DOCUMENT RESUME ED 480 653 PS 031 529 Wyoming Early Childhood Readiness Standards. TITLE Wyoming State Dept. of Education, Cheyenne. INSTITUTION PUB DATE 2003-00-00 NOTE 34p. AVAILABLE FROM Wyoming State Department of Education, Hathaway Building, 2nd Floor, 2300 Capitol Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82002-0050. Tel: 307-777-7675; Fax: 307-777-6234; Web site: http://www.kl2wy.us. For full text: http://www.k12.wy.us/specialprograms/ docs/early_childhood_standards.pdf. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Teacher (052) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Dramatic Play; Early Childhood Education; Emergent Literacy; Emotional Development; Fine Arts; Interpersonal Competence; Language Skills; Music Appreciation; Numeracy; Outcomes of Education; Performance Based Assessment; Physical Development; *Preschool Children; *School Readiness; Science Process Skills; *State Standards * Wyoming; Indicators IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT Because children entering kindergarten come with a variety of preschool and home experiences, and accordingly, with varying levels of school readiness, the Wyoming Early Childhood Readiness Standards have been developed to provide a more consistent definition of school readiness. The goal for the Standards is to provide early childhood educators with a framework to use in planning quality curriculum by identifying the skills (indicators) needed to maximize the potential for school success and promote a smooth transition to kindergarten. The readiness standards and indicators cover eight domains/content areas as follows: (1) Language (listening and understanding, and speaking and communicating); (2) Literacy (phonological awareness, book knowledge and appreciation, print awareness and concepts, early writing, and alphabet knowledge; (3) Social Emotional Development (self-concept, self-control, prosocial behavior, and knowledge of families (4) Approaches to Learning (representation and symbolic and community; thinking, initiative and curiosity, engagement and persistence, and reasoning and problem and solving); (5) Mathematics (numbers and operations, geometry and spatial issues, and patterns and measurement; (6) Science (scientific methods, scientific skills, and scientific knowledge); (7) Physical Health and Development (gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and health practices); and (8) Creative Arts (music and movement, art, and dramatic play). (Includes letters of endorsement.) (HTH) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. WYOMING DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION .- raising rs rea , Early Childhood Readiness citt Standards PDEI SFISMEI MS SI NI OA TNETTOHRI SE roP RA TOEDRUI CA LE HA AN sf) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and improvement BEEN GRANTED BY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 02 This document has been reproduced as Wkeefer A. received from the person or organization originating it. 3EST COPY AVAILABLE 0 Minor changes have been made to ode4 improve reproduction quality. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Points of view or opinions stated in this 1 document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Wyoming Early Childhood Readiness Standards Dr. Trent Blankenship State Superintendent of Public Instruction Wyoming Department of Education Hathaway Building, 2nd Floor 2300 Capitol Avenue Cheyenne, WY 82002-0050 (307) 777-7675 www.k12.wy.us 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Page 1 Purpose & Rationale Page 1 Page 2 Guidance & Resources Page 3 Acknowledgements Page 4 Language I. Page 6 Literacy II. Social Emotional Development Page 11 III. IV. Approaches to Learning Page 15 Mathematics Page 19 V. Page 22 VI. Science Page 25 VII. Physical Health and Development Page 28 VIII. Creative Arts Appendix Letters of Endorsement The Wyoming Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its educational programs or activities. Inquir- ies concerning Title VI, Title IX, Section 504, and the Americans with Disabilities Act may be referred to Wyoming Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights Coordinator, 2nd Floor, Hathaway Building, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002-0050 or (307) 777-5329, or the Office for Civil Rights, Region VIII, U.S. Department of Education, Federal Building, Suite 310, 1244 Speer Boulevard, Denver, CO 80204-3582, or (303) 844-5695 or TDD (303) 844-3417. This publication will be provided in an alternative format upon request. BESTCOPY AVAILABLE 4 Page 1 INTRODUCTION The Wyoming Early Childhood Standards Task Force, appointed by Judy Catchpole, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, is pleased to present the Wyoming Early Childhood Readiness Standards. The Task Force, supported by the Wyoming Department of Education in collaboration with the Wyoming Early Childhood Development Council, included representation from agencies and organizations involved in providing early care and education services to young children in Wyoming. PURPOSE The Wyoming Early Childhood Readiness Standards have been developed to provide a more con- sistent definition of school readiness. Our goal is to provide early childhood educators with a framework to use in planning quality curriculum by identifying the skills (indicators) needed to maximize the potential for school success and promote a smooth transition to kindergarten. RATIONALE Children entering kindergarten come with a variety of preschool and home experiences, and ac- cordingly, with varying levels of school readiness. Research indicates that children who start be- hind stay behind. Providing children with a strong start significantly contributes to their long- term development and learning success. The majority of early childhood standards documents currently available are written as "program" standards. They define health, safety and educational experiences that programs must provide for young children. We encountered two challenges in developing the Wyoming Early Childhood Readiness Stan- dards. The first challenge was to define our vision or "ideal" for school readiness. The second challenge was to determine the indicators (benchmarks) appropriate for five year olds entering kindergarten. The Head Start Outcomes Framework provided the guidance needed in linking the developmental domains of early childhood (cognitive, language, social/emotional, motor) with the content areas associated with K-12 district standards (Language, Literacy, Approaches to Learning, Math, Sci- research on the ence, Social Studies, Physical Health and Development, Creative Arts). Current important role of early brain development, early literacy and social-emotional competencies was used to set the indicators at a level needed to promote optimum readiness for school success. :_-) Page 2 GUIDANCE The Wyoming Early Childhood Readiness Standards were created for use as a guide for planning preschool curriculum to promote learning. They should never be used as an assess- ment tool, nor to delay entry of children who are age eligible to participate in kindergarten programs. Early childhood educators are advised to use the standards in combination with developmentally appropriate assessment practice in order to make informed decisions regarding preschool curricu- lum and individualized learning needs. Appropriate early childhood assessment methods include: observation, developmental checklists linked to curriculum, portfolios and parent interview. Peri- odic assessment helps determine where each child's skills are on the continuum of development. This provides early educators with the information they need in order to provide individualized learning. Educators can then plan high quality learning experiences designed to promote the de- velopment of school readiness skills, especially in programs that serve children at-risk, including those with disabilities. The current focus on academic readiness has the potential to promote developmentally inappro- priate practice through a "downward push" of elementary school curriculum into preschool. Early childhood educators need an understanding of child development, the developmental continuum for three to five year olds, developmentally appropriate curriculum and assessment practices as well as early childhood teaching pedagogy to ensure appropriate methods are used to promote school readiness. N ote: For information on developmentally appropriate practice and the continuum of development for children age three to five, refer to the resources marked with an asterisk (*), listed below RESOURCES This document incorporates information and perspectives from a wide array of resources, including: § Head Start Outcomes Framework § Wyoming Department of Education K-12 Common Core Standards § Standards from other states, including Connecticut, Colorado, and Missouri Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children, a joint position statement of the International Reading Association (IRA) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), 1998 *Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children's Reading Success, Burns, M.S., Griffin, P, and Snow, C. (Eds.), Washington, DC: Committee on the Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children, National Research Council, 1999 4 *Scaffolding Early Literacy, Bodrova, Elena, McRel, 2001 *Building Early Literacy and Language Shills, Paulson, L., SoprisWest, 2001 § *Creative Curriculum Connecting Content, Teaching and Learning, Dodge, D., Colker, L. and Teaching Strategies, Inc. Washington, D.C., 2001 Heroman, Cate , Dimensions of Readiness, National Education Goals Panel, 1991 § The Kindergarten Year, (Early Childhood Longitudinal Study), National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), 2001 Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children, National Research Council, National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1998 Building Strong Foundations for Early Learning: U.S. Department of Education Guide to High-Quality Preschool Programs, 2000 6 Page 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Wyoming Department of Education (WDE), in partnership with the Governor's Early Childhood Devel- individuals who opment Council would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the following participated on the Wyoming Early Childhood Standards Task Force. The members represented early child- hood and education experts from across the state. They include: Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Annette Bohling, Facilitator Executive Director, North Central Association, WY Dept. of Education Early Childhood Special Education Consultant, WY Dept. of Education Pat Renton, Coordinator Wyoming Early Childhood Development Council Coordinator, Cheryl Selby Department of Family Services Literacy Coordinator/Reading Specialist Claire Venn Natrona County Schools, Casper Director, Laramie County Head Start, Cheyenne Kim Amen Director, The Learning Center, Jackson, WY Anita Sullivan Early Head Start and Developmental Preschool Program President, Wyoming Early Childhood Association (NAEYC Affiliate) Ginny Harmelink Early Childhood Provider, Professional Development Trainer, Casper Program Coordinator, University of WY Child Development Lab, Laramie Mark Bittner Regional Coordinator, Sweetwater County Child Development Center Ann Owen Owner/Director, Kid's Connection, Laramie Beth Ward Childcare Licensing Officer, Department of Family Services , Casper Suzanne Walsh Early Childhood Professor, Casper College Kerri Mahlum Early Childhood Program Director, Laramie Kristin Jacobs-Schmid Director, Natrona County Even Start, Casper Julie Eastes Early Childhood Specialist/Program Administrator, Cheyenne Krista Hamilton We thank the following individuals for providing technical assistance. Wyoming Children's Action Alliance Director, Cheyenne Kathy Emmons Occupational Therapist, Laramie Nancy Thomas Speech Language Pathologist, Natrona County Schools, Casper Shirla Loutas Speech Language Pathologist, Natrona County Schools, Casper Bonnie Bitner Department of Health, Maternal and Child Health, Cheyenne Mary Anne Nelson following persons for their support and input in the development of this The WDE acknowledges the document. They include: State Director of Special Education, WY Dept. of Education Rebecca Walk Education Consultant, WY Dept. of Education Sara Mofield Director, Department of Family Services Susan Lehman Chair, Wyoming Early Childhood Development Council Christine Frude The WDE also acknowledges the following staff members from the Special Programs Unit for their assistance in preparation of this document and coordinating team meetings: Administrative Specialist, WY Dept. of Education Cindy Adams Administrative Specialist, WY Dept. of Education Vickie Deag Administrative Specialist, WY Dept. of Education Barbara Ingledue 7 Page 4 I. LANGUAGE Domain/Content Area (A) LISTENING AND UNDERSTANDING (Receptive Language) IStandard: The child listens for a variety of purposes. I PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 1. Demonstrates understanding of language through responses. Snapshot: Jill was listening when the teacher asked the group to share what they did during the holiday break. She responded, "I went to my grandparents house and played with my cousins." 2. Understands and follows simple and multiple-step directions. Snapshot: When asked, Kathy hangs up her coat and joins her friends on the rug. 3. Understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary. Snapshot: Adults in Mark's environment introduce new words and expand his vocabulary. "Mark, I noticed you really like those books on dinosaurs. Did you know that Tyrannosaurus Rex was a carnivore?" 4. Understands basic language concepts. Snapshot: Ann understands a variety of concepts: including opposites such as hot and cold; spatial and directional concepts such as over and under; and time concepts such as morning and afternoon. 5. Discriminates among different environmental sounds. Snapshot: Spencer runs for the telephone when he hears it ring, and Brett looks out the window when he hears a bird chirping. 6. Understands "who, what, where, when, why" questions. Snapshot: Bonnie responds appropriately when asked, "Where are your shoes?" 7. Listens to and engages in conversation with others. 8. Progress in listening to and understanding English, (for non-English speaking children). s BEST COPY AVAILABLE Page 5 I. LANGUAGE Domain/Content Area (B) SPEAKING AND COMMUNICATING (Expressive Language) Standard: The child uses language to communicate for a variety of purposes. PERFORMANCE INDICATORS Asks and answers simple questions. 1. Snapshot: Lawrence asks Julie, "What is that book about?" Julie responds, "It's about dogs." 2. Initiates conversation and responds appropriately to discussions with peers and adults. 3. Uses an increasingly complex and varied spoken vocabulary. 4. Demonstrates age-appropriate speech articulation. Snapshot: John's speech is easily understood by others. (Note: Preschool children may have some articulation errors, such as S, L, and R sounds.) 5. Communicates in complete sentences of increasing length and grammatical complexity. Snapshot: John's typical sentence length is five or more words: "My grandma took me to the store and bought me a new raincoat." 6. For non-English speaking children, progress is made in speaking English. cP6.' d .;." BESTCOPY AVAILABLE 9 Page 6 II. LITERACY Domain/Content Area (A) PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS IStandard: The child will demonstrate awareness of the different sounds in language. LEI I PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 1. Recognizes rhymes. Snapshot: Pat asks, "Does Mark rhyme with park?" 2. Completes a rhyme. Snapshot: Ginny completes the sentence, "I saw a bug crawling on the 3. Creates strings of words with the same initial sound (alliteration). Snapshot: Kerri repeats a line from the "B" Book, "Big brown bear, blue bull 4. Distinguishes individual spoken words in sentences. Snapshot: As four-year old Claire's speech improved, she was heard asking her friend Chris, "Will you give me a turn?' instead of, "You gimmea turn?' 5. Combines syllables to produce spoken words. Snapshot: At group circle time, the teacher plays "guess the name" game, saying, "Who's name is this Shir- - -la?" Shirla responds, "Shirla! That's my name!" 6. Segments syllables in spoken words. gin Snapshot: Virginia Claps as she says each syllable in her name. "Vir ia" equals three claps. 7. Discriminates sounds in spoken language. Zzzzz?" Snapshot: Bonnie asks Ann, "Are these two sounds the same Mmmmm Recognizes onset (initial) sounds of spoken words. 8. Snapshot: Julia asks, "Whose name starts with a Ssssss?" Suzanne answers, "Mine does!" BESTCOPY AVAILABLE I 0