The Shift: The Development and Learning of Kindergarten Age Children

Summary

The video script emphasizes the pivotal role of kindergarten in fostering children's development through play-based learning. It highlights the importance of nurturing executive functions and social-emotional skills, which are critical for academic success. The script underscores the significance of a balanced, stimulating environment that promotes physical, cognitive, and social growth, while also stressing the teacher's role in creating a supportive community to build children's confidence and love for learning.

Takeaways

• 🏫 Kindergarten is a pivotal transition from pre-school to the K-6 education system.
• 🧠 Significant brain development occurs between ages five and seven, affecting attention spans and self-direction.
• 👩‍🏫 Executive function and self-regulation are crucial skills that develop during kindergarten.
• 🤝 Social-emotional learning is foundational for academic success in kindergarten.
• 🎈 Purposeful play is a powerful educational tool for young children.
• 👥 Dramatic play helps children develop collaboration, problem-solving, and language skills.
• 🧩 Imaginary play is essential for the development of executive functions.
• 👩‍🏫‍🎓 A creative teacher can guide children towards learning goals through play.
• 🔄 A holistic curriculum is necessary for all areas of a child's development.
• 🏋️ Physical activity not only strengthens motor skills but also enhances cognitive function and social skills.
• 📚 Reasoning and prediction abilities develop as children begin to coordinate multiple ideas.
• 🌟 Building a positive self-concept and confidence is vital during the kindergarten year.
• 🤗 A teacher's warmth and support are critical for children's sense of security and value.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Collaboration between teachers and families is essential for a child's success.
• 👫 Social skills like cooperation and conflict resolution are key to academic performance.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of kindergarten programs?

Kindergarten programs are designed to meet the developmental and learning needs of 5 to 6 year old children, marking the transition from pre-school to the K-6 world.

How does brain development change between the ages of five and seven?

Between the ages of five and seven, children experience significant shifts in brain development, including increased attention spans and a growing ability to be self-directed.

What is 'executive function' in the context of kindergarten children?

Executive function refers to the set of cognitive skills needed to regulate oneself, listen to instructions, remember tasks, follow plans, inhibit inappropriate behavior, and maintain focus on multiple things at once.

How does playful engagement contribute to a child's learning in kindergarten?

Playful engagement is crucial for young children's learning as it involves activities that interest them and allows for purposeful play, which is a powerful way for children to learn through collaboration, problem-solving, symbolic thinking, and language use.

What is the role of imaginary play in developing executive functions?

Imaginary play is a helpful scaffold for the development of executive functions because it requires children to decide on the play scenario, remember roles, negotiate, and stay in character, all of which necessitate executive functions.

How can kindergarten teachers integrate learning goals into play?

Creative kindergarten teachers can set up play activities that align with their learning objectives while making it seem like the children are simply playing, allowing them to use their own thoughts and ideas.

Why is it important for kindergarten curriculums to cover all areas of development?

A comprehensive curriculum covering all areas of development is important because it provides children with a wide range of experiences that they can draw upon for their learning and knowledge transfer.

How does physical activity benefit cognitive function and social skills in young children?

Physical activity has been found to increase cognitive function and social skills in young children while reducing behavioral problems and increasing attention.

What learning approaches are critical for children's development in kindergarten?

Approaches such as tackling and persisting at challenging tasks, following directions, taking risks, learning from mistakes, and working as part of a group are critical for children's development in kindergarten.

Why is creating a community in the classroom important for kindergarten children?

Creating a community in the classroom is important because it makes children feel safe, which encourages them to take risks and try new things, essential for learning.

How do teachers support children's social-emotional development in kindergarten?

Teachers support social-emotional development by structuring their environment to foster warmth, support, and positive interactions, which in turn builds children's confidence and self-concept.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Kindergarten's Role in Early Childhood Development

Kindergarten is a pivotal stage bridging pre-school and formal education, focusing on the developmental needs of 5 to 6-year-olds. During this period, significant brain development occurs, enhancing attention spans and self-direction. Children's executive functions, which are crucial for self-regulation, listening, planning, and inhibiting inappropriate behavior, are at varying stages upon entry. Kindergarten emphasizes purposeful play, which is vital for learning and social skills. Imaginative play, in particular, aids in the development of executive functions, as it involves decision-making, role negotiation, and staying in character. Teachers strategically incorporate play to achieve educational goals while making it seem like play to the children. The curriculum covers all developmental areas, recognizing the importance of physical, social, and emotional experiences for a child's learning. Physical activities not only build motor skills but also enhance cognitive function and social skills.

05:01

🌟 Building Confidence and Social-Emotional Learning in Kindergarten

The kindergarten year is vital for children to develop a positive self-concept and increase confidence. It's a time when academic expectations are balanced with social-emotional learning, recognizing the importance of a supportive classroom community. Teachers aim to create a safe environment where children feel secure to take risks and learn from mistakes. The teacher's role extends to fostering relationships with families, acknowledging them as the child's first educators. Social skills such as cooperation, conflict resolution, rule-following, and compliance with adult requests are emphasized. Children with friends at school tend to have higher academic performance. The empathy and desire to please others in five and six-year-olds are highlighted, emphasizing the importance of kindness and effort. Support for social-emotional development is seen as foundational for academic success over time. The kindergarten experience, with its focus on meaningful play, is meant to instill joy, self-confidence, and a love for learning in children.

Keywords

💡Kindergarten

Kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children prior to compulsory education. In the context of the video, kindergarten signifies the transition from pre-school to the K-6 educational system. It emphasizes the development and learning needs of 5 to 6-year-old children, highlighting the importance of this stage in a child's educational journey.

💡Executive Function

Executive function refers to a set of cognitive processes that are necessary for purposeful, organized, and self-directed behavior. In the video, Megan Gunnar explains that kindergarten children are at different stages of executive function and self-regulatory abilities, which include self-regulation, listening to instructions, following a plan, and inhibiting inappropriate behavior. These functions are likened to an 'air traffic control system of the brain', underscoring their importance in early childhood development.

💡Self-Regulatory Abilities

Self-regulatory abilities are the skills that allow individuals to control their emotions, impulses, and behaviors. The script mentions that kindergarten children are developing these abilities, which are crucial for following instructions, remembering tasks, and inhibiting behaviors. This concept is central to the video's theme of kindergarten as a foundational stage for learning and behavior development.

💡Purposeful Play

Purposeful play is a type of play that has a clear educational purpose and is designed to foster learning. The video emphasizes that five and six-year-olds learn best through playful engagement in activities that interest them, making purposeful play a powerful educational tool in kindergarten classrooms. It is highlighted as a means for children to collaborate, problem-solve, and use memory and language.

💡Imaginary Play

Imaginary play, also known as pretend play, involves creating scenarios using the imagination. The script explains that imaginary play is a helpful scaffold for the development of executive functions. It requires children to decide on a scenario, remember roles, and negotiate, all of which are part of executive function development.

💡Cognitive Function

Cognitive function refers to the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses. The video mentions that physical activity has been found to increase cognitive function, which is a critical aspect of kindergarten learning. This ties into the broader theme of the video that physical development and cognitive development are interconnected.

💡Social Skills

Social skills are the abilities to interact effectively and appropriately within a social setting. The script discusses the importance of social skills in kindergarten, such as being cooperative, resolving conflicts peacefully, following rules, and complying with adult requests. These skills are vital for children's academic performance and are developed through social interactions in the kindergarten environment.

💡Self-Concept

Self-concept refers to an individual's perception and evaluation of their own worth. The video highlights the kindergarten year as a crucial time for building a positive self-concept and increasing a child's confidence level. It suggests that a supportive classroom environment can help children develop a positive self-image, which is essential for their overall development.

💡Social-Emotional Component

The social-emotional component encompasses the feelings, self-awareness, and management of emotions that contribute to a child's social abilities. The video script points out that kindergarten education often focuses on academic expectations but should also consider the social-emotional development of children. This component is seen as a 'hidden curriculum' that is crucial for children's overall success.

💡Developmentally Appropriate Learning Situation

A developmentally appropriate learning situation is one that takes into account the varying developmental stages of children. The script mentions that kindergarten teachers should create such situations to support children's learning. This involves understanding children's physical, social, and emotional needs and designing the learning environment accordingly.

💡Empathetic

Empathetic refers to the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. The video notes that five and six-year-old children are very empathetic, which is a key social-emotional skill. Empathy is important for building relationships and fostering a supportive classroom community, as emphasized in the script.

Highlights

Kindergarten is a critical transition period from pre-school to K-6 education.

Kindergarten programs are designed to meet the developmental needs of 5 to 6 year olds.

Brain development significantly shifts between the ages of five and seven, affecting attention spans and self-direction.

Executive function and self-regulatory abilities vary among children entering kindergarten.

Executive function is likened to an air traffic control system of the brain, regulating behavior and thought processes.

Understanding others' feelings and responding appropriately are fundamental to kindergarten academics.

Playful engagement is essential for learning in kindergarten, with purposeful play being particularly impactful.

Dramatic play helps children develop collaboration, problem-solving, and symbolic thinking skills.

Imaginary play is a scaffold for the development of executive functions.

Creative kindergarten teachers use play to achieve educational goals while making it seem like play to children.

A holistic kindergarten curriculum includes all areas of development.

Physical activity not only builds motor skills but also enhances cognitive function and social skills.

Between ages 5 and 6, children develop the ability to reason and predict as they can coordinate multiple ideas.

Approaches to learning, such as persistence and risk-taking, are as important as the content being learned.

Kindergarten environments must be designed to accommodate diverse learners.

Language development in kindergarten includes engaging in conversations, forming sentences, and expressing ideas.

Building a positive self-concept and increasing confidence are key goals of the kindergarten year.

Social-emotional development is a hidden curriculum in kindergarten, influencing academic success.

Creating a community in the classroom is vital for children to feel safe and take learning risks.

Teacher warmth and support help build a child's positive feelings about school.

Families, teachers, and children must work together for a child to be successful in kindergarten.

Social skills such as cooperation and conflict resolution are crucial for academic performance.

Empathy and a desire to please are key characteristics of five and six-year-old children.

Supporting social-emotional development leads to academic success over time.

Kindergarten should be a joyful experience that fosters a love of learning.

Transcripts

[ Music ]

[ Music - "She'll be Coming 'Round the Mountain" ]

[Narrator:] Kindergarten marks the transition

from pre-school to the K-6 world.

Effective Kindergarten programs are based on the development

and learning needs of 5 to 6 year old children.

From birth through the preschool years,

the basic wiring in the brain has been built.

However, significant shifts in brain development happen

between ages five and seven.

Attention spans increase, and children start to become more self-directed.

[Megan Gunnar:] When children come to kindergarten,

they're at very different stages of what we call executive function

and self regulatory abilities.

Being able to regulate yourself, to listen to instructions,

to remember what you're doing and to follow a plan,

to inhibit inappropriate behavior, and to keep in mind all that you have

to keep in mind, these are the components

of what we call "executive function".

Which can really be thought

about as almost an air traffic control system of the brain.

[Nikole Logan:] Being knowledgeable of other people's feelings

and what they're thinking, paying attention to conversations

and responding accordingly -

all of those are the basis for what is happening in terms of academics

in a kindergarten classroom."

[Narrator:] Five and six year olds learn best through playful engagement

in activities that interest them.

Purposeful play is one of the most powerful ways young children learn.

For example, in dramatic play, children can collaborate, problem-solve,

engage in symbolic thinking, and use memory and language.

[Carol Schjei:] Kids who are five and six learn through play.

And really if they have to learn social skills, playing board games,

playing card games, playing inter dramatic play,

having open-ended activities where they can just create is very vital

to kids and their learning.

[Megan Gunnar:] Imaginary play in general is just a very helpful scaffold

for the development of executive functions.

When you are playing an imaginary game with another person,

you have to decide what you're playing, remember what you're playing,

negotiate over roles, stay in character -

all of these things actually require executive functions.

[Megan Gunnar:] A creative kindergarten teacher will know what she wants

children to learn.

She's got a plan.

And she sets up the play so the children will achieve that goal.

But by using their own thoughts, ideas, and they think they're playing.

[Narrator:] All areas of development should be part

of the kindergarten curriculum.

[Carol Schjei:] Because the more opportunities that a child has, physical,

social or emotional, the more they have to draw on for their transfer

of knowledge or their background knowledge.

The more you know, the more you know."

[Music]

[Narrator:] During their preschool years,

many children master the basic skills of running, climbing,

jumping, throwing, and catching.

By five and six, children can combine and master these skills.

While writing and keyboarding become increasingly important in school,

the route to developing these skills comes first

through children strengthening their hands and fingers.

Activities such as drawing, painting, working with clay,

and constructing with small blocks or other material builds strength

and coordination of the hands and fingers.

In addition, physical activity has been found

to increase cognitive function and social skills,

while reducing behavioral problems and increasing attention.

[ Music ]

[Narrator:] Between 5 and 6, many children develop the ability to reason

and predict because they can coordinate multiple ideas at one time.

For example, they understand that a letter written

on paper also has a certain sound associated with it.

How a child approaches learning is just as critical as what he is learning.

These approaches include the ability to tackle and persist at challenging

or frustrating tasks, to follow directions, to take risks,

to make and learn from mistakes, and to work as a part of a group.

Supporting the development of these learning approaches is just

as important as learning the sounds of letters or being able to count.

[Carol Schjei:] Some come in, they've been in daycare.

They've been to Pre-K, and they're very - you know - very capable learners.

They know how to do a learning situation,

but it takes many weeks for some children sometimes to even talk.

[Narrator:] Environments for young children must be designed

for diverse learners.

[Carol Schjei:] There needs to be stimulation in the room,

but not too much stimulation, so it's all about balance.

And also just about the resources that the kids are using

in the room whether it be print labeling the room

or posters you have written out as a class, or a writing center."

[ Music ]

[Narrator:] Pre-schoolers learned sounds, words, and basic communication.

Five and six year olds engage in conversations

in which each person has a turn - and they have a large vocabulary.

They form sentences and express their ideas.

[ Music ]

[Narrator:] The kindergarten year is an important time in a child's life

to build a positive self-concept

and to increase the child's confidence level.

[Nikole Logan:] Schools often approach kindergarten education

with the academic expectation in mind, and one of the wonderful aspects

about early teachers, so kindergarten, early childhood, 1 through 3,

we also know that there's a social-emotional component that's a

hidden curriculum.

[Carol Schjei:] First of all,

it's really important for me that I create a community in the classroom,

because I need the kids to feel really safe.

As a person, if you feel safe then you're potentially more likely

to take a risk and try something maybe that you don't know.

And that's how you learn.

And so it's really important that they feel like it's OK to make a mistake,

so building community is a big part of setting

up a developmentally appropriate learning situation."

[Narrator:] The teacher's warmth and support is critical

to helping children feel secure and valued -

which builds a child's positive feelings about school.

[Nikole Logan:] A child's confidence, their reflection of themselves

in the room, a reflection of themselves in the way the teacher responds

to them and interacts with them, a reflection of and validation

of who they are based on how their peers respond to them,

all of that are things that the teacher can control based

on how they structure their environment."

[Carol Schjei:] And also a big part of it is setting

up a relationship with the families.

Families are their child's first teachers.

And for a child to be successful, the child,

the teacher and the families all have to work together"

[Narrator:] Important social skills are being cooperative,

resolving conflicts peacefully, following rules,

and complying with the requests of adults.

Children who have friends at school also have higher academic performance.

[Carol Schjei:] The great thing about five and six-year-old kids is

that they're very empathetic.

They want to be liked, they want to please.

So they're just full of love.

So the big thing is just making sure that everybody feels safe,

and that we just understand, you know, that it's expected that you're kind.

It's expected that you do your best."

[Nikole Logan:] We know that when children are supported

through their social-emotional development,

the academic component will surface and become more successful

in terms of trajectory over time.

[Narrator:] The kindergarten year holds so much promise!

Through their kindergarten experience - that includes meaningful,

intentional play, children should find joy in their accomplishments,

build self confidence, and learn to love learning!

[Music]