Three Year Cycle

Typically three years old

Developmental need to explore the environment and learn to do things themselves

Refine their senses, internalize order, learn to sort & classify order, and practice concentration (groundwork for their ability to think and learn)

Learn the skills to take care of themselves in the environment and take care of their work while developing good work habits enabling their future success

Typically four years old

Had their year of independent exploration and concentration and are becoming more interested in their classmates and the social world of school

Driven to practice social interaction and explore group dynamics

Begin more teacher-directed activities

Will do much of their work in small group, rather than independently

Typically five years old

Have strong background of all the areas of the classroom, and are able to work entirely independently

Developmentally ready to become leaders and peer teachers

Continue to refine their work habits, as they accept learning as their own learning

They are creative, confident, and problem-solvers

Well equipped to move into a new environment

Able to spoon, tong, pour, and tweeze

Able to squeeze a sponge

Able to fold cloth

Able to hand wash

Able to scrub a table and floor

Able to dishwash

Able to funnel and baste

Able to do beginning sewing

Able to snap, button, zip and buckle

Able to open and close containers

Able to set a table

Able to polish a mirror, wood, and a shoe

Able to sweep, dust, and mop

Able to slice a banana

Able to wash and chop miscellaneous food prep

Able to juice an orange

Able to use a mortar and pestle

Able to water and clean plants

Able to do advanced sewing

Able to tie and braid

Able to lace

Names tertiary colors-shades colors

Names many irregular shapes

Names complex geometric solids

Corresponds planes to solids

Grades textures (roughest to smoothest)

Pairs and identifies 4 basic tastes

Grades sounds (loudest to softest)

Pairs bell tones C-G

Pairs smells

Discriminates stereognostically after feeling, but not looking at an object, names and describes the object in detail using "sensorial" language

Notation, reading, and composing using the bells

Grades bell tones C-G

Distinguishes differences between land, air and water

Distinguishes between continents and oceans

Knowledge of living vs. non-living

Identifies similarities and differences between plants and animals

Identifies similarities and differences between vertebrate & invertebrate

Exposure to the similarities and differences between the 5 vertebrate animals

Matches parts of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals

Matches parts of tree, leaf, and flower

Matches different leaf shapes

Names continents

Names land and water forms

Matches flags of countries

Names parts of the fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals

Names parts of the tree, leaf, and flower

Names parts of the human body

Distinguishes differences between countries, states, and territories

Names countries, states and territories

Defines and identifies land and water forms

Names flags of countries

Knowledge of culture and the needs of man

Defines the parts and distinguishes the differences of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals

Defines the parts of tree, leaf, and flower Names leaf shapes

Sorts & arranges concrete materials spatially by graduated incremental lengths 1-10

Is introduced to and practices counting 1-10 with concrete materials

Is introduced to the numerals 1-10

Traces the 1-10 sandpaper numerals

Sorts and arranges numerals 1-10 in order

Associates numerals with quantities 1-10 (I.e. 1 to 1 correspondence)

Introduced to the decimal system materials, 1000, 100,10, 1 (place values)

Adds and subtracts sensorially with numerals 1-10 and records operations

Explores the concepts of sets, zero, odd and even numbers, equivalencies, greater and" less than, and combinations of 10 as an introduction to addition

Counts, recognizes, associates, and constructs numerals 11-19

Practices writing numerals 1-19

Recognizes, orders, and composes numbers with the decimal system materials

Adds and subtracts sensorially with numerals 11 and up and records operations

Writes numerals 1-100

Multiplies and divides sensorially and records operations

Practices counting, labeling, and recording with linear counting exercises using sensorial materials that teach the square and cube of numbers 1-10 (I.e. skip counting)

Recognizes constructs numbers with the decimal system materials

Performs static and dynamic operations with the decimal system materials

Familiar with names and values of a penny, nickel, and a dime

Familiar with time (1 hour and 1/2 hours)

Pre-language work includes patterning, spatial, and manipulative activities

Oral language is encouraged with emphasis on learning nomenclature, speaking in sentences and correct enunciation

Sequencing and matching pictures

Use of materials that develop fine motor skills

Introduction to sounds and symbols for letters: tracing symbols

Recognizing name

Isolating beginning sounds in words

Oral presentation to a group

Matching pictures and labels

Sequencing pictures and storytelling

Continued work with sounds and symbols

Writing letters; writing names; writing words

Continued work with isolating beginning sounds

Construction of short vowels, 3-letter phonetic words with manipulatives

Reading phonetic words and rhyming lists, sight words , books with visual clues , phonetic books

Isolating middle and end sounds in words

Learning advanced nomenclature

Participation in group discussions

Reading to a group

Perfecting handwriting skills Writing sentences

Continuing word construction with mixed short vowels, plurals, phonograms and long vowels

Reading more complex phonetic words; plural, phonograms and long vowels

Continued work with sight words

Reading phonetic books and books with long vowels and blends

Writing words from dictation and writing creatively

Learning the functions of words

Letter naming and alphabetizing