My master’s project will be geared toward pre-k learners. I will be following Engage NY standards for my project. Although common core is not used in pre-k, engage NY standards will prepare the students for common core standards. Engage NY focuses on “domains”. When teaching prekindergarten, it is important to cover all of the domains in order to prepare your students for further learning.
Prekindergarten Foundation for the common core
Domain 1– Approaches to Learning
Domain 2- Physical development and health
Domain 3- Social and emotional development
Domain 4- communication, language and literacy
Domain 5- cognition and knowledge of the world
What I will cover in my master’s project lessons:
Domain 1-Actively and confidently engages in play as a means of exploration and learning.
a) Interacts with a variety of materials through play.
b) Participates in multiple play activities with same material.
c) Engages in pretend and imaginative play – testing theories, acting out imagination.
d) Self-selects play activity and demonstrates spontaneity.
e) Uses “trial and error” method to figure out a task, problem, etc.
f) Demonstrates awareness of connections between prior and new knowledge
Domain 2- (community helpers unit)Demonstrates awareness and understanding of healthy habits.
a) Recognizes the importance of good nutrition, water, rest and sleep in order to be
healthy.
b) Talks about food choices in relationship to allergies and overall health.
c) Relates healthy behaviors to good personal health (milk for strong bones, spinach for
strong muscles).
d) Describes the role of doctors, dentists and other health care workers in keeping
him/herself healthy.
Domain 3- Develops positive relationships with their peers.
a) Approaches children already engaged in play.
b) Interacts with other children (e.g., in play, conversation, etc.).
c) Shares materials and toys with other children.
d) Sustains interactions by cooperating, helping, and suggesting new ideas for play.
e) Develops close friendship with one or more peers.
f) Offers support to another child or shows concern when a peer seems distressed.
Domain 4- Demonstrates his/her ability to express ideas using a variety of methods.
a) Uses facial expressions, body language, gestures, and sign language to express ideas.
b) Uses existing objects to represent desired or imagined objects in play or other
purposeful way (e.g., plastic banana for a telephone).
c) Uses visual media to represent an actual experience.
d) Reviews and reflects on his/her own representations.
e) Writes and draws spontaneously to communicate meaning with peers or adults during
play.
Domain 5- Acquires knowledge about the physical properties of the world.
a) Describes, compares, and categorizes objects based on their properties.
b) Uses senses to explore different environments (classroom, playground, field trips).
c) Recognizes and describes the effect of his/her own actions on objects.
d) Describes tools and their specific functions (e.g., hammer for pounding nails).
e) Uses a variety of tools to explore the world and learn how things work (such as
magnifiers and balance scales).
f) Investigates common interactions between matter and energy (butter melting in
cooking activities; cream turning to butter; peanuts becoming peanut butter, etc.)
g) Describes and compares the effects of common forces (pushes and pulls) on objects,
such as those caused by gravity, magnetism, and mechanical forces.
h) Explores and discusses simple chemical reactions with teacher assistance (e.g., baking
soda and water, mixing oil and water).
Amelia Gillman 