What Should a Child Know Before Kindergarten?

Utah’s Early Childhood Education Standards:

Intended Learning Outcomes

The main focus in early childhood is for children to begin to value learning, gain knowledge, and understand their world.

The Intended Learning Outcomes described below reflect the belief that in early childhood, education should address the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of children. It is important to create a learning environment that fosters development of many aspects of a child. By nurturing development in these interrelated human domains, children will discover varied and exciting talents and dreams. They will be socially and civically competent and able to express themselves effectively. The outcomes identified below are to provide a direction for general learning experiences, management, culture, environment, and inclusion. These outcomes are interwoven in Standards, which offer specific and measurable indicators.

BEGINNING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD, CHILDREN SHOULD:

1. Demonstrate a positive learning attitude. Display a sense of curiosity. Practice personal responsibility for learning. Demonstrate persistence in completing tasks. Apply prior knowledge and processes to construct new knowledge. Voluntarily use a variety of resources to investigate topics of interest.
2. Develop social skills and ethical responsibility. Respect similarities and differences in others. Treat others with kindness and fairness. Follow rules. Include others in learning and play activities. Function positively as a member of a family, learning group, school, and community. Initiate and respond to social interactions with peers and adults.
3. Demonstrate responsible emotional behaviors. Recognize own values, talents, and skills. Express self in positive ways. Demonstrate behavior appropriate to the situation. Express feelings appropriately. Meet and respect needs of self and others.
4. Develop physical skills and personal hygiene. Learn proper care of the body for health and fitness. Develop knowledge that enhances participation in physical activities and healthy food choices. Display persistence in learning motor skills and developing fitness. Use physical activity for self-expression.
5. Understand and use basic concepts and skills. Develop phonological and phonemic awareness. Develop expressive and receptive vocabulary. Develop reasoning and sequencing skills. Demonstrate problem-solving skills. Observe, sort, and classify objects. Make connections from content areas to application in real life.