. And, many kindergartens have
transitioned from being half-day programs to full-day ones.
There is a great emphasis on reading. In the past, reading was
considered something that was taught in first grade. Today,
children are expected to know how to read upon first grade
entrance!
Kindergarten children are energetic and they continue to learn
how to regulate their emotions. Their ability to work with
others continues to grow and thus; you will see them cooperate
more often with peers (compared to younger children). Their
language development continues to be rapid and they love new
words... and BIG words! Of course, not all kindergartners enter
kindergarten with the same amount of skills and abilities.
As you (hopefully!) remember, Friedrich Froebel is an
important person to kindergarten because he is the founder. He
believed that learning could be child centered (learning could be
based on play and children’s interests). He was also the first to
advocate for a communal education for children outside of the
home.
As you read about kindergarten, you will be reminded of a
number of theorists whom we’ve already learned about. For
example, The K classroom is typically arranged to promote
interaction and cooperative learning. Which theorists have
influenced this idea?
Along with Froebel, you will also read about Margartethe

6. Schurz (who established the first K in the U.S.), Elizabeth
Peabody (K’s main promoter in the U.S.), Susan Blow (who
founded the first public school K) and Patty Smith Hill (K
should be open to innovation).
Once again, your text describes for us what children at this age
are like in the developmental areas. The Portraits of
Kindergarteners on pages 270 & 271 provide good descriptions
to explain this type of development, so please take a look at
that.
Kindergarten Entrance Age
In most states, the kindergarten entrance age the same state-
wide. However, a few states allow each school district to decide
this age (Massachusetts in one of them). Regardless of when an
area’s “cut – off” date is, we all have our own ideas about when
a child is “ready” to enter kindergarten. You may have already
noticed the other document (with this week’s notes) entitled
Education Commission of the States. Download this and look it
over – I think that you will find this interesting!
Another point of interest here is redshirting. Redshirting: Being
held out of school for a year . Keep in mind that research
studies comparing age and school effects suggest educational
intervention contributes more to children’s cognitive
competence than does maturation.
Universal Kindergarten
Just as universal preschool is on the rise, so is univeral
kindergarten. Of course, this can be difficult to implement due
to funding. However, at a time in which we have higher
academic expectations of children, a full day of school can be
quite beneficial to them. More importantly, full day
kindergarten can provide time for children to still experience
the extra curricula activities such as music and art... And of
course, recess! Children in half-day programs are expected to
learn just as much as those enrolled in full-day programs;
therefore, the extra curriculas are often cut from the half day
program.
ENVIRONMENTS FOR KINDERGARTNERS

7. Make your learning environment engaging and hands-
on. Social-learning is important in the kindergarten years and,
therefore, you want your environment to provide (and
encourage) opportunities for children to work together. Also, it
is important for you, as a teacher, to promote positive
relationships with each student in the class.
CURRICULUM IN THE KINDERGARTEN
The text goes on to discuss learning in the areas of literacy,
math, social studies, art and technology. I would like to
highlight a few points from some of these sections.
Literacy and Reading in Kindergarten
Literacy has replaced reading readiness as the main objective of
many K and primary programs. The term “literacy” refers to
theability to read, write, speak and listen.
Your text discusses the following literacy models. Please pay
particular attention to each of these:
Sight word approach (whole word): children develop a sight
vocabulary
Phonics instruction: stresses teaching letter-sound
correspondence.
Language experience approach: follows the philosophy and
suggestions inherent in progressive education philosophy. This
is child centered.
Whole language approach: this can be difficult to quickly wrap-
up. It is a philosophy that is best understood by referring to
page 249.
Shared Reading: instructing young beginners to reading, using
favorite books, rhymes, and poems. This follows a routine that
the book outlines beginning on page 288.
Balanced approach: balance between whole language methods
and phonics instruction and that meet the specific needs of
individual children.
Social Studies in Kindergarten
I typically find that, when I ask students how to incorporate
social studies into the classroom, students cannot quickly

8. answer this question. However, this is not because the student
hasn’t implemented social studies into the curriculum, it’s
because many teachers do not realize they’ve been incorporating
social studies. Page 294 presents some ideas as to how to teach
geography, economics and history. These are great examples of
how easily one can incorporate social studies into the
curriculum.
Arts in the Kindergarten
Although I am certain that you have many ideas as per this
topic, I cannot pass up the opportunity to stress one important
point about art: It is about the process, not the
product. Therefore, art in the early childhood classroom should
be open-ended (meaning, there should not be a finished product
that every child’s must look like). Art is about exploration:
Children should be given the opportunity to use paint, glue,
glitter (etc.) and discover what they can do on their own. Avoid
projects in which everyone must follow the same directions as
to where things “go.” Also, if you find that you are doing most
of the work for the project (cutting things out, showing children
where to place objects), then that’s a sign this project is not
developmentally appropriate.
Remember: each child in your kindergarten class will arrive
with his/her own knowledge, learning experiences and home
life. Therefore, it’s important to work closely with each child
and his/her family in order to help each child be successful!
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education
8th Edition
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All
Rights Reserved

9. Chapter 9
Kindergarten Today
Developed by:
Kevin M. Dartt
Walden University
Joyce E. Myers
University of Texas Arlington
Publisher to insert
cover image here
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Learning OutcomesIdentify major changes kindergarten
education has undergone from Froebel to the present.
Describe a developmental profile of a typical kindergarten child
and what formats of learning should be considered.
9-2
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

10. Learning OutcomesCompare and contrast the environments for
kindergarten children.
Describe the essential content areas and elements of the
kindergarten curriculum.
9-3
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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The Changing Kindergarten
Emphasis on academics including math, literacy, and science
Enriched curriculum with emphasis on literacy designed to have
children read by entry into first grade and on grade level by
grade three.
9-4
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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The Changing Kindergarten
More funding provided by more states for districts to provide
more kindergarten programs
Longer school days and transition from half-day to full-day
programs
9-5

11. Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
The Changing Kindergarten
Exploding kindergarten enrollment
More challenging kindergarten programs, with children being
asked to do and learn at higher levels
More testing
9-6
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
History of Kindergarten
Friedrich Froebel
Margarethe Schurz
Elizabeth Peabody
Susan Blow
Patty Smith Hill
9-7
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
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What Are Kindergarten

12. Children Like?
Social and Emotional developmentErikson’s Industry vs.
Inferiority stage
Physical developmentEnergeticLike to run, climb, and jump
Cognitive and language developmentRapid intellectual and
language growthVerbal
9-8
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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Formats of Kindergarten Programs
Universal kindergarten
Developmental kindergarten
Transition kindergarten
Mixed age/multiage grouping
Looping
9-9
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Kindergarten Issues
Kindergarten entrance age
Redshirting

13. Retention
9-10
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
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Environments for Kindergarten
Healthy environmentHealthy foods
Respectful environmentTreat children courteously
9-11
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Environments for Kindergarten
Supportive environmentMeet children’s safety needs
Challenging environmentMeet each child at his or her
developmental level
9-12
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

14. Environments for Kindergarten
Physical environmentClass arrangement and organization
Social environment
Develop positive teacher-child relationships
9-13
*
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Developmentally Appropriate Practice
in Kindergarten
Make learning meaningful
Individualize your curriculum
Make learning physically and mentally active
9-14
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Developmentally Appropriate Practice

15. in Kindergarten
Provide for hands-on activities with concrete objects and
manipulatives
Incorporate children’s preferences and interests into learning
experiences
9-15
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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Approaches to Literacy and Reading
Sight Word Approach
Phonics Approach
Language Experience Approach
Whole Language Approach
Balanced Approach
9-16
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Content AreasMath
Science
Social Studies
Integration of the arts
Technology
9-17

16. Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education
8th Edition
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All
Rights Reserved
Chapter 8
The Preschool Years
Developed by:
Kevin M. Dartt
Walden University
Joyce E. Myers
University of Texas Arlington
Publisher to insert
cover image here
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Learning OutcomesDescribe preschools and list why they are so
popularDescribe what preschoolers are like and how you can
support their physical, motor, social, emotional, cognitive, and

17. language developmentDefine school readiness.
8-2
*
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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Learning OutcomesExplain the teacher’s role in the inclusive
preschool classroom for supporting peer interactions.Describe
developmentally appropriate practices and curriculum for
preschool children.Describe the types of play preschoolers
engage in and how to support preschoolers in play
8-3
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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The Popularity of Preschools
Parents in the workforce
Highly educated workforce equals economic growth
Equal opportunity
Cost effective
Intervention programs work best in the early years
8-4
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e

18. George S. Morrison
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Goals of New PreschoolsSupport child’s innate capacity to
learnPrepares children for kindergartenDelivers a full range of
health, social, economic, and academic servicesSolve or find
solutions for social problems
8-5
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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What Are Preschoolers Like?Physical and motor
development“Slimming down”Learning to use and test their
bodiesSocial and emotional developmentInitiative vs.
guiltLearning self-regulation Cognitive
developmentPreoperational stageLanguage
developmentLanguage skills grow and develop rapidly
8-6
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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Ready to Learn: Ready for School
School Readiness Skills and Dispositions
Approaches to learning
Curiosity/ initiative
Persistence
Attention

19. Self-direction
Problem solving
Creativity
8-7
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
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School Readiness Skills
and Dispositions
Language
Receptive language
Expressive language
Symbolic language
Vocabulary development
Early Literacy Skills
Alphabetic knowledge (AK)
Phonological awareness (PA)
Rapid automatic naming (RAN)
RAN of objects or colors
Writing or writing name
Phonological memory (PM)
8-8
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

20. Teaching English
Language Learners (ELLs)Involve parentsSet high
expectationsIncorporate collaborative learningAssess students
oftenUse visuals and movementBuild word walls
8-9
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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Preschool and State Standards
Standards
statements of what preschoolers should know and be able to do
Preschool goals and learning standards
being set by state departments of education,
Preschool curriculum
more academic focused.
8-10
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Inclusive Preschool ClassroomsProvide opportunities for peer
playUse teacher talk to encourage peer interactionsTeachable
moments during classroom routinesProvide brief instructional
interactionsIntervene only when necessary to let peers teach and
interact
8-11

21. Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
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The Preschool Daily Schedule
Opening activities
Group meeting/planning
Learning centers
Bathroom/hand washing
Snacks
Outdoor activity/play/walking
Bathroom/toileting
Lunch
Relaxation
Nap time
Centers or special projects
Group time
Good-bye time
8-12
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Play in Preschool Programs
Learning through play
Accommodating play
Planning play
Kinds of play
8-13

22. Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8e
George S. Morrison
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Types of
PlaySocialUnoccupiedSolitaryOnlookerParallelAssociativeColla
borativeFunctional PlaySymbolic playInformal or free
playSociodramatic playOutdoor play
8-14