Physical needs
Children at the kindergarten level have to be provided with the appropriate physical learning environment because this stage marks the peak of their motor skill learning. Children should portray positive learning in motor skills to enable effective interaction with their environment. Meeting the physical needs of children in the kindergarten level involves the provision of physical education classes where children are exposed to a range of activities. These activities may include moving around with toys, balancing and climbing, and jumping. The main goal would be to ensure the children can walk and run comfortably, throw and catch the ball, assemble puzzles, and use eating utensils appropriately among several other motor skills (Stanberry par. 4).
Emotional needs
Children at the kindergarten level of learning have emotional needs that must be satisfied through assurance from an adult, and the development of a social circle. Daily interaction with other children during play time is one of the most effective ways of helping a child to learn how to control his or her emotions. During the interactions, children get to experience different emotions like anger, happiness, and they learn to control them appropriately. Emotional guidance from a teacher is necessary to direct the children on how to respond to their environment. The teacher should provide children at the kindergarten level with regular one-on-one interactions followed by group interactions in the classroom (Stanberry par. 6).
Academic needs
According to Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, children in the kindergarten level are in the pre-operational stage of cognitive development (Huitt and Hummel 4). This stage highlights the need for children to get help in learning from their teachers. Teachers should help the children with logical ideas like doing simple mathematics, learning how to use words in their language, and simple reasoning. Academic knowledge for 5 year old children can be effectively attained through the use of pretend-play as a teaching strategy to improve the children’s academic performance. Teachers must provide one-on-one assistance in learning different subjects for the children.
Daily Schedules
The daily schedule for children in the kindergarten level of schooling should include academic learning, play time, and some time to rest. Children are more attentive in the morning hours; hence, the academic learning session should take place in the morning hours. Lessons should be between 30-45 minutes with 15 minute breaks after every lesson. There should also be a 30 minute break in the mid-morning hours to allow the children to play. After their lunch break, children should be given at least one hour to rest. A sleeping session in the afternoon is always important for children’s brain development.
Rules and Procedures
Classroom rules should focus on instilling discipline in children in a learning-oriented basis. The teacher should ensure the children learn the need to observe simple classroom rules like maintaining silence throughout the lessons and avoiding conflicts with their peers. The children should be orderly while entering the class, and they should learn to line up when going for recess. They should also learn to ask for permission when they want to go to the bathroom.
Appropriate Consequences
In the pre-operational stage of learning, teachers should be keen to set the appropriate consequences of the failure of observing rules. Punishing children should be done in an objective manner to attain positive results. For instance, when a child throws a toy at his or her peers, the toy should be taken away. Children need to understand that their actions have consequences. Punishments should also be focused on encouraging children to face challenges because most children tend to keep off learning challenges when they are punished (Florez 47).
Works Cited
Florez, Ida Rose. “Developing young children’s self-regulation through everyday experiences.” Young Children 66.4 (2011): 46-51. Print.
Huitt, William, and J. Hummel. “Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.” Educational psychology interactive 3.2 (2003): 1-24. Print.
Stanberry, Kristin. Understanding Physical Development in Preschoolers. 2014. Web.
Stanberry, Kristin. Understanding Social and Emotional Development in Preschoolers. 2014. Web.