GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR 4/5 YEARS OLDS

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS

1. Children will seek out and participate in cooperative play.

A. Children will enjoy interactive play.
B. Provide a variety of areas for group play.
C. Encourage children to participate in board games that have pre-determined
rules and require two or more players.
D. Lead movement activities where a partner is needed.
E. Assist children who experience difficulty integrating into group play.
F. Acknowledge children who are responsible and helpful in the classroom.
G. Model acceptance of another person’s point of view.

2. Children will enjoy interactive play.

A. Provide dramatic play areas that foster group play.
B. Plan games that require two or more players.
C. Lead movement activities where a partner is needed.

3. Children have an attention span of at least 15 minutes.

A. Provide interactive stories and group activities.
B. Encourage listening while others are speaking.
C. Listen to each child when they are speaking.
D. Offer assistance when necessary to help a child focus on a group activity.

4. Children are learning to resolve conflicts independently.

A. Allow children to attempt conflict resolution without intervention.
B. Provide a quiet place for children having a conflict to go to discuss a solution.
C. Stress the importance of using words to resolve a conflict.
D. Praise their efforts when a solution is determined.

5. Children will be able to follow sequential step directions.

A. Provide fine motor/cognitive activities requiring 2-3 steps.
B. Assist children experiencing frustration with these activities.
C. Repeat directions when needed.
D. Acknowledge child’s efforts.

6. Children continue to become more independent with self-help skills.

A. Allow children to transition independently during center activities.
B. Encourage responsibility for personal belongings.
C. Provide opportunities for children to help themselves - clean up after a spill,
write their own name on artwork.
D. Pour from one container to another.
E. Help clean up after play.
7. Children will use appropriate social behaviors.
A. Play in non-aggressive manner.
B. Initiate interactions with peers (verbally, touching/pointing; no hitting,
shouting, or pushing).
C. Respect the property of self and others.
D. Use polite terms or manners at appropriate times: (hi, good-bye, thank you,
please, you’re welcome, and excuse me.)
E. Take turns.
F. Participate in group activities (including games).
G. Engage in make-believe.
H. Use appropriate expression to indicate feelings.
I. Show awareness of the feelings of others.
J. Exhibit impulse control and self-regulation.

8. Children will demonstrate appropriate classroom behaviors.

A. Attempt/explore new interests and/or centers.
B. Seek assistance in solving own problems.
C. Attempt to solve own problems.
D. Handle transitions well.
E. Stay with one activity for at least five (5) minutes.
F. Show confidence in dealing with separation from family.
G. Help adults with simple tasks (when asked).
H. Show pride in performance or products created.
I. Exhibit decision-making skills and follow through with decision made.
J. Respond to adult supervision.

FINE MOTOR SKILLS

1. Children continue to use scissors more effectively.

A. Provide individual assistance when necessary.
B. Place scissors in several areas of the classroom.
C. Plan whole group activities requiring the use of scissors.
D. Provide a variety of scissor activities - play dough, cardstock, ribbon, etc.

2. Children will be able to write first name legibly.

A. Provide opportunity for child to see their name in print.
B. Offer assistance for proper pencil grip.
C. Plan activities for children to hear as well as see their name.
D. Provide activities for children to trace their name and other alphabet letters.
E. Plan fine motor activities that encourage name and letter writing.
F. Use playdough and other manipulatives for fine motor strengthening.

3. Children will independently seek out art/fine motor activities.

A. Encourage children to participate in all fine motor/art activities.
B. Allow ample time for exploring and creating with a variety of media.
C. Plan activities that require all children to participate.
D. Provide activities that engage children’s interest.
4. Children will develop greater interest in representational art.
A. Encourage children to draw on real life experiences when planning art activity.
B. Provide a variety of drawing and painting media.
C. Encourage children to talk about their art project - record their words.
D. Display real life objects around writing and art centers.

5. Children will explore art materials.

A. Draw a picture of a person with at least five parts.
B. Draw/copy vertical and horizontal lines, cross, square, and circle.
C. Manipulate molding materials.
D. Tear paper into small pieces.

GROSS MOTOR SKILLS

1. Children will confidently climb, hop on one foot, and walk a balance beam.
A. Provide activities in the classroom and on the playground that encourage this
development - hopscotch, obstacle course, balance beam.
B. Skip, jump and jog to music.
C. Play games using directional words, e.g., right, left, up, down.

2. Children will regularly participate in climbing activities.

A. Demonstrate hand-over-hand grasp for climbing.
B. Encourage use of climbing structure.
C. Allow children to pull themselves up the slide.

3. Children will develop greater coordination for bouncing and catching a ball.
A. Introduce beanbags games to learn how to catch an object.
B. Demonstrate how to bounce a ball.
C. Invite children to play bounce and catch games with teachers and other
children.

COGNITIVE SKILLS

1. Children can identify basic colors, shapes, upper and lower case alphabet
letters.
A. Plan whole group and individual activities that teach these concepts.
B. Provide individual assistance when needed.
C. Read related books.
D. Talk about objects in the classroom relating to the colors, shapes or alphabet
letters being discussed.
E. Allow children to make their own color, shape or alphabet book.
F. Develop a word file for children who are beginning to recognize a few basic
words.
G. Provide a variety of board games that support these concepts.
2. Children will recognize audibly words that rhyme.
A. Provide games and books with words that rhyme.
B. Clap the syllables of words to reinforce rhyming concept.
C. Encourage children to rhyme their names.
D. Discuss similar word sounds and where they occur in the word.
E. Introduce songs fingerplays or flannel stories containing rhyming words.

3. Children will be able to count and identify numbers 1 through 10.

A. Offer whole group and individual activities that develop concept of one to one
correspondence.
B. Participate in these activities with the children.
C. Play matching games with number symbols and correct number of objects.
D. Plan counting games during regular classroom routines, e.g., transitions, lining
up.

4. Children will further develop concepts of print.

A. Children will become more familiar with print terminology - author, title,
illustrator.
B. Point out likenesses and differences while reading a story.
C. Ask questions about material being read.
D. Write class stories and books.
E. Display variety of functional text material - catalogs, books, newspapers – in the
classroom.
F. Place labeling words around the classroom.
G. Display story-related words around the classroom and in the writing center.
H. Discuss letter names and their sounds.
I. Develop interactive bulletin boards.

5. Children will continue to use the scientific method as a means of gathering

and assimilating information.

A. Provide activities that encourage whole group discussion for problem solving.
B. Plan graphing activities. Discuss results.
C. Ask “what if” questions.
D. Plan hands-on science experiments.
E. Ask children to make predictions and plan sequential strategies for scientific
experiments. Record and discuss results.

ORAL LANGUAGE SKILLS

1. Children will be able to discuss and retell stories, relating the story to their
own experiences.

A. Ask comprehensive questions after reading a story.

B. Ask children to relate the sequence of events.
C. Encourage children to provide unique ideas and important details of the story.
D. Listen to children’s thoughts and opinions of a story, especially how the story
relates to their own experience.
E. Encourage children to draw a picture relating to the story. Allow them to
dictate their thoughts.

2. Children will focus on the teacher’s message.

A. Make some eye contact.
B. Verbalize ideas with teacher prompts.
C. Make comments on the topic.
D. Focus attention on the speaker.
E. Behave respectfully when others speak.
F. Listen and respond appropriately when others speak.

3. Children will understand what is heard.

A. Listen and make choices.
B. Give physical response to indicate understanding (e.g., hands up).
C. Answer who, what, when, where, why questions.

4. Children will follow oral directions.

A. Listen and follow simple two-step directions.
B. Ask for help when needed.

5. Children will be able to contribute to class discussions and participate in

group activities.
A. Encourage children to stay on topic during class discussions by asking questions
that re-focus their attention on the topic.
B. Plan activities that provide opportunities for children to speak in front of the
group, e.g., sharing an item from home, talking about a family trip, etc.
C. Write add on stories as a group where each child contributes the next sentence
to a story.

SUB GOALS TO BE INCLUDED IN CLASSROOM CURRICULUM:

WRITING

1. Children will begin to organize and focus writing.

A. Begin to write name on paper.
B. Begin to participate in pre-writing activities as a group—brainstorming,
discussions, and listing.
C. Follow directions for using paper when drawing, printing, pasting, etc.
2. Children will begin to dictate text.
A. Begin to verbalize descriptive words to label drawings.
B. Begin to share information about an event or special interest.
3. Children will begin to dictate brief sentences.
A. Dictate information about pictures they have drawn, colored, or painted.
B. Dictate simple stories, notes, cards, and letters.
C. Write scribbles and some letters to tell about experiences or stories.
4. Children will begin to gather and interpret information.
A. Begin to understand the library is a source for books.
READING READINESS

1. Children will begin to apply concepts about print.

A. Begin to identify parts of a book, (e.g., the front cover, title, author,
illustrator).
B. Follow pictures from left to right.
C. Distinguish between words and pictures.
D. Identify, recognize, and name some letters.

2. Children will begin to develop phonemic awareness.

A. Begin to distinguish separate sounds.
B. Begin to identify and produce some rhyming words.
C. Begin to recognize some beginning sounds.

3. Children will begin to recognize words.

A. Begin to understand that words are made up of sounds.
B. Begin to recognize print in the environment.
C. Recognize own name in print.

4. Children will begin to learn and use new words.

A. Identify and sort pictures from within basic categories (e.g., colors, shapes,
foods).
B. Name common objects, events, and pictures.

5. Children will begin to use strategies when listening to stories.

A. Begin to use pictures and context to discuss story content.
B. Begin to use picture clues to gain meaning.
C. Recognize sequence of events (beginning and end).
D. Begin to understand that there is a purpose for reading.

6. Children will analyze and evaluate information.

A. Answer questions and recall details about stories.
B. Begin to connect prior experiences to events and information in stories.
C. Begin to distinguish between real and make-believe.
D. Begin to classify and categorize special groups.

MATHEMATICS

1. Children will begin to explore numbers to 20.

A. Begin to count to 20.
B. Begin to write numerals 0-10.
C. Begin to use ordinal numbers (first, second, last).

2. Children will begin to understand the relationship between numbers and

quantities.
A. Using objects, begin to count, recognize, represent, name, and order numbers
to 10.
3. Children will sort and classify objects.
A. Begin to identify, sort, and classify objects by attribute (colors, shapes, sizes)
and identify objects that do not belong to a particular group.

4. Children will begin to identify, describe, and extend simple patterns.

A. Begin to make and describe two-part patterns.
B. Begin to identify patterns that involve shape, size, and color.

5. Children will begin to understand that items can be used for comparison.
A. Begin to measure.
B. Begin to compare objects.
C. Begin to use non-standard units of measure.

6. Children will begin to identify common objects in the environment and

describe their features.
A. Begin to identify, name, classify, draw, and/or construct simple geometric
figures (e.g. circle, triangle, square, rectangle, diamond, and heart).

7. Children will begin to use spatial organization.

A. Begin to use geometric representations (e.g., pattern blocks, unifix cubes, color
tiles, and building blocks).

8. Children will begin to collect and analyze information about objects and
events in the environment.
A. Begin to collect data and record the results using objects, pictures, and
pictographs.
B. Begin to use graphs to determine more than, less than, or equal to; and to
predict an outcome based on interpretation of a graph.

SCIENCE

1. Children will begin to learn about the earth (earth science).

A. Begin to identify and recognize the seasons.
B. Identify weather daily.
C. Begin to identify how weather changes affect plants, animals, and people.
D. Begin to recognize mountains, rivers, oceans, deserts, and some local
landforms.
E. Begin to identify some earth resources used in everyday life and ways to
conserve these resources.

2. Children will begin to observe and describe plant and animal life and how
they change over time (life science).
A. Begin to observe and describe plants and animals (e.g. seed-bearing plants,
birds, fish, insects).
B. Begin to distinguish real and make believe plants and animals in stories.
C. Begin to identify major structures of common plants and animals (e.g. stems,
leaves, roots).
D. Begin to observe growth in plants and animals.

3. Children begin to observe the properties of water, light, and matter

(physical science).
A. Begin to observe how water can change to another form and back again.
B. Begin to recognize night/day, light/dark, shadows, and light sources.
C. Begin to describe objects in terms of physical properties (color, size, shape).

4. Children will learn and begin to communicate about the natural world
(natural science).
A. Begin to use the five senses to observe common objects and gather information.
B. Begin to describe properties of common objects (e.g. hard/soft, rough/smooth).
C. Begin to use science vocabulary encountered during classroom discussions.

HISTORY/SOCIAL SCIENCE

1. Children will begin to recognize that people come from various backgrounds
and cultures.
A. Begin to recognize the similarities between people from different cultures.

2. Children will begin to understand the relationships between place and

location.
A. Begin to explore maps.
B. Begin to determine locations (e.g., left/right and behind/in front of).
C. Begin to identify basic traffic symbols.
D. Begin to identify various locations at school and jobs that some of the people
do.

3. Children will begin to understand that people work in jobs.

A. Begin to recognize and identify community helpers.

4. Children will begin to understand that there are behaviors of good

citizenship in our community.
A. Begin to follow rules such as sharing and taking turns.
B. From stories, begin to point out examples of honesty and courage.
C. Begin to recognize examples of historical characters in stories.
D. Begin to recognize symbols that represent our nation, like the American flag.

Adapted from the California Pre-K Standards