27 Short and long term goals, age appropriate goals

N. Dhanya

Parents enroll their children in pre-K education around the age of four. The services are optional in a kindergarten preparation set up and are offered through the public education system or private preschool programs. Teachers for these pre-K programs typically have a bachelor’s degree and some experience working with children from this age group.

Pre-K teachers’ professional goals center around providing excellent educational and growth opportunities for these little ones. Preschool classrooms are colorful, high-energy places filled with fun activities and children socializing. A well-run classroom only looks effortless, however. Preschool teachers work hard to prepare students for kindergarten while imparting crucial socialization lessons to contribute to character development.

Pre-K teachers focus on the general education and social development of their students, and they are also concerned about helping students enhance their developmental abilities. By preschool age, children should be able to perform such activities as drawing shapes, riding a tricycle and skillfully using utensils while eating.

To help students continue to develop, teachers set goals that foster an environment where young children frequently interact with each other, and they encourage students to develop independence and take initiative. Creating a list of goals to achieve as a preschool teacher can help teachers plan effective lessons and sequence units for the duration of the year. A short-term goal is continuing to improve lesson plans that provide opportunities for students to grow and interact socially.

One example of a plan that enhances social interaction by encouraging sharing is having the children pretend they are running a store. Instruct them to take turns sharing the coveted cash register. Knowing a toy will be popular and preemptively having them share it encourages positive social interaction. A long-term goal is to take professional courses that improve your classroom skills. Every program should have goals to direct the activities and to provide a baseline for teaching methodologies. Teaching becomes meaningless without goals. All pre-schools should have certain fundamental minimum goals. However simply because the programs have goals, it does not mean the teaching techniques can uphold those goals. The specific goals and long term goals focus on the development of mainly two age groups. This may include:

• Pre-school- 2 ½ to 3 ½ years old
• Pre-Kindergarten- 4 to 6 years old

  Learning has the best chance of accelerating in a positive, stress-free environment. Facilitating that atmosphere is a goal for the pre-K teacher. A short-term objective is providing daily opportunities for students to collaborate with other students about an issue, such as what to name a new classroom pet. Long-term, one can further work on initiatives to grow the students’ self-esteem to encourage ongoing success. This can be accomplished by working on consistently giving positive reinforcement, which has been shown to lead students to feel loved and good about themselves. Praising specific achievements, showing sincerity and quickly reinforcing good results are ways to give positive reinforcement.

Young students are just developing their coping mechanisms. The pre-K environment is useful for teaching these young people how to deal with problems that continue throughout their lives. Issues with abandonment stemming from early loss or anger that comes from childhood neglect are sometimes seen in adults later in life. Successful self-regulation to deal with these issues early on helps map out their personal success on many levels in life. In the short-term, a goal to help students self-regulate is setting up ways they achieve immediate mile markers, such as rewarding them for expressing their feelings verbally rather than kicking or punching another student. On a long-term basis, creating initiatives where the school steers away from harsh punishment and toward more effective forms of discipline is a solid goal. Time out, taking away privileges and having children clean up messes they create during rebellion are alternative forms of discipline.

Students thrive in a warm and encouraging environment. Pre-K teachers create this atmosphere by providing the communication that fosters a positive learning space for all students. Teachers should be open and collaborative with everyone, including students, parents and colleagues. Pre-K teachers should also regularly set goals for themselves to contribute to this kind of environment. In the immediate sense, you can reach this expectation by always being encouraging to every student you encounter — no matter what kind of day you’re having. For the longer term, set goals to meet regularly with parents and colleagues to discuss how to best serve the needs of your students.

Short term or specific goals

The short term goals or the specific goals may include the promotion of skill areas which may include the following:

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL GOALS

Social and interpersonal goals: Man is a social being. He should have a close interaction with the society and nature. Preschool teachers can help students develop positive relationships with other preschoolers and teachers. Teachers can guide children toward goals associated with managing their emotions, behaving appropriately and following classroom rules. Crucially, preschool teachers help children develop self-confidence and identity that positively relates to their families and cultures. Preschoolers should have time and space to practice solitary play, parallel play and dramatic play, also called role-playing. So, in order to help the child to achieve this, the social goals may include

Encouraging the child to maintain a positive relationship with the adults.

Helping the child to maintain good peer relationship. The child should mingle with his fellow beings and should maintain cooperative and caring attitude.Helping the child to follow classroom rules and routines

Providing readiness in learning like listening and respecting the teacher; work by oneself; developing attention span, Controlling emotions and impulses.

  After social and emotional, the most significant aspect is the Self- image. Lets see what are the goals to be set for the same :

• Help the child to develop self- concept and self esteem.
• Help the child to understand about himself, his family, and cultural background Help to build self- motivation
• Learn the body parts, its function and their relationship

  The next one in line is character education: With parent’s help, many preschools work towards developing a good character in the children. The children can build a good character only if he gets opportunities to learn and show the traits. Character education focus on development of

• Positive mental attitude and its maintenance
• Respect for others, environment, materials and mainly the respect for oneself Honesty and sincerity
• Cooperation and sensitivity

COGNITION GOALS

Language goals: In order to develop language, a preschool will have to work on various levels.

• Provide oral language skills by giving opportunities to interact and converse with adults, peer group and other children.
• Encourage group interaction and ask questions and wait for the answer. Use storytelling, role play, rhymes
• Help to identify the difference between fantasy and reality Help the child to develop his vocabulary.

Provide phonemic awareness

Demonstrate how to handle books, how to hold the books and turn pages of the book one at a time.

• Help the child in literacy skills related to writing and reading.
• Demonstration of top to bottom ,left to right concept of reading and writing Expose the child to different writing materials.
• Encourage the child to build language proficiency.

During 2 ½ to 3 ½ years, children recognize colours and alphabets, knows own name, the teacher’s name, parents name; recognizes majority of upper case letters and develops a larger vocabulary. During 4-6 years the child speaks clearly in complete sentences; recalls story and is able to complete open ended questions; he can repeat 6-8 word sentences; identifies most of the upper and lower case letters; knows 10 basic colours and rhymes of simple words.

Moving on to Mathematical concepts:

• Help to recognize repetitive patterns
• Comparing the patterns with one another Encourage children to create own patterns
• Sorting and classifying objects based on various characteristics like size, shape, colour Help the child to identify, and label the sets of numbers
• Use nonstandard items to measure objects and to compare Recognize time concept
• Help to learn use comparative words(tall, taller , tallest, short, shorter etc)
• Provide learning of numbers, simple addition and subtraction are some of the goals that can be set..

During 2 ½ to 3 ½ years, the children counts to 5, recognizes the numbers 1- 5, identifies circle, triangle and squares, he might distinguish small to medium to large. During 4- 6 years of age the child recognizes & counts 1- 20, knows 6 basic shapes, seriates small to large,and understands number values 0-5.

Science Concept: The educators shall introduce science concepts to the child in various ways.:

• Talk about animals, plants, weather, space, earth science Talk about differences between humans and animals.
• Provide simple scientific tools like magnets, magnifying glass, nails, strings etc Demonstrate activities with magnets, magnifying glass.
• Provide knowledge about body parts, nutrition, food groups, five senses, need for hygiene Help to identify different textures of items as rough,smooth,hard,soft etc

Provide safety rules

Convince the child that every action has a reaction. For this simple demonstration can be done using a spring.

Help to recognize differences with natural events(day and night)

During 2 ½ to 3 ½ years, the children enjoy experimenting, exhibit an interest in the world around him. Later by 4- 6years, he learns to order the events, he learns about his body, learns to differentiae living and non- living things, he gives more attention on his hygiene.

Social studies : The possible topics that can be discussed under social studies may include:

Understanding of self, home, family, friends

Keep the child acknowledged with names, important addresses, and contact numbers. Understanding the words of location and direction

• Need for respecting rules and regulation Need to show good citizenship
• Need to adapt under various circumstances Understand economic concepts
• Understanding of history
• Observance of special events like Independence Day, republic day, etc.

PHYSICAL WELL- BEING AND MOTOR DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Control of fine motor and gross motor muscles: The preschool education shall train the children to use their small muscles (fine motor) and large muscles (gross motor). This may ensure a control of small muscles for activities like writing, self –care, manipulation, movement, and balance. This may include use of small muscles for activities like holding pencils, eating with spoon as well as hand, playing with blocks, clay, dressing etc. Also control over large muscles can be developed by walking, running, hopping, jumping, throwing, holding, kicking a ball, skipping etc.

During 2 ½ to 3 ½ years, the children’s large muscle development occurs, shows his dominant hand, holds pencil ,development of fine muscle also take place. During 4- 6 years, the child actively runs, climbs, hops and jumps, good development on fine muscles can be observed (unzips, unsnaps ,unbuckles, holds pencil correctly,) he can cross mid- line, demonstrate improved eye-hand coordination.

Self-help skills/ Interpersonal goals: The child should learn to manage himself and his activities. The child can be told why these practices are important

Health and hygiene skills (e.g.; washing, bathing, brushing teeth after a meal,)

Teach the child to dress appropriately (e.g.; tying, zipping, buttoning, and lacing). Grooming skills (hair combing, cutting and cleaning of nails).

Teach eating skills (e.g.; How to hold plates, cup or glass, table setting, napkin folding )

Nutrition goals:

Enable the child to understand the need for good nutritional practices Involve the child in simple food preparation

Expose the child to different foods, balanced diets , and vital nutrients

Apart from these, the preschool education also promotes :

Art development: During 2 ½ to 3 ½ years, the children enjoy exploring art materials including crayons paints, paste, brushes etc. Later by 4-6 years they learn to use glue, paints, string beads, draw basic shapes, uses scissors efficiently.

Music development : During 2 ½ to 3 ½ years, the children enjoy listening music and participate in musical activities. By 4 years the child starts to make dance movements to music and they even learn and sing short songs.

Work habits : During 2 ½ to 3 ½ years, the children listens attentively ,they follow instructions, puts forth effort to do activities. Later by 4 years the child shares materials with his fellow beings, he show more respect and care for materials, shows increased self- control and independence.

Communication

Families are particularly important during the preschool years. Preschool teachers help teach families how to interact with educators in the school environment, so they will feel more comfortable actively participating in their child’s education in the future. Teachers should set goals to warmly welcome each family and student on a daily basis, building genuine, personal connections with individuals in order to support each child’s learning. Keep communication positive, actively listen when parents communicate concerns and let each child know that she is cared for and loved.

LONG TERM GOALS

All the above mentioned goals are very important. However there are certain long term goals embodied in them. The other goals of the preschool experience may include development of independence and a positive approach towards learning. Every education right from the kindergarten or preschool to highest level education aims at creating a self capable, independent student. All forms of education should encourage the students to learn everything by themselves. However, these days preschool teachers tend to do everything for the students. This cultivates a helpless and dependent behaviour in the children. Every preschool education should promote a sense of responsibility and ownership in the students. Provide freedom within limits so that the child is encouraged to take care of his environment. Children should be encouraged to do dusting, sweeping, washing, cleaning, polishing, emptying waste bins, vacuuming, and take care of the pets at the school etc. In addition to all these the child should develop a liking towards what he learns. Each student should have an inner desire to be a part of the school and the learning process.

PRESCHOOL RATING SCALE FOR INDEPENDENCE

The table shows some indicators to check for the practices that promote independence in children…

The students shall be provided opportunities to inculcate skills of identification, comparing and contrasting, classifying, sequencing and ordering etc.

Lets understand what kind of activities are ideal of the same. For developing skills of identification, activities such as

Matching of objects such as cup to saucer, napkin to plate(mathematics) Oral identification of the number of objects in a group (mathematics)

Recognition of the empty set(concept of zero :mathematics)

   Discuss ways in which people can help others(social studies)

Understand, observe , and follow the rules at home and school(social studies ,science) Learning to be in a social group (social studies)

Know the basic needs of people (food ,clothing , shelter-social studies);

Knowing the importance of celebrating special events, like cultural events.(birthday ,holiday :social studies)

Understand directions and location(up, down, around-social science) Explain the nature’s phenomenon(science)

Know the world around through the five senses.

• Give an awareness about self-names ,addresses phone numbers.
• Know the people who help the child in learning(parents, teachers: social studies) may be given…
• To inculcate the skill of Comparing and contrasting, the students shall be given the chance to:
• Use terms like more than, less than, equal to, as many as to designate quantities(Mathematics)
• Use terms to imply relationships like above, below, under, over, away, towards(mathematics)

Learn to compare sets (Different from, same as, alike: mathematics)

• Illustrate concepts of Whole and parts with constructive materials(Mathematics)
• Use vocabulary to compare objects( shorter/taller, lighter/heavier; social studies, science, mathematics)
• Comparing of similarities and dissimilarities among objects.

For better understanding of Classification, the student shall be given the opportunities to:

Create sets by sorting and matching of objects based on its characteristics.(mathematics) Form new groups by combining and separating materials(mathematics)Identification of resources or properties as “his/her/mine/ours’’(social studies)

• Distinguish good/bad behaviour at home as well as at school (social studies)
• Categorizing objects from the environment based on the attributes (utility ,location, design; science)
• To make children understand sequencing and ordering, the student shall be given the opportunities to:
• Oral counting (Mathematics)
• Order objects based on size (height, length; mathematics)
• Make easy patterns using materials that are available (mathematics) Arrange events in the sequence of their occurrence (Science)
• Predicting cause/effect relationships: The student shall be given the chance to understand the outcome of the actions (cooperating, sharing, distracting, and disturbing others work: social studies).

Difference between short term and long term goals

Short-term goals expect accomplishment in a short period of time, such as trying to get a bill paid in the next few days. The definition of a short-term goal need not relate to any specific length of time. In other words, one may achieve (or fail to achieve) a short-term goal in a day, week, month, year, etc. The time-frame for a short-term goal relates to its context in the overall time line that it is being applied to. For instance, one could measure a short-term goal for a month-long project in days; whereas one might measure a short-term goal for someone’s lifetime in months or in years. Planners usually define short-term goals in relation to a long-term goal or goals.

Long-term goals are usually goals for the distant future or are less tangible. Short-term goals are usually goals for the near future or are more tangible. Medium-term goals are usually in-between or goals that are undecided.

Long term objectives can be regarded to as goals, they suggest where they would like to be in the future. Short term objectives can be regarded as small short term goals that can be reached fairly quick and impact their progress towards the strategic long term goals it has set. The main difference between the two is that the long term objectives are less tangible due to the longer time period which it will take to attain them. Thus, short term objectives are easily measured and take far less time to achieve. Long term objectives are less likely to be measured due to many unknown objectives which need to be achieved along the way.

Conclusion

The preschool education ultimately aims has yet another long term goal of Developing the Whole Child. Preschool education focuses on the development of the child’s whole personality. They need to bring up programs and activities that would promote the child’s growth and development in the physical, emotional, social and intellectual aspects. All these aspects are inter related and can’t be considered separately. They are mutually exclusive and preschool programs should be scheduled and implemented with respect to these areas of development.

Web Links:

• www.work.chron.com
• www.cd.net.au
• www.eclke.ohs.acf.hhs.gov