Top Things Children Should Learn in Kindergarten

During the initial growing years of the kids, the school has a huge responsibility to take care of the child’s mental, emotional and spiritual well-being apart from their academic learning. This is truly the time of great learning, often disguised as the playtime, which allows the child to experience the fun of being in the classroom. When the parents are aware about their purpose and what key learnings the child should be imbibing, they can better collaborate with the teachers and school staff to better nurture the child at nature nurture.

The following looks at the comprehensive kindergarten curriculum the child should be imbibing and be educated in by the time he or she finishes school:
Key Areas to be covered:

Personal Development

A. Physical Skills:- The physical activities that the child practices at the kindergarten are extremely essential at the core of their development. These activities include the following:

• Catch a ball
• Skipping with a jump rope
• Hopping on one foot
• Walking on tiptoes
• Using one hand more than the other
• Learning to use utensils like the fork and the spoon
• Cutting out the basic shapes
• Holding a pencil

B. Cognitive Skills:- Referring to the activities practiced for healthy mental growth of the child, cognitive skills are developed when the child takes note and account of his or her own environment and surrounding.

• Recognise the colours and basic shapes
• Know the alphabets and letter sounds
• Finish a short 15 minutes project
• Recite numbers upto 20
• Make plans about how to play or what to draw
• Understand the structure of the story
• Know the names, address and phone numbers

C. Language Skills:- Extremely important to develop the first stage of child’s communication abilities, language skills are highly important.

• Using words to argue with people
• Use of plural, pronouns and tenses correctly
• Telling jokes and stories
• Following straight and simple directions involving multiple steps
• Talking about the past and the future
• Understanding the opposites and comparisons

D. Social and Emotional Skills:- To have a healthy social life, it is essential the child understands the right interactions and relation building teachings to help him or her thrive with ease.

• Wanting approval of their parents
• Behaving like their friends, in want of their approval
• Learning to follow the rules
• Enjoying the attention they get – dancing or singing to do so
• Understanding why sharing and getting along with others is good

Curriculum and Activities:- With this starts the actual knowledge based teachings which are imparted in the child through subject specific theory and practical know-how.

A. Math
Basic numbers are taught and they might count using physical objects. Simple functions like addition, subtraction etc is taught. They also learn the concept of time and some advanced curriculums like fractions.

B. Language
Children are taught the alphabet letter and sound, and also learn capitals and vowels. Teachers recite simple poems and stories and by the end of kindergarten, one should be able to read the same. Children are also taught to write and spell simple words and sentences.

C. Sciences
Learning a wide variety here, they understand the seasons; identify plants, birds and animals apart from learning what healthy food is and how the body works.

D. Social Sciences
Learning from the world around them, it is this area where they learn about the community. They are also able to separate the right from the wrong.
Behaviour Management

Children require some help with behaviour management when they are in kindergarten. While children find it difficult to sit still for longer durations, it is teacher’s job to use creative techniques to influence and persuade them for the same, without scolding them.

A. Proactive Techniques
When a child gets restless, the teacher does not suppress it, rather allow them to take a break to sing, dance, and be generally active. The teacher may also gently reinforce good behaviour like when a child speaks out of turn, the teacher asks them to raise a hand and praises when the child obeys.

B. Modelling Behaviour
The teacher brings the children’s focus to other well-behaved children of the class. It is when they follow the same behaviour that praise is given to them.

C. Routine
Setting a routine helps the young children follow instructions as when they are asked to clean toys in the same manner every time, it becomes the habit. The teacher should not scold or engage in harsh tone nor hit the children. When the child complains about the same, parents are allowed to bring it to the school’s notice.