IOWA EARLY LEARNING STANDARDS

How Treebrook Preschool meets these standards

Area 1: Social and Emotional Development

Self - Preschool (3 - 5 years)
Preschool Standard for Self (*Preschool refers to children, ages 3 to 5)

1.1 Children express a positive awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences.

Rationale - Why is this important for a child?

One of the most important goals of the preschool years is helping children develop a positive self-concept and self-esteem (Kagan, Moore, & Bredekamp, 1995). Self-concept is the perception that one is capable of successfully making decisions, accomplishing tasks, and meeting goals. “The goal of using these intentional steps is to help the child establish a positive schema - or concept - for who he/she believes him/herself to be” (Durkin, 2016, p.5). Children need to feel valued.

Treebrook reads:

Payne, Lauren. Just Because I Am: A Child’s Book of Affirmation.

Young children typically overestimate their own abilities. At the same time, they equate effort and ability, thinking that failure represents both a lack of effort and ability (Nicholls, 1978). After repeated failures, some young children already acquire learned helplessness, a belief they cannot succeed in anything they try. Learned helplessness (Dweck & Licht, 1980) affects later learning. Therefore, it is essential to help young children see themselves as capable learners, to develop resilience (flexibility), and to instill genuine feelings of success. During the preschool years, it is important for a child to develop a positive self-concept, not by telling the child he or she is special, but by taking initiative and succeeding at challenging tasks while also receiving adult encouragement (Peth-Pierce, 2000).

Treebrook Reads:

Parr, Todd. The Okay Book.
it’s Okay to Be Different
It’s Okay to Make Mistakes.

“Children who cannot effectively regulate anxiety or discouragement tend to move away from, rather than engage in, challenging learning activities. On the contrary, when children regulate uncomfortable emotions, they can relax and focus on learning thinking skills. Similarly, children experience better emotional regulation when they replace thoughts like ‘I’m not good at this’ with thoughts like ‘This is difficult, but I can do it if I keep trying.’ Regulating anxiety and thinking helps children persist in challenging activities, which increases their opportunities to practice the skills required for an activity” (Florez, 2011, p.47).

All children need opportunities to make choices. Therefore, it is important for adults to provide opportunities to help build children’s emotional regulation. Learning to make choices allows a child to grow and to develop into an independent person, one that relates to her or his parents, family, community, and society.

Benchmarks: The child…

Expresses a positive sense of self in terms of specific abilities. After succeeding in a skill a Treebrook teacher writes for the child, “I can…”.
Expresses needs, wants, opinions, and feelings in socially appropriate ways. At the end of the day we have a discussion about how the day went.
Demonstrates increasing confidence and independence in a variety of tasks and routines and expresses pride in his or her accomplishments. Treebrook reads: Aliki. All By Myself
Recognizes own power to make choices. Treebrook children have choices at Small Motor Activities Time and Center Time. (See schedule)

Examples of Reaching a Preschool Benchmark:

Rhonda rides her trike up to Julia and says, “Watch me. I can go fast.”
Sage tells a caring adult, “I need to go to the bathroom.”
Children at Treebrook may use the bathroom whenever they feel a need, rather than waiting for a specified time in the schedule. We encourage families to teach their children independence and self-care.
Alea learns to put on all her winter outdoor clothes by herself. She smiles and tells a nearby adult, “Look, I did it all by myself.”
Yesterday, Moses played in the block center and built a tower. Today, he played at the water table. When he was done at the water table, he stated, “I like the water table the best.”
At lunch, a caring adult asks Kiera, “Would you like broccoli, carrots, or both with your sandwich?” Kiera responds, “Carrots are my favorite. I want carrots, please.”
After finishing his cereal Max carries his dishes to the sink and places them in the ‘dirty’ tub. Then he goes to the sink and washes his hands. “I’m cleaned up and ready to play!” he announces.

Treebrook uses Preschool Power PBS videos with children demonstrating various skills such as independently putting on one's jacket.

Adult Supports - With children 3 - 5 years, caring adults:

Provide opportunities for each child to develop a sense of his or her physical capabilities.
Talk with and listen respectfully to each child.

Treebrook Strategies:

When a teacher is listening to a child, and there is another child who also wants to ask for help, Carol teaches children to put their hand on her shoulder rather than interrupting. She takes hold of that child’s hand so he knows that he is next while she attentively listens to the first child.
Provide each child with safe and inviting environments, both indoors and outdoors, in which to explore.
Besides our appealing classroom with an abundance of materials, Carol had a certified Nature Explore designer build an Outdoor Classroom in 2011. It has a Nature Art table, two sandpits with loose parts, a drama stage that has a berm at one end and steps at the other end. We have a bridge that goes over a dry creek bed. There’s a water pump (that needs attention.) Treebrook has a 15’ diameter clear dome with two hexagonal tables inside. We have some surviving trees, bushes and ground plants from a professional permaculture designer.
Provide each child with opportunities to make meaningful choices and to express preferences throughout the day.
Treebrook children make choices throughout the day—available activities, centers, books, themes, etc.
For example, when children arrive at Treebrook, they choose which pre-writing activity at the tables they would like to do. Any of the activities build up small muscles in their fingers and hand or involve positioning their fingers into the pincer grip. They choose fun activities such as play dough, stringing beads, pinning shapes and other outlines, Montessori graduated small cylinders of different lengths or size, using clothespins, hole punchers or other tools that can build up the strength in their small muscles, while combining it with letter and numeral recognition. The children will begin to use child appropriate scissors to make snips. New activities will be offered about every two weeks.
Encourage each child by giving specific feedback which links effort to outcomes and acknowledge achievements.
Treebrook teachers use sentence strips or simply writes upon paper, “I can…” and encourages the child to illustrate the statement.
Model respect for diversity.
Treebrook reads the following:
Cheltenham Kindergarteners. We Are All Alike; We Are All Different.
Parr, Todd. It’s Okay to Be Different.
Spier, Peter. People
Provide each child with opportunities to solve problems on his or her own. One example is that Treebrook have children work on their own to finish a puzzle.
Provide opportunities for each child to express his or her thoughts and feelings about experiences through a variety of methods.
Treebrook uses interactive story time, talking about characters’ feelings, making predictions, solving problems, and so on. Storytimes will be in groups of 4 – 6, where each child will be engaged.
Support children’s cultural identities by working with family members to support children’s needs.
Families may share their cultural traditions. Both my book and music library and music most likely have something to use.
Encourage children’s efforts and provide necessary supports when attempting new skills.
Treebrook has children’s scissors that open wide again after making a cut to make it easier. Before writing, Treebrook provides the preschoolers many pre-writing activities that will help develop the muscles in the fingers, palms, and the pincer grip.

Preschool Standard for

Self-Regulation

1.2 Children show increasing ability to regulate their behavior and express their emotions in appropriate ways.

Rationale - Why is this important for a child?

Young children learn to regulate behavior under the guidance of adults (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000). Self-regulation is not an isolated skill. Children must interpret their experiences into information they can use to assist in regulating their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Children learn this skill by watching and responding to self-regulation by adults (Florez, 2011). Self-regulation is a two-fold skill. Children must learn to control their impulses and to stop themselves from doing something, and they must also learn to do something they may not want to do. (Bodrova & Leong, 2005)

As children enter the preschool age, their increasing language skills allow them to have a greater impact on their immediate environment and to better understand when caregivers talk to them about controlling their emotions and behavior (Gross, 2015). The expression of emotion in young children is linked to what they like and want, as well as to what they do not like and do not want (Wellman & Wooley, 1990). As a result, they show increasing understanding of emotions and skills in regulating their emotions. Four-year-old children tend to understand more about strategies they can use to regulate their emotions than do three-year-olds. Four-year-olds tend to use more effective strategies to control anger than three-year-olds (Cole, Dennis, Smith-Simon, & Cohen, 2009).

Culture directly influences how emotions develop, and how children display emotions (Kitayama & Markus, 1994). During early childhood, children learn that everyone has emotions, and they can learn how others feel by observing expressions or emotions of other children (Hyson, 2008). They also learn emotions occur in response to different situations and that emotions are expressed in different ways. While young children’s understanding of emotions is often restricted to ‘mad,’ ‘sad,’ or ‘glad,’ they gradually develop more understanding of emotions such as fear, surprise, and disappointment.

When adults provide responsive interactions with children, model appropriate responses, and provide feedback, children learn how and when to express emotions in socially appropriate ways (Burchinal et al., 2008; Hamre, Hatfield, Pianta, & Faiza, 2014; Thompson, 1991). Children also learn from adults how to show empathy and to display concern over the emotional expressions of other children. Young children are preferred as playmates when they recognize the emotions of others and show their own emotions in socially appropriate ways (Saarni, Mimme, & Campos, 1997).

Benchmarks: The child…

Demonstrates the ability to monitor his or her own behavior and its effects on others, following and contributing to adult expectations.

Persists with difficult tasks without becoming overly frustrated.

Treebrook individualizes and keeps track of each child’s learning through close observation and informal assessment.

Begins to accept consequences of his or her own actions.

Treebrook reads:

I’m in Charge of Me! By David Parker. (self-control)

Manages transitions and changes to routines.

Treebrook makes a Daily Schedule that uses photos. One reason that Carol offers a 5-day morning preschool is that it really helps children to manage their transition to greater independence.

States feelings, needs, and opinions in difficult situations without harming self, others, or property.

Treebrook uses book: I Can Problem Solve: An Interpersonal Cognitive Problem-Solving Program by Myrna B. Shure. It is designed for preschool.

Expresses an increasing range and variety of emotions, and the transitions between feeling states become smoother.

Treebrook has an individual hammock as a calming center. The child is encouraged to blow on a pinwheel, taking long, slow breaths. We give the child an affirmation to say.

Examples of Reaching a Preschool Benchmark:

While Axel is playing a letter game on the classroom computer, he looks up and sees another child waiting for a turn on the computer. Axel says, “It will be your turn next.”

Iona is working on a difficult puzzle. She tries several times to fit each of the pieces together. Even though it is difficult, she keeps working to put it together.

Oscar left his art materials out at the table where he was working. An adult walks up to him and says, “Oscar, put away your materials before going to play somewhere else.” Oscar begins to collect the materials.

After lunch, Hyejin washes her hands and lays down to nap without a reminder.

Tristan is angry because he can’t have his favorite tricycle. He says to a nearby adult, “I am so mad that Daphne has the trike.”

Manuel is playing outside and doesn’t want to go inside. At first, he avoids the adult, but when the adult talks to him calmly, he agrees to go inside.

Adult Supports - With children 3 - 5 years, caring adults:

Identify and explain adult expectations while offering each child the opportunity to express thoughts, feelings, and ideas concerning them.
Assist each child in understanding her or his feelings and the impact on others.
Model empathy and understanding.
Make each child aware of upcoming changes in schedule or routines.
Model self-control.
Give each child words and gestures to express emotions.
Express own emotions in socially appropriate ways.

Treebrook Materials & Methods to Help Develop the Benchmarks

In the beginning of the year, we discover each other’s interests, after reading Things I Like by Anthony Browne. Besides reading many realistic fiction books where we discuss feelings, we also have more explicit books about feelings, such as:

Avery, Charles. Everybody Has Feelings: the moods of children.
Canizares, Susan. Feelings
Conlin, Susan. All My Feelings at Preschool.
Kachenmeister, Cheryl. On Monday When It Rained.

When a child arrives at preschool, Carol has a feelings check-in, using a banner, “What Zone Are You In?”

Green means ‘Good to Go’ (happy, calm, focused, ready).
Yellow means ‘Slow down’ (worried, excited, frustrated, silly)
Red means ‘Stop.’ (out of control, terrified, yelling, angry)
Blue means ‘Rest.’ (tired, sick, sad, moving slowly)

Our Calming Center is a snuggly hammock that is in a quiet area where a teacher can still keep tabs on the child. We also have a pinwheel to encourage the child to take slow, deep breaths while blowing the pinwheel.

In the beginning of the year children may bring an attachment stuffie, such as a teddy bear. We will celebrate when it is not needed anymore!

The Treebrook schedule is flexible, yet we keep an order to the routine to give the children a sense of security of knowing what to expect next. We use photos with labels and use a clothespin as as a marker when we advance through the morning.
We have a Feelings Activity Set from Learning Resources. We have 36 plastic, bright-color people to sort with six different feelings, expressed on their faces and body posture. We also have six houses with the same rainbow colors. The set comes with photo cards of children showing different emotions. Besides sorting the children, the figures can be used creatively in telling a story.
Carol has a book of stories that use visualization to help children relax.

Standard for Relationships with Adults

1.3 Children relate positively with significant adults.
Rationale - Why is this important for a child?
“Children who feel valued and have positive and caring relationships with their caregivers are able to acquire the skills and understanding they need to regulate their emotions and behavior” (Dunlap, Fox, Hemmeter, & Strain, 2004, p.3). Young children’s school success requires trusting relationships with familiar adults (Howes & Ritchie, 2002; Hyson, 2008). After developing close, affectionate relationships with their primary caregiver (parent, grandparent, foster parent, guardian), children can also develop close, affectionate relationships with other familiar, sensitive, and responsive adults who nurture and support them (De Schipper, Taevecchio, & Van IJzendoorn, 2008; Sroufe, Fox, & Pancake,1983). These bonds, referred to as attachment, form the basis to develop shared social relationships with adults and with other children (Thompson, 1998). To feel psychologically safe and free from anxiety, children must feel safe and comfortable with the adults in their lives.
Shared (reciprocal) relationships are often demonstrated differently across cultures and families. Also, research suggests feelings are often expressed differently across cultures. Some cultures encourage independence in children, so these children, when playing independently, are not necessarily withdrawing from relationships (Wittmer, 2011).
Children with diverse needs, especially those with challenging behaviors, may need more support to develop positive relationships. Thus, adults can use different strategies to interact with a child and to build a positive relationship. “If relationships are primary, then each adult’s contribution, experience, and availability are valuable.” (Brinamen & Page, 2012, p.43)

Benchmarks: The child…

Interacts comfortably with familiar adults.
Accepts guidance, comfort, and directions from a range of familiar adults in a variety of environments.
Expresses affection toward familiar adults.
Shows trust in familiar adults.
Seeks help, as needed, from familiar adults.

Examples of Reaching a Preschool Benchmark:

Dalton interacts with each of the adults in his classroom by talking with each of them about what he did over the weekend.
Terry is playing outdoors and hesitantly approaches the climber. He looks at a nearby adult, who says, “It’s okay, I will not let you fall.” Terry starts to climb the ladder.
Kia comes into the classroom slowly. Her eyes are downcast and she takes long, deep sighs. A caring adult asks her, “Kia, how are you feeling today?” Kia answers, “Grandma’s in the hospital. I miss her.” The adult responds, “It’s hard for her to be gone.” The adult rubs Kia’s back, saying, “You like spending time with Grandma.” Kia puts her arms around the adult.
Michael runs up to his parents when they come to his preschool and gives them a hug. He turns and with a smile, says, “Bye-bye, teacher. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Mercedes wants to collect pinecones outdoors but cannot find a container to hold them. She walks up to a caring adult and asks, “May I have a bucket for these pinecones?”

Adult Supports - With children 3 - 5 years, caring adults…

Ensure that a small number of consistent, positive, and nurturing adults provide continuity of care and learning experiences.

At Treebrook Carol is a constant in the preschool children’s lives during this critical stage of child development. Many of the past students keep in contact. Carol usually goes to the City High musicals. The year they performed Les Misérables, the main roles were former Treebrook children, as well as some being in the chorus or orchestra. Each year Carol gets invitations to high school graduation parties, keeping in touch with each other even when they are adults and have their own families.

Intentionally spend time daily with each child to support positive interactions and relationships to build an emotional connection.
Make it a priority to know each child well, and the people most significant in the child’s life.
At Treebrook, limiting the number of children allows Carol to know each child well. Carol collaborates with the parents in their child's educational journey.
Provide feedback that is warm, positive, encouraging, and intentional.
At Treebrook, praise is specific.
Attempt to communicate with and foster relationships with each child, regardless of their ability to speak a child’s home language.
At Treebrook, we have had many non-English-speaking children through the years. The children integrate into the class very well, their culture is explored. They flourish in our environment and easily make friends. By the end of the year they are fluent in English while keeping their family language. Carol remembers students from Ukraine, France, Syria, Central and South America and Indonesia.
Show affection and caring to each child.
Treebrook has a book:
I Love You Rituals by Becky A. Bailey, Ph.D.
Model healthy relationship skills with adults and children.
Mr. Fred Roger’s Neighborhood was a wonderful show to watch with children. Carol tries to follow Mr. Rogers' example.
Regularly examine personal thoughts, feelings, strengths, and areas for growth.
Treebrook Preschool was the first center in Linn and Johnson County to receive a 5-star rating in the state’s Quality Rating System. Carol is currently taking classes to renew her Iowa teacher’s certificate. Currently, she is participating in the IQ4K, which has replaced the QRS.
Use reflective (thoughtful) practice to understand personal emotional response in working with infants, toddlers, and their families.

Support and reinforce parent/guardian strengths, emerging parenting competencies, and positive parent-child interactions.

Sharing this document, “Treebrook Implementation of Iowa Early Learning Standards for Preschool” will give parents ideas to use with their child at home. In addition, Carol will occasionally share other documents or articles that she thinks would be beneficial.

Treebrook Materials & Methods to Help Develop the Benchmarks:

Carol is looking for an assistant that is compatible and would work well partnering with her. Please let Carol know if you have recommendations.

(3 - 5 years)

Preschool Standard for Relations with Children

1.4 Children respond to and initiate appropriate interactions with other children and form positive peer relationships.

At Treebrook, we interactively read books about the ups and downs of friendships. After our discussions, we have the children role play with puppets.

Rationale - Why is this important for a child?

Improvements in social skills and reduction in aggression are linked to increases in communication, perspective-taking, memory skills, and self-regulation (Coie & Dodge, 1998). Young children engage in more positive behavior and social exchanges with friends than with non- friends (Gottman & Graziano, 1983). Children with the capacity to develop friendships initiate contact, sustain interactions, and resolve conflicts better than children who do not develop friendships (Gottman & Graziano, 1983). In contrast, poor relationships with other children predict later rejection by other children (Coie & Dodge, 1998). Poor relationships and rejection by other children are associated with later problems in school and life, including social isolation, aggression, loneliness, social dissatisfaction, and low self-worth. (Hymel, Rubin, Rowden, & LeMare, 1990), as well as low academic performance, school avoidance, truancy, and delinquency (Ladd, 1990; Parker & Asher, 1987).
Children who experience positive learning experiences and healthy relationships in the first years of life show a decrease in physical aggression during the preschool years. However, verbal aggression tends to increase, at least until four years of age (Cairns, 1979). Children learn healthy relationship skills and caring behaviors through observing these behaviors in adults.
As early as the preschool years, same-gender play and preferences can be observed (Manaster & Jobe, 2012). Children who spend more time in same-gender play groups tend to develop more gender-stereotypical behaviors.
Children with diverse abilities are likely to need support to start or to join in play. Some children may need pairing with more competent same-age children who serve as models of appropriate interactions.

Benchmarks: The child…

Initiates and sustains positive interactions with peers and organizes play.
Wants to please and be like friends.
Negotiates with others to resolve disagreements.
Develops friendships with other children (peers); starts to demonstrate taking turns and sharing with others.
Expresses empathy to other children (peers) and demonstrates caring behaviors.
Accepts consequences of his or her actions.
Recognizes how behaviors can affect others.
Names friends.

Examples of Reaching a Preschool Benchmark:

Spencer walks up to Kylie carrying a board game and asks Kylie to play with him. They agree on who goes first and then take several turns moving their pieces.
Dashari repeatedly seeks out Margo to play with her.
Judy and Charlie both want to play with the blue truck. They both say, “Mine” and look at each other a few seconds. Judy says, “I’ll take the yellow one, and you take the blue one.”
Analese has a physical disability and the adult positions her on the floor to play. Heidi, another child, brings Analese’s pillow to support her back, and says, “Analese, here is your pillow.”
Jeffrey uses glue and paper shapes to make a picture. Arlo walks up to the art area and starts to make his own picture. He says to Jeffrey, “May I have the glue next?” Jeffrey hands him the glue.

Adult Supports - With children 3 - 5 years, caring adults:

Provide time, space, and sufficient materials for children to interact with others during play experiences.
Create situations in which children can work cooperatively with both boys and girls.
Encourage each child, coaching him or her as needed, to resolve conflicts, to respect the rights of others, and to reach joint decisions.
Point out and draw attention to different perspectives, including children’s literature and play materials.
Create opportunities that allow English language learners to engage with other children.
Model healthy relationship skills with adults and children.
Acknowledge positive interactions between children.

Treebrook Materials & Methods to Help Develop the Benchmarks

Treebrook Books About Friendships:

Aliki. Hello! Good-bye! Beil, Karen. A Cake All for Me! Bloom, Suzanne. A Splendid Friend, indeed. Boelts, Maribeth. Grace and Joe. Little Bunny’s Cool Tool Set. Bunnett, Rochelle. Friends at School. Canizares, Susan. Two Can Do It! Carle, Eric. Do You Want to Be My Friend? Carlson, Nancy. How to Lose All Your Friends. Carlstrom, Nancy. The Way to My Best Friend’s House. Charlesworth, Liza. We Can Take Turns. Chessen, Betsey. Hello! Chodos-Irvine, Margaret. Best Best Friends. Choldenko, Gennifer. Louder, Lili. Clifton, Lucille. Everett Anderson’s Friend. Cohen, Miriam. It’s George! De Regniers, Beatrice. How Joe the Bear and Sam the Mouse Got Together. Elliott, Laura. Hunter’s Best Friend at School. Hunter & Stripe and the Soccer Showdown. Erickson, Karen. I Can Share. Fox, Mem. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge. Gliori, Debi. The Snowchild. Hoberman, Mary Ann. One of Each. Hoffman, Phyllis. We Play. Hulme, Joy. Mary Clare Likes to Share. Hutchins, Pat. The Doorbell Rang. My Best Friend. Jahn-Clough, Lisa. My Friend and I. Kasza, Keiko. The Rat and the Tiger. Katz, Karen. I Can Share. Komaiko, Leah. Annie Bananie. Lillie, Patricia. When This Box is Full. Lyon, George. Together. Magorian, Michelle. Who’s Going to Take Care of Me? McKinley, Cindy. One Smile. Parker, David. I Accept You as You Are! I Can Be Fair! I Can Cooperate! I Can Share! I’m a Good Friend! Payne, Lauren. We Can Get Along: a child’s book of choices. Pinkney, Jerry. The Lion & the Mouse. Raschka, Chris. Yo! Yes? Rogers, Fred. Making Friends. Rohmann, Eric. My Friend Rabbit. Rosen, Michael. This is Our House. Ross, Dave. A Book of Friends. Udry, Janice. Let’s Be Enemies. Verdick, Elizabeth. Words Are Not for Hurting.
I Can Problem Solve. (teachers’ manual for preschool level) Children learn pro-social solutions to different kinds of conflicts and engage in role play.
Names are meaningful to self-identity. I help children learn each other’s names and to write their own name. We talk about the letters in each of our names, especially the initial letter. We sing songs such as “Mary Wore a Red Dress,” a Hello song, and sing adapted versions of songs from American Folk Songs by Ruth Seeger.
I encourage cooperative play and help children make friends by encouraging children to find a partner for each of the playful learning activities during center time.
The main focus at the beginning of the school year is Social-Emotional, as well as practicing routines.