Kindergarten is a big year. For some children, it could be their first time going to school. For others, it could be a big transition from half day preschool to full day kindergarten, sometimes even at a bigger school. With all of these changes, children soak in each new experience and begin to grow and develop at extensive rates. Sometimes these advances happen so quickly, it is hard to keep track of each accomplishment. Thankfully, there are developmental milestones that can help parents and teachers monitor these achievements. Your childu2019s school should offer a quality childcare management software that provides assistance with developmental milestones for teachers and parents as well. The more informed both parties are of the childu2019s attainments, the better the learning outcome for the child. Here are some typical developmental milestones to consider during the kindergarten years:
Physical Milestones
Kids tend to be fairly active at this age and can run, hop, skip and jump without tripping over their own feet. With so much fast-paced activity, developmental milestones are easily overlooked. Make sure you find a school with a quality childcare management software that helps parents and teachers keep track of their important triumphs. Most 5-year-olds learn to do these things:
Gross Motor Skills
u2022 Walk on tiptoes and heel-to-toe like on a balance beam
u2022 Jump rope and pump legs to swing alone
u2022 Stand and hop on each foot
u2022 Catch a ball the size of a softball
u2022 Start to move in different ways at the same time to do things like swim, dribble a basketball or dance
Fine Motor Skills
u2022 Use one hand more than the other (known as u201chand dominanceu201d)
u2022 Hold a pencil using a tripod grip (two fingers and a thumb)
u2022 Cut out basic shapes with scissors; may be able to cut a straight line
u2022 Use a fork, spoon and knife easily
u2022 Be able to wipe and wash after using the bathroom
Cognitive Milestones
Kindergartners learn facts and begin to grasp some basic concepts. Cognitive milestones are often the hardest for the untrained eye to monitor. This is also something that a good childcare management software is able to assist with. The software can provide its users with useful information such as:
By the end of kindergarten, many children can do things like:
u2022 Recognize and name colors and basic shapes
u2022 Know the letters of the alphabet and letter sounds
u2022 Recite their name, address and phone number
u2022 Understand basic concepts about print (such as knowing which way the pages go and how words are read left to right and top to bottom)
u2022 Know that stories have a beginning, middle, and end
u2022 Count groups of objects up to 10 and recite numbers to 20
u2022 Stick with an activity for 15 minutes and finish a short project
u2022 Make plans about how to play, what to build or what to draw
Language Milestones
In kindergarten, most kids understand and can use thousands of words, usually in sentences five to eight words long. Many 5-year-olds have the language development needed to:
u2022 Use words to argue and try to reason with people; because is an oft-used word
u2022 Use most plurals, pronouns, and tenses correctly
u2022 Tell stories, jokes, and riddles; may understand simple puns
u2022 Use language to talk about opposites and compare things (u201cThat black cat is smaller than the white one.u201d)
u2022 Talk about things that are going to happen as well as things that have already happened
u2022 Follow simple multi-step directions
By the end of kindergarten, most children can recognize common words, such as the and me, and they can begin reading three-letter words, like a hat.
Social and Emotional Milestones
During the kindergarten school year, childrenu2019s social and emotional development tends to go beyond making friends and expressing feelings. They start understanding more complicated things like right and wrong. Again, this is a where a quality childcare management software can really serve as a beneficial guide during these developmentally critical times. The software can illustrate social and emotional milestones and what to expect in typically developing children around age 5:
u2022 Interest in behaving like their friends and wanting their approval
u2022 Begin to prefer same-gender friendships; become jealous of other people spending time with u201ctheiru201d friends
u2022 Follow the rules most of the time; may criticize kids who donu2019t follow the rules
u2022 Enjoy being on display; will sing, dance or be silly to get attention
u2022 Want your approval and to be taken seriously; may throw a tantrum or get angry if they think theyu2019re not being listened to
u2022 Start to see why itu2019s helpful to share and get along with other kids
Keep in mind that kids develop at their own pace and that your child may have skills that arenu2019t on this list. On the other hand, if your 5-year-old hasnu2019t met a number of these milestones, you may want to take the opportunity to speak with his doctor about an evaluation of your childu2019s skills. Knowing the areas where he needs some support is helpful information to have as he enters kindergarten.u201d (Developmental Milestones for Typical Kindergartners, Reviewed by Molly Algermissen, Ph.D., Columbia University Medical Center).
As mentioned above, keeping track of these important milestones is imperative. Knowing what to expect at each age can help both parents and teachers be proactive when it comes to the development of their children. At iCare Software, we provide an extremely helpful childcare management software that helps monitor and track each milestone so that you wonu2019t miss a beat. A personal developmental specialist will provide assistance with all milestones and developmental information regarding each year of early childhood. This ensures the developmental of each child is accurately monitored and appropriately responded to. Being familiar with developmental milestones can help you identify any trouble spots to mention to the childu2019s pediatrician for further assistance.