Intellectual Development means being able to communicate, to think both creatively and abstractly, to pay attention, solve problems, and develop keen judgment and a lifelong readiness to learn.
Emerging Skills
Confidently sort and classify objects
Understand ordering of numbers
Understand directional position of numbers and begin to print numbers
Understand simple adding and subtracting – there are two balloons and one flies away how many are left?
Begin to understand different forms of measurement – weight, height, length
Understand and replicate concepts of pattern, sequence and order
Through the comfort and responsiveness of an adult, preschoolers will learn how to handle their emotions and how to seek help when needed.
Parents Can:
Incorporate sorting and classifying into daily routines
Child Will:
Confidently sort and classify
Begin to seek opportunities to sort and classify
Demonstrate her increased awareness of the qualities that make objects the same and different
Parents Can:
Begin to talk about "same" and "different" as it applies to their preschooler's toys and daily experiences
Child Will:
Develop a better understanding of his environment
Feel he is in a safe environment where he can explore things and examine the qualities of things
Begin to share with others his feelings about things in his environment, based on the qualities an object may possess
Parents Can:
Introduce the concepts of adding and subtracting
Child Will:
Begin to experiment with this mathematical concept
Share her hypothesis with others, knowing she will be guided
Recognize the adults in her environment as people who can help her understand and solve problems
Play
Through opportunities for play, preschoolers will experience joyful, free, spontaneous moments of fun while also learning about themselves and others.
Parents Can:
Play simple games like "What time is it Mr. Wolf" or "Mother May I?" that require their preschooler to count the number of steps he takes
Child Will:
Count correctly using one-to-one correspondence
Begin to apply directions
Parents Can:
Provide opportunities for their preschooler to count, trace letters and complete puzzles with numbers
Child Will:
Begin to master the ability to print numbers
Recognize the printed sequence of numbers
Begin to recognize random numbers up to 10
Parents Can:
Play matching games with playing cards, or make their own set of matching cards - use index cards and print two cards with the same number
Child Will:
Recognize numbers randomly
Engage in turn-taking games
Feel confident about which cards/numbers are the same and different
Teach
Through routines, and emotionally and physically safe and secure environments, preschoolers can learn how to think, solve problems and communicate.
Parents Can:
Share books with their preschoolers that illustrate one-to-one correspondence, as well as those demonstrating "same" and "different"
Child Will:
Develop his observation skills
Gain confidence in counting
Understand that numbers indicate quantity - for example, two is more than one
Begin to understand "more" and "less"
Begin to use plurals – two balls, three balls etc.
Parents Can:
Spend time with their preschooler tracing numbers and replicating patterns
Child Will:
Develop and master his ability to print numbers
Gain confidence in number recognition
Parents Can:
Use household objects and their preschooler's toys to demonstrate and practice simple adding and subtracting (for example, "If you have three dolls and you take one away how many are left?")
Child Will:
Begin to develop the language of addition and subtraction (such as "add," "take away," "plus" and "equals")
Begin to experiment using the language and the concepts
Begin to understand "more" and "less"
Parents Can:
Talk about time, days of the week, months and years by talking about special events or activities that are happening at home or school
Child Will:
Begin to talk about days of the week
Begin to associate certain events with days and months of the year
Begin to take an active interest in knowing upcoming events at home or school