Introduction

The three to five year-old age group of Kiowa children is characterized by high energy, strong interest in everything around them, and a willingness to learn. When working with this age group, parents, family members, and teachers should focus on developing children’s cultural identity, building children’s resilience, increasing Kiowa language skills, and ensuring children’s overall development.

Children ages 3-5 years-old begin to understand the idea of time, such as yesterday, today, and tomorrow. They start to understand and use simple concepts such as big and small, heavy and light, and in and out. They start to use their memory and imagination to solve problems and plan activities. They develop the ability to understand and use number concepts, such as counting and recognizing numbers. They continue to expand their vocabulary and can use three to four-word sentences. They can understand and follow simple stories, and can answer simple questions about them. They start to understand and use basic grammar, such as plurals, past tense and possessive forms. To support development, parents and teachers should encourage children to express themselves, read to them regularly, play with them and use verbal instructions, create a language-rich environment, use pictures, real objects and gestures to help them understand and build vocabulary, and give them opportunities to engage in interactive and social play, storytelling, drama and imaginative play which will enhance their language skills.

Cognitive Development:

  • Children at this age begin to understand the idea of time, such as yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

  • They start to understand and use simple concepts such as big and small, heavy and light, and in and out.

  • They start to use their memory and imagination to solve problems and plan activities.

  • They develop the ability to understand and use number concepts, such as counting and recognizing numbers.

Social-Emotional Development:

  • Children at this age begin to understand and express their own feelings and the feelings of others.

  • They begin to understand and follow rules and routines in their daily life, and can take turns and share with others.

  • They start to show more independence and begin to assert their own wants and needs.

  • They start to understand the concept of right and wrong, and are able to follow basic rules and instructions.

Physical Development:

  • Children at this age continue to develop fine motor skills, such as being able to draw shapes and letters, and to use scissors.

  • They become more coordinated and begin to run, jump, and climb with ease.

  • They begin to show more control over their movements and can kick a ball or pedal a tricycle.

Language Development:

  • Children at this age continue to expand their vocabulary and can use three to four-word sentences.

  • They can understand and follow simple stories, and can answer simple questions about them.

  • They start to understand and use basic grammar, such as plurals, past tense and possessive forms.

  • They begin to tell short stories and describe events in sequence.

To support language acquisition, parents and teachers can:

  • Encourage children to express themselves by asking open-ended questions and giving them time to respond.

  • Encourage children to use new words and phrases by modeling them, repeating them back to the child, and giving them opportunities to use them in context.

  • Read to children regularly and encourage them to participate in the story by asking questions, and pointing out new words.

  • Play with your child and use verbal instructions, and model the language you want them to learn.

  • Create a language-rich environment by labeling objects and actions around the house and pointing out new words when they appear in daily life.

  • Use pictures, real objects and gestures to help them understand and build vocabulary.

  • Encourage children to listen and respond to simple songs and rhymes.

  • Give children the opportunity to engage in interactive and social play, which supports the development of language.

  • Encourage children to speak in full sentences and use proper grammar.

It’s important to remember that all children develop at their own pace, and that these milestones are general guides. Parents and teachers should observe children’s individual progress and provide supportive and stimulating environments that encourage children’s development in these areas.

Kiowa Teaching and Learning Goals and Objectives

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