Children learn to follow a schedule, work together, and develop their language and thinking (cognitive) skills in kindergarten. High-quality kindergarten programs also encourage family involvement and help children develop a sense of school community.
Kindergarten activities can help children develop physical skills, like learning to use their fingers and hands. They might also learn the basics of science, such as observing and describing objects and learning basic shapes.
Social and Emotional Development
Children need a whole set of skills to learn, not just their ABCs and 123s. That includes social-emotional development, or the ability to get along with others and manage their emotions. Children who have healthy SEL are more likely to focus on learning, and they’re also more motivated and less reactive.
Children in kindergarten need to be able to share toys and materials, solve problems, and work well with their peers in group learning. That’s why it’s so important for teachers to provide opportunities for play, exploration, and interaction with classmates.
To help your child develop these skills, read together books with interesting characters and storylines. Then role-play situations like inviting friends to join a game or resolving disagreements with siblings. Teaching children to empathize with the feelings of their friends and neighbors can help them form friendships, avoid conflict, and cooperate in class. Tracking their kindness through a “Kindness Chart” can encourage positive behavior and improve academic outcomes.
Physical Development
Physical development involves the advancements and refinements of motor skills, which allow children to explore their environment more fully. It is also essential for cognitive development. For example, when children learn to throw and catch a ball with accuracy, it helps them develop their sense of balance and coordination.
During this stage, children also refine their fine motor skills by developing finger dexterity and hand-eye coordination. They also build and strengthen their muscles by participating in group activities that require coordination and teamwork, such as games and dance.
Each child’s physical growth is influenced by their unique combination of genetics, prenatal factors, and environmental conditions. When you understand the typical developmental milestones for the ages your program serves, it’s easier to identify and meet their individual needs.
Language and Literacy Development
A child’s oral language and literacy development provide the foundation for reading abilities and school success. Children’s early experiences in these areas are influenced by family, culture and caregivers.
Research has shown that a child’s vocabulary is a strong predictor of their later reading skills. Having a large vocabulary allows a young child to communicate more effectively and comprehend what they read, write and hear.
Kindergarten teachers help children develop a love for storytelling and expanding their vocabulary. They also nurture learning opportunities for children to explore the world around them geographically, scientifically, socially and culturally.
Kindergartners need well-rounded learning opportunities, enabling state and local policies, appropriate classroom resources, and supportive environments to thrive. New America has launched work to elevate the most important research findings in kindergarten instruction and environments, identify bright spots, and promote state and local policies that create these conditions.
Cognitive Development
Cognitive development consists of changes in the way children think and remember information. The development of these skills, such as logic and reasoning, memory and working memory, attention and inhibitory control, is influenced by both the genes children are born with and their experiences outside the womb.
One of the most well-known perspectives on cognitive development is Piaget’s theory of cognitive stages. He theorized that infants process new experiences by balancing assimilation, or fitting novel information into existing mental schemas, and accommodation, or adjusting those mental schemas to account for the new experience.
To illustrate the point, he once placed a mask of a fierce dog on Maynard, his cat, and then asked 3- to 6-year-olds whether they recognized Maynard as a cat. Most identified the animal correctly, but some did not. This is an example of how children’s thinking can change dramatically within a short period. Children’s ability to reason abstractly and scientifically develops during the final stage of cognitive development, also known as the formal operational stage.