Prekindergarten Disabilities: Age 3-5   (#7650130)

General Notes

Purpose

 The purpose of this course is to enable children ages 3 to 5 years with disabilities to gain knowledge/skills in the following areas:

• Physical Development
• Approaches to Learning
• Social and Emotional Development
• Language and Literacy
• Mathematical Thinking
• Scientific Inquiry
• Social Studies
• Creative Expression Through the Arts

Specific course content must include annual goals identified in the child's individual education plan (IEP).

COURSE REQUIRMENTS

Physical Development

During their first five years, young children undergo more rapid and dramatic changes in their physical development than at any other time in their lives. Changes in body proportion, coordination, and strength occur, as does increasingly complex brain development. Children develop remarkable physical, motor, and sensory capacities that enhance exploration and mastery of the environment.       

1. Engages in physical activities with increasing balance, coordination, endurance and intensity.
2. Shows awareness of safety and increasingly demonstrates knowledge of safe choices and risk assessment when participating in daily activities.
3. Responds to and initiates care routines that support personal hygiene.
4. Responds to feeding or feeds self with increasing efficiency and demonstrates increasing interest in eating habits and making food choices.
5. Demonstrates use of large muscles to move in the environment.
6. Uses perceptual information to guide motions and interactions with objects and other people.
7. Increasingly coordinates hand and eye movements to perform a variety of actions with increasing precision.

II. Approaches to Learning

Approaches to learning is a unique and critical domain of children's development. Although each of the other domains of development reflects specific content knowledge that documents what children know and do, Approaches to Learning is not specific content knowledge. Instead, it addresses how children deal with new environments, interactions, and discoveries. Approaches to Learning describes children's attitudes and dispositions toward learning. 

1. Shows increased curiosity and is eager to learn new things and have new experiences
2. Attends to tasks for a brief period of time.
3. Approaches daily activities with creativity and inventiveness
4. Demonstrates some planning and learning from experiences

III. Social and Emotional Development

As children grow, their ability to establish relationships with peers and with additional adults influences how they view themselves and the world. Positive and adaptive social behaviors result from interacting with others who have different characteristics and backgrounds. With the help of supportive adults, young children expand their capacities to recognize and express their own feelings and to understand and respond to the emotions of others. 

1. Expresses, identifies and responds to a range of emotions
2. Demonstrates appropriate affect (emotional response) between behavior and facial expression
3. Demonstrates ability to self-regulate
4. Attends to sights, sounds, objects, people and activities
5. Develops positive relationships with adults
6. Develops positive relationships with peers
7. Develops increasing ability to engage in social problem solving
8. Exhibits empathy by demonstrating care and concern for others
9. Develops sense of identity and belonging through play
10. Develops sense of identity and belonging through exploration and persistence
11. Develops sense of identity and belonging through routines, rituals and interactions
12. Develops sense of self-awareness and independence

IV.  Language and Literacy

Language, communication, and early literacy and writing are critical to children’s ability to learn, work, and play with others. Language and literacy development involves the way children learn to communicate with sounds, words and gestures, and eventually, the way they learn to read and write. Children develop language and literacy through interactions with adults and other children, engagement with materials and instructional experiences.

1. Demonstrates understanding when listening
2. Increases knowledge through listening
3. Follows directions
4. Speaks and is understood when speaking
5. Shows an understanding of words and their meanings (receptive)
6. Uses increased vocabulary to describe objects, actions and events (expressive)
7. Uses age-appropriate grammar in conversations and increasingly complex phrases and sentences
8. Connects words, phrases and sentences to build ideas
9. Uses verbal and nonverbal communication and language to express needs and feelings, share experiences and resolve problems
10. Asks questions, and responds to adults and peers in a variety of settings
11. Demonstrates understanding of the social conventions of communication and language use
12. Shows motivation for and appreciation of reading
13. Shows age-appropriate phonological awareness
14. Shows alphabetic and print knowledge
15. Demonstrates comprehension of books read aloud
16. Begins to show motivation to engage in written expression and appropriate knowledge of forms and functions of written composition

Mathematical Thinking

Mathematics is everywhere and it helps children make sense of their world. Children learn by observing and interacting with their environment and are naturally curious about number and mathematical concepts. Children’s development of mathematical understanding begins in the very first months of life and continues to grow and expand as they interact with others and with the world around them. For young children, math is about number knowledge, patterns, size, shape awareness, and the relationship between objects and space.

1. Subitizes (immediately recognizes without counting) up to five objects
2. Counts and identifies the number sequence 1 to 31
3. Demonstrates one-to-one correspondence when counting objects placed in a row (one to 15 and beyond)
4. Identifies the last number spoken tells how many up to 10 (cardinality)
5. Constructs and counts sets of objects (one to 10 and beyond)
6. Uses counting and matching strategies to find which is more, less than or equal to 10
7. Reads and writes some numerals one to 10 using appropriate activities
8. Explores quantities up to eight using objects, fingers and dramatic play to solve real-world joining and separating problems
9. Begins to demonstrate how to compose and decompose (build and take apart) sets up to eight using objects, fingers and acting out
10. Identifies and extends a simple AB repeating pattern
11. Duplicates a simple AB pattern using different objects
12. Recognizes the unit of repeat of a more complex pattern and extends the pattern (e.g., ABB or ABC)
13. Recognizes and names two-dimensional shapes (circle, square, triangle and rectangle) of different size and orientation
14. Describes, sorts and classifies two- and three-dimensional shapes using some attributes such as size, sides and other properties (e.g., vertices)
15. Creates two-dimensional shapes using other shapes (e.g., putting two squares together to make a rectangle)
16. Constructs with three-dimensional shapes in the environment through play (e.g., building castles in the construction area)
17. Describes relationships between objects and locations with words and gestures by constructing models to demonstrate an understanding of proximity (beside, next to, between, below, over and under)
18. Uses directions to move through space and find places in space
19. Measures object attributes using a variety of standard and nonstandard tools
20. Identifies measurable attributes such as length and weight and solves problems by making direct comparisons of objects
21. Seriates (places objects in sequence) up to six objects in order by height or length (e.g., cube towers or unit blocks)
22. Represents, analyzes and discusses data (e.g., charts, graphs and tallies)
23. Begins to predict the results of data collection

Scientific Inquiry

Scientific inquiry addresses children exploring the world around them. Children are natural investigators and their levels of understanding deepen over time with varied experiences. Exploration and discovery are ways that young children learn about their worlds by first using their senses and reflexes. The initial spontaneous responses of infants become more purposeful as they gain mobility. The expanding physical and motor capacities of toddlers enable them to engage in ever-widening explorations which can promote new brain connections.

1. Uses senses to explore and understand their social and physical environment
2. Uses tools in scientific inquiry
3. Uses understanding of causal relationships to act on social and physical environments
4. Demonstrates knowledge related to living things and their environments
5. Demonstrates knowledge related to physical science
6. Demonstrates knowledge related to the dynamic properties of earth and sky
7. Demonstrates awareness of relationship to people, objects and living/non-living things in their environment
8. Shows interest and understanding of how simple tools and machines assist with solving problems or creating objects and structures

 Social Studies

In the earliest years, social studies concepts simply involve children exploring their world and trying to make sense of the social and physical environments. Social interactions form the basis of social studies, therefore in the early childhood arena, each child’s basic social understanding begins with self and family then expands to early education. A sensitive, respectful approach sets the tone for a child’s social learning.

1. Identifies self as a member of a culture
2. Understands everyone belongs to a culture
3. Explores culture of peers and families in the classroom and community
4. Explores cultural attributes by comparing and contrasting different characteristics (e.g., language, literature, music, arts, artifacts, foods, architecture and celebrations)
5. Identifies characteristics of self as an individual
6. Identifies the ways self is similar to and different from peers and others
7. Recognizes individual responsibility as a member of a group (e.g., classroom or family)
8. Identifies differences and similarities of self and others as part of a group
9. Explains the role of groups within a community
10. Demonstrates awareness of group rules (e.g., family, classroom, school or community)
11. Exhibits leadership skills and roles (e.g., line leader and door holder)
12. Identifies the relationship of personal space to surroundings
13. Identifies differences and similarities between own environment and other locations
14. Identifies differences and similarities of basic physical characteristics (e.g., landmarks or land features)
15. Uses spatial words (e.g., far/close, over/under and up/down)
16. Recognizes some geographic tools and resources (e.g., maps, globes or GPS)
17. Begins to identify the relationship between human decisions and the impact on the environment (e.g., recycling and water conservation)
18. Identifies changes within a sequence of events to establish a sense of order and time
19. Observes and recognizes changes that take place over time in the immediate environment
20. Recognizes and follows rules and expectations in varying settings
21. Participates in problem solving and decision making
22. Begins to explore basic principles of democracy (e.g., deciding rules in a classroom, respecting opinions of others, voting on classroom activities or civic responsibilities)
23. Recognizes the difference between wants and needs
24. Begins to recognize that people work to earn money to buy things they need or want
25. Uses and shows awareness of technology and its impact on how people live (e.g., computers, tablets, mobile devices, cameras or music players)

Creative Expression Through the Arts

Creative Expression Through the Arts, provides children with opportunities to express ideas and feelings, use words, manipulate tools and media, and solve problems Through the arts, children learn to express what they know, pursue their own interests and abilities and appreciate the contributions of others. They begin to understand that others can be creative in different ways and show appreciation for these differences by asking questions and commenting.

1. Combines with intention a variety of open-ended, process-oriented and diverse art materials
2. Actively participates in a variety of individual and group musical activities
3. Expresses and represents thought, observations, imagination, feelings, experiences and knowledge in individual and group music activities
4. Continues to engage in individual and group movement activities to express and represent thoughts, observations, imagination, feelings, experiences and knowledge
5. Expresses and represents thoughts, observations, imagination, feelings, experiences and knowledge, verbally or nonverbally, with others using a variety of objects in own environment
6. Uses appropriate art vocabulary to describe own art creations and those of others
7. Compares own art to similar art forms
8. Begins to recognize that instruments and art forms represent cultural perspectives of the home and the community, now and in the past

This course is designed for children ages 3 to 5 years old with disabilities that need intensive, individualized intervention to address the child's developmental needs and annual goals identified on the IEP.

The expectations of this course are aligned with The Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards – Birth to Kindergarten (2017) adopted by the State Board of Education in December 2017, and the Division of Early Childhood Recommended Practices (DEC 2014).

This course is designed to address a wide range of disabilities within the population of prekindergarten children. A child may repeat this course. The particular course requirements that the student should master each year must be specified on an individual basis and relate to the achievement of annual goals on the student's IEP. Additionally, course requirements may be added or modified based on the needs of the child. The child may use related technology, adaptive tools, and specialized equipment to meet course requirements.

Delivery of this course is setting neutral (Voluntary Prekindergarten-VPK, Headstart, regular, self-contained, or community provider). Instructional activities involving practical applications of course requirements may occur in the home, school, and community setting for the purpose of training, practice, generalization, and maintenance of skills. Sensitivity and understanding of cultural diversity (cultural, language, and family characteristics) is essential when developing working relationships among members of the IEP team, and when delivering services.

Consultation/collaboration with the appropriate multi-disciplinary team members (i.e., therapist, educators, parents, behavior specialist, and community providers) is recommended. A whole-child approach to prekindergarten recognizes that all developmental domains are interrelated. An integrated approach is more effective than attention to one domain in isolation. An integrated therapy approach is recommended. Team members recognize that the child's outcomes are a shared responsibility across all team members, working with the child and family.

Developmentally appropriate practice is a framework or approach to working with young children utilizing active learning with hands-on activities, choices, and structured play with adult scaffolding. Young children develop and learn at various ages and stages and in particular contexts. Learning environments should be created to match the child's abilities, provide appropriate developmental tasks, and be responsive to the social and cultural context in which the child lives.

The following references were used in the development of this course description:

Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children. (2014). DEC Recommended Practices in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education 2014. Retrieved from https://www.dec-sped.org/dec-recommended-practices           

Florida Department of Early Learning and Developmental Standards. Division of Early Learning. (2017). Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards 2017. Retrieved from http://flbt5.floridaearlylearning.com/docs/EGBirthtoK.pdf                                      

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2022). Developmentally Appropriate Practices in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8. Position Statement. Retrieved from  https://www.naeyc.org/resources/developmentally-appropriate-practice               

Qualifications

- If contracted in accordance with Rule 6A-6.0361, Florida Administrative Code, see Section 1 for specific information on exemptions to the endorsement(s).

- If children are served in an inclusive setting through a district-operated Headstart, Title I, Voluntary Prekindergarten Education or School Readiness Program, see Section 1.