primary education thinking skills kindergarten

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Kindergarten Primary Education Thinking Skills (P.E.T.S.) Perfect Paperback – June 1, 2007

• Print length 104 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Pieces of Learning
• Publication date June 1, 2007
• ISBN-10 1934358002
• ISBN-13 978-1934358009
• See all details

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pieces of Learning (June 1, 2007)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Perfect Paperback ‏ : ‎ 104 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1934358002
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1934358009
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
• #525 in Gifted Students Education

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Why Teaching Creative Thinking Skills in Kindergarten is So Important?

Kindergarten is more than sitting on a massive alphabet-stamped carpet and waiting for the best toy to become available. It’s more than climbing up the jungle-gym ladder at lunchtime and crossing your fingers that the slide doesn’t burn your legs on the way down (ouch!). And it’s more than falling asleep next to your buddy after a big ol’ glass of milk. Kindergarten is so much more than toy wars and chocolate milk surprises—it’s where creative thinking skills emerge!

In today’s society, it’s commonly understood that a kindergarten is a place where children reach significant physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and linguistic milestones (e.g., learning to hop and skip, differentiating between fantasy and reality, making more friends, forming longer sentences, counting to 100); a place where they’ll gain new skills and become familiar with new concepts; and a place that opens up their mind—and imagination—to the possibilities that await them (Developmental Milestones at 5 Years, 2019). Teaching creative thinking skills in kindergarten helps children to explore not just themselves but the world around them. 

In this article, we’ll be discussing the importance of teaching creative thinking skills in kindergarten and what additions teachers can bring to their curriculum to foster a more open, expressive environment. There’s a time to color inside of the lines, but also a time to let the crayon wander where it may—a kindergarten is a place where children can learn to do both!

Benefits of Teaching Creative Thinking Skills in Kindergarten

Whether you’re a parent of a curious kindergartener or an inspired teacher of a Kindergarten class, you’ll find that the benefits of teaching creative thinking skills among children are endless: Engaging in creative thinking and creative expression can help children increase neural connections in their brain, therefore improving cognitive abilities. Moreover, encouraging children to engage in a wide variety of creative activities, often considered as “outside-of-the-box,” are shown to have an impact on a child’s mood, confidence, and overall well-being—quite possibly for years to come (8 Ways to Teach Kids Creative Thinking, 2020).

By channelling energy into a creative outlet or project, children will generally feel happier, more secure, and eager to learn. It’s important to remember that children are like sponges, soaking up the energy in their environment and absorbing the information they receive. Limiting a child’s imagination, or simply not promoting a creative environment where they can flourish their wings, affects how a child’s brain will ultimately develop. Without the freedom to explore, the ability to spread their wings presents a challenge.

How to Start Teaching Creative Thinking Skills in Kindergarten 

Set the stage for creative learning activities to take place.

Before taking the plunge into a new activity, a teacher may find it helpful to set the stage for the activity beforehand. Ensure there’s enough space for the activity and that you have the necessary materials on hand. For example, a teacher could have the kindergarten class pick a letter of the alphabet and draw a picture of an item that represents the letter (e.g., the letter “B” for Ball). Children can use as many, or as little, art supplies as they’d like and utilize their creative thinking skills to bring their project to life. Afterwards, children can talk to the other students about what they created. 

To set the stage for this activity, a teacher may want to have the alphabet accessible, or in plain sight, as well as have enough art supplies to go around. By keeping the project open-ended, children will feel less limited about what they can create and be more confident about their choices. Setting the stage for creative thinking skills to unfold will help children become acquainted with their skills more easily (Johnson, 2019). 

Use Positive Reinforcement to Boost Imagination and Confidence 

Sometimes, children exhibit uncertainty about using their imagination or engaging in problem-solving and brainstorming activities if they are not used to doing so at home—the absence of right and wrong answers may feel a bit unusual than what they’re accustomed to. On the other hand, a teacher may find that the lack of restrictions and a strong focus on autonomy may feel very familiar and comfortable for some children. Depending on a child’s previous life experience thus far, as well as the given family dynamics and value system at home, children will respond to creative activities and styles of creative thinking differently. 

Using positive reinforcement will do wonders for a child’s confidence level when using creative thinking and engaging in activities in the classroom. A teacher can boost imagination by showing interest, asking follow-up questions, and telling the class how great they did on the activity. A teacher may also want to participate in the creative activity and provide the children with an opportunity to ask questions in return, segueing into our next tip for teaching creative thinking skills in kindergarten.  

Ask Open-Ended Questions and Encourage Children to Do the Same 

Asking open-ended questions allows children to explore their thoughts and ideas more efficiently (e.g., where is your favorite place to go on vacation and why? what do you like to do on the weekends? what does the weather look like outside today?) Close-ended questions usually involve a short response, or a yes or no answer. Open-ended questions help children learn how to organize thoughts, tell a story, and engage their memory muscles—in doing so, kindergarteners begin learning the fundamentals of a conversational exchange between two or more people. With practice, children will start asking open-ended questions in return and will soon be able to have a unique and ongoing dialogue about a topic. 

Change the Scenery and Incorporate Free Play 

Going outside for some fresh air and a change of scenery can help children feel less confined to their seats and more in touch with their emotional and physical selves. Movement and exposure to different environmental elements can encourage creativity and creative thought processes to occur. A teacher may want to bring the classroom outside to compare the trees or plants. While using their senses to explore, children will gain new insights and new information about what the tree looks like, feels like, smells like, and what the branches may even sound like against the wind—all contributing to the development of creative thinking skills and creative expression. 

Free play can also assist children with strengthening their autonomy skills and imagination. When children have the freedom to explore and learn on their own (in a supportive and safe environment) achieving developmental milestones will occur naturally and with ease. 

Support Interests and Hobbies 

Children deserve to feel secure and supported throughout their development; tuning into a child’s specific interests and hobbies will help to nurture and advance their physical, emotional, and cognitive skills. If a child feels discouraged by a teacher or parent, or is made to feel uncomfortable about having a specific interest or hobby, then the ability to create and channel the imagination will be profoundly affected.  As a teacher, it’s important to understand how each child will be drawn to different activities and develop at various paces; encouraging children to start where they are now, avoiding comparison at all costs, will help them to feel proud of themselves and excited for what’s to come. 

Encourage Creative Risk-Taking  

While it’s crucial for kindergarteners to feel comfortable during the creative process, it’s also important to encourage creative risk-taking, too (8 Ways to Teach Kids Creative Thinking, 2020). Some children may always choose the same art materials when working on a project, read the same book on the bookshelf, or ask the same question during every outdoor adventure. A teacher may find it helpful to encourage a child to try something new: draw with the colored pencils instead of the crayons, give a go at the bigger book on the shelf, or ask a different question about the environmental conditions outside. 

When encouraging creative risk-taking, it’s important to talk about how the change felt at first and how it felt at the end. Often, children will be surprised about how much they enjoyed the new experience and how the change wasn’t nearly as scary as they imagined it would be. Using positive reinforcement will be beneficial when incorporating creative risk-taking in kindergarten. 

Try not to single out a child for not taking creative risks: a teacher may encourage the collective classroom to try something different than they normally would, even bending down next to a child to give some encouragement on the side.

Paving the Way for a Creative Future 

Remember, when teaching creative skills in kindergarten, there’s not one approach you must take to open the door to a world of potential. A teacher may commonly find where one activity works wonderfully with the classroom, another falls a bit short. One thing is for certain: the possibilities are endless when children begin exploring their creative selves!

8 Ways to Teach Kids Creative Thinking. Waterford.org. (2020, October 28). https://www.waterford.org/resources/creative-activities-for-kids/ . 

Developmental Milestones at 5 Years. Child Mind Institute. (2019, January 22). https://childmind.org/guide/developmental-milestones/milestones-at-5-years/ .

Johnson, B. (2019, January 16). 4 Ways to Develop Creativity in Students. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-ways-develop-creativity-students . 

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New Designs for School Teaching Kindergarteners Critical Thinking Skills: Lessons from Two Rivers Deeper Learning Cohort

Jeff Heyck-Williams with Chelsea Rivas and Liz Rosenberg Two Rivers Deeper Learning Cohort in Washington, D.C.

We’ve all had the experience of truly purposeful, authentic learning and know how valuable it is. Educators are taking the best of what we know about learning, student support, effective instruction, and interpersonal skill-building to completely reimagine schools so that students experience that kind of purposeful learning all day, every day.

The stories of two kindergarten teachers illustrate the power of providing an opportunity for 5 and 6 year-olds to think critically.

I’ve argued elsewhere that yes, we can define, teach, and assess critical thinking skills , but I know what you are probably thinking. These skills are all good for middle and high school students and maybe upper elementary kids, but kindergarteners? However, I was in a kindergarten class recently where five and six year-olds were making evidenced-based claims and critiquing the arguments of each other. Kindergarteners were thinking critically!

Two Rivers Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., is wrapping up our second Deeper Learning Cohort. Twenty-four educators from schools across the city participated to learn how to deepen their students’ thinking through the use of thinking routines with aligned rubrics and performance assessments.

This group of dedicated teachers from prekindergarten through 8th grade gathered at convenings over the course of this past school year to explore what it means to help students think more deeply about what they are learning. Specifically, we learned about three thinking routines that provide a structure for helping students think critically and problem-solve. We dived into understanding how the language of rubrics can be used to define these constructs but have limitations when applied across multiple contexts. We developed understanding of performance task design and how that translates into the experiences we provide for students everyday. Finally, we learned how analyzing student thinking as exhibited in student work can be leveraged to deepen our students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills .

The power of this work has been highlighted for all of us as we saw kindergarten students demonstrate an ability to formulate reasoned arguments with specific support. The stories of two kindergarten teachers illustrate the power of providing both an opportunity for five and six year-olds to think critically and the structure to support that thinking.

Teaching Kindergarteners to Be Effective Reasoners

Chelsea Rivas, Kindergarten Teacher at Two Rivers Public Charter School

When Two Rivers invited educators to participate in a Deeper Learning Cohort last summer I jumped on the opportunity. I began working at Two Rivers in the fall of 2018 and had a lot to learn my first year about the “Two Rivers Way,” so I didn’t feel like I was able to dive into thinking routines in a way I wanted. This cohort allowed me to do just that!

We began our journey by learning about and experiencing the thinking routines and then choosing one to focus on all year with our class. As a kindergarten teacher, I decided I wanted my students to grow into people who reason effectively, so I chose to focus on the “Claim-Support-Question” routine.

I introduced the effective reasoning thinking routine of Claim-Support-Question with a fun think-aloud. I showed a portion of a picture on our board and had students make “claims,” or guesses, as to what the whole picture might be. I then had them support their claim with evidence from the picture and their own personal experience. Last, I showed my students how we can challenge or question our claim by saying what someone else might think.

My students loved this challenge so much that we made it part of our morning routine two to three times a week. Once students became comfortable using this routine in the context of the mystery picture of the day, I extended the use of this routine to reading literature. I modeled making claims and using evidence from the text to support my claim, as well as stating how someone could disagree with my claim. I had students begin making claims, using valid support, and challenging their claim in guided reading.

My students have moved from just stating their opinion, or claim, to always having valid support for their opinions. The word “because” is ingrained in their five and six-year old vocabulary. It’s become easier for many to empathize with other people’s opinions because they have gotten into the routine of challenging their own thinking. However, this is probably the toughest part of the effective reasoning thinking routine and many of my students are still working to get better at the question aspect of the Claim-Support-Question routine.

My students are critical thinkers, problem solvers, and able to consistently think outside the box. Parents have told me how impressed they are that their children are able to think this deeply about a topic. My biggest take-away from this experience has been that my kindergarteners can do a lot more than what people expect!

Thinking Routines in Kindergarten

Liz Rosenberg, Kindergarten Teacher at Creative Minds International Public Charter School

As I was looking for professional development opportunities over the summer in 2019, I happened to come across an online post for the Deeper Learning Cohort through Two Rivers. I had heard of thinking routines in the past but never really had the structure to implement them in my classroom. After spending only a few days together in July with this cohort of passionate, invested, skilled group of D.C. teachers, I felt inspired and empowered to push my students’ thinking before they even arrived in my classroom in August.

It is so easy as a teacher to get bogged down by the pressures of Common Core—we want our students to read, write, and solve math problems so they can be successful and score well on PARCC. While those content areas are of course very important, teaching for me has always been deeper than that. I want my students to grow up to be contributing members of society, who can think critically about the world and express their ideas and beliefs with conviction and confidence. To be successful in this world, they need to be able to communicate their thinking to others, making it visible to their audience, whether that audience is their classmates in a college course or their spouse later in their adult life. I want my students to understand the world from a global perspective, which includes truly comprehending that others may see the world differently than them and how that fact makes the world better, richer, and more diverse. So often we see adults who are not able to separate their thinking from their own lived experiences. I want more for my students and fight for that every day.

I have extremely high expectations of myself and those in my life—and that includes my students. I was surprised to learn as I progressed through this cohort of deeper learning that my students are capable of even more than I thought, that I can raise my expectations of them even higher! My students can make statements, support their claim with evidence, and think of a counterclaim. They can look at a set of choices, list criteria for a decision, and see if their choices meet the criteria. Many years ago, when I asked my students, “How do you know?” they would respond with answers like, “I thought it in my brain” or “my mom told me.” No longer is that acceptable in my classroom because I provided my students with the scaffolding so they can now make their thinking visible without as much support. They can problem solve by thinking about what they already know, what they want to know, and what ideas they should think about to drive their learning. And my five year-olds can communicate in meaningful ways through writing and pictures. They know their voices matter and what they have to say matters.

This is just the beginning. The values and lessons my students are learning are setting the foundation for them to be lifelong learners who question, think critically, back up their thinking with evidence, and be thoughtful and effective problem solvers. This is the world I want to live in and, together with my students, we are creating it.

Photo at top courtesy of Two Rivers Public Charter School.

Jeff Heyck-Williams with Chelsea Rivas and Liz Rosenberg

Two rivers deeper learning cohort.

Jeff Heyck-WIlliams is director of curriculum and instruction at Two Rivers Public Charter School.

Chelsea Rivas is a kindergarten teacher at Two Rivers Public Charter School.

Liz Rosenberg is a kindergarten teacher at Creative Minds International Public Charter School.

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5 Critical Thinking Skills Every Kid Needs To Learn (And How To Teach Them)

Teach them to thoughtfully question the world around them.

Little kids love to ask questions. “Why is the sky blue?” “Where does the sun go at night?” Their innate curiosity helps them learn more about the world, and it’s key to their development. As they grow older, it’s important to encourage them to keep asking questions and to teach them the right kinds of questions to ask. We call these “critical thinking skills,” and they help kids become thoughtful adults who are able to make informed decisions as they grow older.

What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking allows us to examine a subject and develop an informed opinion about it. First, we need to be able to simply understand the information, then we build on that by analyzing, comparing, evaluating, reflecting, and more. Critical thinking is about asking questions, then looking closely at the answers to form conclusions that are backed by provable facts, not just “gut feelings” and opinion.

Critical thinkers tend to question everything, and that can drive teachers and parents a little crazy. The temptation to reply, “Because I said so!” is strong, but when you can, try to provide the reasons behind your answers. We want to raise children who take an active role in the world around them and who nurture curiosity throughout their entire lives.

Key Critical Thinking Skills

So, what are critical thinking skills? There’s no official list, but many people use Bloom’s Taxonomy to help lay out the skills kids should develop as they grow up.

Source: Vanderbilt University

Bloom’s Taxonomy is laid out as a pyramid, with foundational skills at the bottom providing a base for more advanced skills higher up. The lowest phase, “Remember,” doesn’t require much critical thinking. These are the skills kids use when they memorize math facts or world capitals or practice their spelling words. Critical thinking doesn’t begin to creep in until the next steps.

Understanding requires more than memorization. It’s the difference between a child reciting by rote “one times four is four, two times four is eight, three times four is twelve,” versus recognizing that multiplication is the same as adding a number to itself a certain number of times. Schools focus more these days on understanding concepts than they used to; pure memorization has its place, but when a student understands the concept behind something, they can then move on to the next phase.

Application opens up whole worlds to students. Once you realize you can use a concept you’ve already mastered and apply it to other examples, you’ve expanded your learning exponentially. It’s easy to see this in math or science, but it works in all subjects. Kids may memorize sight words to speed up their reading mastery, but it’s learning to apply phonics and other reading skills that allows them to tackle any new word that comes their way.

Analysis is the real leap into advanced critical thinking for most kids. When we analyze something, we don’t take it at face value. Analysis requires us to find facts that stand up to inquiry, even if we don’t like what those facts might mean. We put aside personal feelings or beliefs and explore, examine, research, compare and contrast, draw correlations, organize, experiment, and so much more. We learn to identify primary sources for information, and check into the validity of those sources. Analysis is a skill successful adults must use every day, so it’s something we must help kids learn as early as possible.

Almost at the top of Bloom’s pyramid, evaluation skills let us synthesize all the information we’ve learned, understood, applied, and analyzed, and to use it to support our opinions and decisions. Now we can reflect on the data we’ve gathered and use it to make choices, cast votes, or offer informed opinions. We can evaluate the statements of others too, using these same skills. True evaluation requires us to put aside our own biases and accept that there may be other valid points of view, even if we don’t necessarily agree with them.

In the final phase, we use every one of those previous skills to create something new. This could be a proposal, an essay, a theory, a plan—anything a person assembles that’s unique.

Note: Bloom’s original taxonomy included “synthesis” as opposed to “create,” and it was located between “apply” and “evaluate.” When you synthesize, you put various parts of different ideas together to form a new whole. In 2001, a group of cognitive psychologists removed that term from the taxonomy , replacing it with “create,” but it’s part of the same concept.

How To Teach Critical Thinking

Using critical thinking in your own life is vital, but passing it along to the next generation is just as important. Be sure to focus on analyzing and evaluating, two multifaceted sets of skills that take lots and lots of practice. Start with these 10 Tips for Teaching Kids To Be Awesome Critical Thinkers . Then try these critical thinking activities and games. Finally, try to incorporate some of these 100+ Critical Thinking Questions for Students into your lessons. They’ll help your students develop the skills they need to navigate a world full of conflicting facts and provocative opinions.

One of These Things Is Not Like the Other

This classic Sesame Street activity is terrific for introducing the ideas of classifying, sorting, and finding relationships. All you need are several different objects (or pictures of objects). Lay them out in front of students, and ask them to decide which one doesn’t belong to the group. Let them be creative: The answer they come up with might not be the one you envisioned, and that’s OK!

The Answer Is …

Post an “answer” and ask kids to come up with the question. For instance, if you’re reading the book Charlotte’s Web , the answer might be “Templeton.” Students could say, “Who helped save Wilbur even though he didn’t really like him?” or “What’s the name of the rat that lived in the barn?” Backwards thinking encourages creativity and requires a good understanding of the subject matter.

Forced Analogies

Practice making connections and seeing relationships with this fun game. Kids write four random words in the corners of a Frayer Model and one more in the middle. The challenge? To link the center word to one of the others by making an analogy. The more far out the analogies, the better!

Learn more: Forced Analogies at The Owl Teacher

Primary Sources

Tired of hearing “I found it on Wikipedia!” when you ask kids where they got their answer? It’s time to take a closer look at primary sources. Show students how to follow a fact back to its original source, whether online or in print. We’ve got 10 terrific American history–based primary source activities to try here.

Science Experiments

Hands-on science experiments and STEM challenges are a surefire way to engage students, and they involve all sorts of critical thinking skills. We’ve got hundreds of experiment ideas for all ages on our STEM pages , starting with 50 Stem Activities To Help Kids Think Outside the Box .

Not the Answer

Multiple-choice questions can be a great way to work on critical thinking. Turn the questions into discussions, asking kids to eliminate wrong answers one by one. This gives them practice analyzing and evaluating, allowing them to make considered choices.

Learn more: Teaching in the Fast Lane

Correlation Tic-Tac-Toe

Here’s a fun way to work on correlation, which is a part of analysis. Show kids a 3 x 3 grid with nine pictures, and ask them to find a way to link three in a row together to get tic-tac-toe. For instance, in the pictures above, you might link together the cracked ground, the landslide, and the tsunami as things that might happen after an earthquake. Take things a step further and discuss the fact that there are other ways those things might have happened (a landslide can be caused by heavy rain, for instance), so correlation doesn’t necessarily prove causation.

Learn more: Critical Thinking Tic-Tac-Toe at The Owl Teacher

Inventions That Changed the World

Explore the chain of cause and effect with this fun thought exercise. Start it off by asking one student to name an invention they believe changed the world. Each student then follows by explaining an effect that invention had on the world and their own lives. Challenge each student to come up with something different.

Learn more: Teaching With a Mountain View

Critical Thinking Games

There are so many board games that help kids learn to question, analyze, examine, make judgments, and more. In fact, pretty much any game that doesn’t leave things entirely up to chance (Sorry, Candy Land) requires players to use critical thinking skills. See one teacher’s favorites at the link below.

Learn more: Miss DeCarbo

This is one of those classic critical thinking activities that really prepares kids for the real world. Assign a topic (or let them choose one). Then give kids time to do some research to find good sources that support their point of view. Finally, let the debate begin! Check out 100 Middle School Debate Topics , 100 High School Debate Topics , and 60 Funny Debate Topics for Kids of All Ages .

How do you teach critical thinking skills in your classroom? Come share your ideas and ask for advice in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out 38 simple ways to integrate social-emotional learning throughout the day ..

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100+ Critical Thinking Questions for Students To Ask About Anything

Critical thinkers question everything. Continue Reading

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Abstract Thinking Skills in Kindergarten

Understanding and boosting your kindergartner's learning abilities..

"This person needs help!" says Tamara into a long box she is using as a walkie-talkie. Sonja replies, "I'll be right there!" into her hand "phone" as she mimes jumping into her ambulance and driving to the scene.

The development of abstract or symbolic thought is characteristic of the kindergarten years. You see children do this almost every day in their dramatic play as they use objects to represent other things or make movements to represent a more complex action such as driving an ambulance. When they are doing this, they are learning how to use symbols. Symbolic play is the ability to take on a mental image of something that is not there, to substitute one object for another, or mime an object when no prop is available. Developing an understanding of symbols is essential to reading and math because it enables children to recognize that letters and numbers represent something.

Abstract Thinking and Dramatic Play Young children begin to develop abstract thinking skills through their pretend play. In the kindergarten years, children's ability to pretend is taken to a high level of abstraction. They imaginatively use a simple object to represent something, and try on a variety of symbolic roles.

This ability to pretend with objects and use them symbolically assists children in all areas of the curriculum. For example, kindergartners learn that the numeral six stands for six things and begin to learn how to add and subtract these symbols. This abstract mathematical skill eventually grows into the very abstract understandings of algebra and calculus.

The Road to Reading and Writing The same can be said about reading and writing. Abstract thinking is essential in order to use the symbol system we know as the alphabet. They are gaining an understanding that drawings and lines can represent an object, thought, or word. This leads to 5-year-olds experimenting with using scribbles and shapes to draw and "write." When children "read" these lines and scribbles to you, they are using their own symbol system to represent their thoughts. The amazing thing is they often can read these scribbles over and over again in exactly the same way.

Language Learning Strong language skills are essential to abstract thinking — and kindergartners are often very verbal. They're able to explain their thinking and can expound on their ideas in great detail.

As they share books, for example, children can imagine scenes that are not even in the books and can suggest possible new endings or sequels to the story. It takes a high degree of abstract thought to be able to envision things that are not there and then verbalize those thoughts. During this stage of development, children enjoy creative-thinking activities such as brainstorming all the ways to use a familiar object, or using simple objects for telling a story.

Abstract Thinking and Problem Solving Learning to think abstractly is an important component of developing problem-solving skills. By kindergarten, children become more adept at thinking about a solution to a problem without actually trying it out. They're now able to imagine and think through a problem and its solution with less hands-on experience. The ability to imagine a problematic situation and possible solutions allows children to problem solve without having to engage in cause-and-effect experiments.

Moving Toward Math and Science During what Jean Piaget defined as the preoperational stage (usually from 2 to 6 years), children are on a "search for representation." They are learning how to move from the concrete to the abstract. That is why it's important to introduce simple graphs and drawings as ways to represent a hands-on science experiment or math experience. This growing skill not only allows children to apply what they have learned (and to demonstrate their understanding) but also invites them to move to higher levels of abstract thinking.

What You Can Do:

• Add abstract props to the play area. The more abstract the prop, the more symbolic the play. Consider adding many different size boxes, PVC piping and joints, scarves, and sheets.
• Invite children to create their own symbol system. Children may like to create an independent set of symbols to represent familiar words, names, and directions.
• Take field trips and tie them to representational activities such as re-enactment, charting, and writing.

Teacher Perceptions of the Primary Education Thinking Skills Program

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Columbus City Schools teaches the Primary Education Thinking Skills (PETS) program to all Kindergarten, First and Second graders in select schools in order to build students’ critical and creative thinking skills and to assist with identifying students from underrepresented populations as gifted and talented. The intention is to develop convergent, divergent, visual/spatial, and evaluative thinking ability in all students in these grades while providing opportunities for students with exceptional potential to be challenged in preparation for later gifted identification and services.

PETS Overview PETS serves the dual purpose of giving teachers the opportunity to identify exceptional talents in children and teaching all students higher level thinking skills. Through fictional characters in a storybook setting, young children learn to display the special skills these characters possess. PETS follows the taxonomy outline by Benjamin Bloom, presenting lessons in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. These higher order skills are less emphasized in most primary curricula, yet students of all ability levels have shown interest and understanding of these different types of thinking. 

Video by Dodie Merritt, co-author of PETS program 

Primary Enrichment Specialist Role A Primary Enrichment Specialist will teach a 45-minute whole class lesson to every K, 1, and 2 class in assigned buildings every other week during the school year. In off weeks, the specialist will work with small groups of students from those classes who demonstrated particular strength in the focus skill in order to enrich and extend student understanding. During those off weeks, the specialist will also collaborate with classroom teachers to develop lessons that embed the thinking skills into other standards-based lessons.

Classroom Teacher Role The classroom teacher is an active observer during the whole class lessons by collecting anecdotal data using the easy-to-use electronic data tool. This data will help identify students with particular strength and serve as a basis for program evaluation. The classroom teacher is also asked to find ways to reinforce the focus thinking skill throughout the week during other classroom instruction and to log those experiences in the data tool every other week.

PETS and Gifted Identification PETS instruction is an early thinking skills program, but it is not a formal gifted service.  Students do not need to be identified as gifted to participate in small group extensions, and gifted identification does not mean the student will participate in all small group extensions. Participation in the small group means that the student has a strength in that specific skill and is ready for an extension. Gifted identification only comes from formal testing in accordance with Ohio law.

Meet the PETS Characters Check out the videos below for an overview of the PETS characters and their special thinking skills.

Dudley the Detective Sybil the Scientist Isabel the Inventor Yolanda the Yarnspinner Max the Magician Jordan the Judge

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Thinking Skills in the Primary Classroom

January 7, 2011 //  by  Admin

Thinking Skills in the Primary Classroom by Matt Revill will help teachers to apply thinking skills strategies to maths, literacy and science. This is a new collection of more than 60 exciting activities with accompanying resources

Thinking Skills in the Primary Classroom includes an introduction to the different thinking skills used mentioned in the book, along with guidance on differentiation, adapting the activities and creating your own.

It provides teachers with the tools they need to promote creative and critical thinking abilities to their pupils, by providing the practical materials needed as well as increasing their confidence in applying new strategies to their teaching.

Thinking Skills in the Primary Classroom will help you to:

• raise standards and end of Key Stage test results
• increase pupil confidence and selfesteem
• equip children with life-long information processing skills
• enable reflection, encourage discussion and integrate metacognition
• create a positive learning environment

The games and activities within Thinking Skills can be used in a number of ways to meet the different needs of your class. There are opportunities for pair work, group work and differentiation, plus metacognition questions during the plenary sessions. The book covers Foundation Stage 2 to Year 6.

The lesson plans are easy to follow and many include ready-to-use resources. The activities can be made available to supply teachers and teaching assistants during planning preparation and assessment time, teacher absence, etc.

When the activities have become familiar the ideas can be adapted to better meet the individual needs and requirements of a particular class. The resources are stored electronically on an accompanying CD so that you can quickly and easily modify them to meet your pupils’ specific learning needs. You can even create your own thinking skills lesson, using blank planning grids provided, making this book the perfect way to introduce and develop your teaching of thinking skills.

Structure of the book

Introduction

Chapter 1: Teaching thinking skills Using the lesson plans The thinking skills defined The thinking skills classroom

Adapting the activities and creating your own lesson plans

Chapter 2: Maths Planning sheets and resources for Foundation Stage 2 to Year 6

Games and activities include: Ordering weights, Maths stories, Compass points, Make a game, Find the difference

Chapter 3: Literacy Planning sheets and resources for Foundation Stage 2 to Year 6

Games and activities include: Keyword games, Chopped up limericks,Describe a character, Grid stories, Ace adjectives

Chapter 4: Science Planning sheets and resources arranged by QCA Units, 1 to 6 Games and activities include: Light and dark, Using electricity, Pushes and pulls , Variation,

Rocks and solids, plus a Science SATS revision game

About the author

Matt Revill has over five years experience of teaching primary school children. He was responsible for the implementation of the new Key Stage 2 MFL Framework, and is a regular contributor to the local school network for MFL organised through Meadowhead Specialist Language College School coordinator for Thinking Skills and Creativity.

Matt is also a Lead Teacher for Sheffield in Creativity and Thinking Skills, and is responsible for managing and running several thinking skills based projects and delivering the results to regional meetings and conferences.

Author: Matt Revill

Published: 2008

ISBN: 978-1-905538-63-8

238 pages, A4, photocopiable

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Understanding Kindergarten Readiness as a Pathway to Lifelong Learning

By LENA Team September 18, 2024

Kindergarten readiness (sometimes called “school readiness”) means a lot of things to a lot of people … but what exactly is it? The (too) easy answer is to say there’s a checklist: A child is kindergarten ready, or school ready, if they know what they should know and can do what they should do.

However, it’s far more complex than that.

Many experts believe school readiness is not just about knowledge and ability. It’s about having a willing attitude and confidence in learning. It’s about social-emotional skills, communication skills, and other healthy approaches to learning. Plus, even if kindergarten readiness were just a checklist, who actually gets to decide what goes on that checklist? It turns out that every state is different.

The lack of a clear, shared definition of kindergarten readiness is causing concern among educators. Without a common understanding, it’s challenging to ensure fair practices and equal investment in preparing all children for school. It also raises questions about access to early learning experiences and the role of academic versus social-emotional skills in readiness. This situation calls for a fresh look at how we approach early childhood education and school preparation.

One thing’s for sure: Kindergarten readiness doesn’t start the day, the month, or the year before the first day of school. It’s all about a child’s earliest experiences and the whole of their Birth-5 educational opportunities.

Understanding Kindergarten Readiness

As we mentioned, kindergarten readiness extends far beyond a simple checklist of abilities. Convened in 1990, the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) declared “all children in America will start school ready to learn” as the nation’s top educational goal. This declaration, while well-intentioned, raised concerns among early childhood experts.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) offered an important perspective on this goal, reminding everyone that learning doesn’t start in kindergarten. Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers are constantly learning, often at a more rapid pace than their older counterparts. This perspective shift highlights the importance of early childhood experiences in shaping a child’s readiness for formal schooling.

Despite this debate, the NEGP’s framework for kindergarten readiness remains influential. It identifies five key areas of development crucial for school readiness:

• Physical well-being and motor development.
• Social and emotional development.
• Approaches to learning.
• Language development.
• Cognition and general knowledge.

Each of these contributes uniquely to a child’s preparedness for formal schooling. For instance, cognitive skills form the bedrock of academic readiness, while social-emotional skills enable children to form relationships and navigate the social landscape of a classroom. Physical development impacts a child’s ability to engage in classroom activities, and approaches to learning fuel a child’s curiosity and persistence in facing new challenges. And language development — well, we believe it might be the most important one of them all!

At LENA, we believe that we can effectively address both sides of the readiness debate. We do that by focusing on early childhood education and providing resources for the earliest years. Early talk is a powerful equalizer, laying the foundation for kindergarten readiness long before a child reaches school age. Our programs are designed to enhance interactive talk and language environments. They offer a scalable, cost-effective approach to embedding kindergarten readiness within early childhood experiences. By nurturing these crucial skills from the start, we’re not just preparing children for kindergarten. We’re setting them up for lifelong learning success.

Key Factors Influencing Kindergarten Readiness

A child’s readiness for kindergarten is shaped by a complex interplay of factors. The family environment plays a pivotal role. Parent-child interactions , exposure to language and literacy, and the overall emotional climate of the home significantly influence a child’s development. High-quality early learning experiences, whether in formal early childhood education settings or through enriching home activities, contribute substantially to kindergarten readiness. These experiences provide children with opportunities to develop crucial skills and foster a positive attitude towards learning.

Community resources, such as libraries, parks, and health services, also play a significant role in supporting children’s development and readiness for school. Studies show communities investing in early childhood resources often see higher rates of kindergarten readiness among their youngest residents.

The importance of these factors is further highlighted by research from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study . They found that “children who enter kindergarten with stronger cognitive skills tend to perform better academically in later years.”

Different Perspectives on Kindergarten Readiness

Kindergarten readiness now includes diverse perspectives on preparing children for school success.

• Child-Focused View: This perspective emphasizes the child’s individual skills, knowledge, and developmental milestones as indicators of readiness. It often relies on assessments of specific abilities to determine a child’s preparedness for kindergarten. Proponents argue that this approach helps identify areas where children may need additional support before entering formal schooling.
• School-Focused View: Contrasting the child-focused view, this perspective argues that schools should be ready to meet the diverse needs of all incoming students, regardless of their individual skill levels or backgrounds. It emphasizes that schools must be ready to address the diverse needs of the children and families in their community and be committed to the success of every child.
• Ecological Perspective: The NEGP framework advocates for an ecological perspective, recognizing that readiness emerges from the interplay between children, families, early environments, schools, and communities. This holistic view acknowledges that readiness is not solely a characteristic of children but a product of their experiences and environments.

It’s evident that the concept of kindergarten readiness is far more nuanced than initially perceived. The mix of child, environment, and school factors challenges how we measure and support readiness across diverse groups.

Controversies Surrounding Kindergarten Readiness

Children, schools, or both.

The concept of kindergarten readiness has sparked intense debate among educators, policymakers, and researchers. At the heart of this controversy lies a fundamental question. Should we focus on preparing children for school, or should schools adapt to meet the diverse needs of incoming students?

Arguments for child-focused readiness emphasize the importance of individual skills and developmental milestones. Proponents of this view argue that assessing specific abilities helps identify areas where children may need additional support before entering formal schooling. Many educators believe that children should possess certain basic skills , such as being able to communicate needs and follow directions before starting kindergarten.

On the other hand, advocates for school-focused readiness contend that schools bear the responsibility of adapting to meet the varied needs of all students. This perspective aligns with the idea that schools should create environments conducive to learning for children at all developmental stages.

The Academics: Too Much, Too Soon?

Another growing concern in the debate around school preparedness is the increasing academic pressure placed on young children. As kindergarten curriculums have become more rigorous, some worry that the emphasis on academic skills overshadows other crucial aspects of child development.

The shift towards more academically focused kindergarten programs has child development experts begging the question, ‘Is there too much focus on academics?’. Are we sacrificing other developmental areas for the sake of equating school readiness with academic skills? It often seems so. This trend may inadvertently create stress for young learners and overlook the importance of play-based learning in early childhood education. Plus, early childhood educators must negotiate between what they know works in the early years and what the school readiness standards-based assessments tell them matters .

All that said, there’s a clear link between being ready for kindergarten and meeting later academic milestones, including third-grade reading proficiency. Third grade is a pivotal juncture in a child’s educational trajectory. It represents a shift from “learning to read” to “reading to learn,” a transition that fundamentally alters the nature of classroom instruction and academic expectations. According to one research study from the Annie E. Casey Foundation , “Students who don’t read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave high school without a diploma than proficient readers. This risk is even more pronounced for children from low-income families, who are 13 times less likely to graduate on time compared to their more affluent, proficient-reading peers.”

As children progress from early learners to kindergarteners and then to third graders, their early experiences and skills continue to shape their academic outcomes. The answer to boosting third-grade reading proficiency is not to push academic expectations down into the earlier years. Rather, it’s to recognize that the early years lead to readiness for kindergarten. This in turn leads to third-grade reading proficiency.

Balancing Opportunities: Ensuring Fair Access to Readiness

The conversation around school readiness inevitably touches on the issue of fairness in educational opportunities. Children enter school with vastly different backgrounds, experiences, and resources, which can significantly impact their preparedness for formal education.

Research highlights that children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds often start school behind their peers in vocabulary development and early literacy skills. This gap in early learning experiences can have long-lasting effects on academic achievement.

Addressing these disparities requires a dynamic approach. Community investments in early childhood resources can play a crucial role in leveling the playing field. Making access to quality early childhood programs and preschools more readily available in rural and underrepresented communities will also help. Additionally, tailoring readiness assessments and support to account for diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds can help ensure that all children have a fair chance at success.

Families as Partners

The role of families in helping their children prepare for school has come under increasing scrutiny. While family involvement is crucial for child development, there’s a growing concern about the pressure placed on families to have their children “ready for kindergarten.”

For example, the “Kindergarten Readiness” guide from First Things First , Arizona’s statewide early childhood agency, emphasizes that families are a child’s first and most important teachers. However, this responsibility can feel overwhelming, especially for families facing socioeconomic challenges or those unfamiliar with the education system.

Striking a balance between empowering caregivers and providing necessary support is key. Community programs that offer resources and guidance to families can help alleviate the perceived burden while fostering positive adult-child interactions that contribute to school readiness.

The path forward requires a distinct understanding of child development, a commitment to educational equity, and a willingness to adapt our systems to meet the needs of all young learners. A one-size-fits all approach certainly falls short. Kindergarten readiness is clearly a shared responsibility. By addressing these controversies head-on, we can work towards a more inclusive and effective approach to early childhood education that sets the stage for lifelong learning and success.

The Early Learning Continuum: Interventions and Support Strategies

While kindergarten readiness is a crucial milestone, it’s just one step in a child’s educational journey leading up to another critical benchmark: third grade reading proficiency.

As children progress from early learners to kindergarteners and then to third graders, their early experiences and skills continue to shape their academic outcomes. This continuation of learning, from infancy through third grade, is particularly crucial for reading proficiency, a key indicator of long-term educational success.

The domino effects of early reading proficiency extend far beyond the elementary school years. Research also shows that children who are not reading proficiently in third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school than proficient readers. This educational gap translates into significant economic consequences. High school dropouts earn about $10,000 less per year than those with a high school diploma, and about $36,000 less than those with a bachelor’s degree.

Bridging the Gap

To bridge early learning and third-grade reading, experts have created various support strategies. The effectiveness of these approaches is supported by research:

• Early Literacy Programs: A meta-analysis of 38 studies found that children who participated in high-quality preschool programs gained about a third of a year of additional learning across language, reading, and math skills. Additionally, studies have shown that the return on investment for high quality early education programs is 7%-10% through better education, economic, health, and social outcomes.
• Family Engagement: The “Reach Out and Read” program, which provides free children’s books to low-income families and teaches parents effective reading strategies, has been shown to increase the frequency of parents reading to children by 40%.
• Technology-Enhanced Learning: LENA Grow , a professional development program for increasing early talk and improving language development in early childhood settings, has demonstrated significant impacts .

The path from early childhood education to kindergarten readiness and ultimately to third grade reading success is clear. A comprehensive, collaborative approach, involving families, educators, and communities, is needed.

Building Foundations for Lifelong Learning Success

As we’ve seen, kindergarten readiness is a dynamic concept going beyond simple checklists of skills. It includes a child’s physical, social-emotional, and cognitive development, and their learning approach. The debate between child-focused and school-focused readiness highlights the need for a balanced approach that prepares both children and schools for successful transitions.

Early interventions, particularly in language and literacy, play a critical role in setting children on the path to kindergarten readiness. Hence, reading proficiency by third grade, a key indicator of long-term academic success, is more likely. By embracing a holistic view of school readiness and implementing evidence-based strategies, we can better support all children in their educational journeys.

Ready to transform early learning environments and set children on the path to school success? Discover how LENA Grow can revolutionize your approach to kindergarten readiness. Our innovative professional development program provides educators with powerful, data-driven tools to boost interactive talk and build crucial language skills. Give your students the early advantage they deserve and empower early childhood educators to feel more confident and satisfied in their role. Learn more about LENA Grow here!

WEBINAR — Rethinking School Readiness

The LENA Team is a dedicated group of professionals who are passionate about increasing awareness of the importance of early interactive talk. We are statisticians, speech-language pathologists, curriculum specialists, engineers, and linguists.

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What Do Children Learn in a High-Quality Kindergarten?

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Development.

Your child continues to develop a wide range of skills in kindergarten, including physical, social, emotional, language and literacy, and thinking (cognitive) skills.

Physical development  is the way your child moves her arms and legs (large motor skills) and uses the small muscles in her fingers and hands (small motor skills). Playing outside and taking physical activity breaks during the day help children build healthy bones and muscles, focus better, and feel less stress. Doing puzzles, writing, drawing, and working with clay are some activities that develop children's finger and hand control.

Social development  helps your child get along with others. Teachers support children's social skills by helping them work together, include each other in activities, make and keep friends, and resolve disagreements.

Emotional development  lets your child understand his feelings and the feelings of others. Teachers help children recognize, talk about, and express their emotions and show concern for others. They also support children's development of self-regulation—being able to manage their feelings and behavior.

Language and literacy development  includes understanding language and communicating through reading, writing, listening, and talking. Literacy is a big focus in kindergarten. Your child will use these skills throughout his life.

Thinking, or cognitive,   skills  develop as children explore, observe, create, ask questions, do new tasks, and solve problems. Teachers help children plan what they're going to do, encourage children to discuss and think more deeply about ideas, and include children when making decisions.

Learning Standards

Every state has learning standards that describe what children need to know and be able to do at a certain age. Teachers use these standards to balance what children need to learn with their knowledge of how children learn best.

Subject Areas

Whether they are helping children write thank-you letters to a library they visited, decide what material would best support the cardboard bridge they are making, or brainstorm solutions to keep the lettuce in the class garden from wilting, teachers connect learning across subject areas to give children a deeper understanding of a topic.

Speaking and listening (oral language).  At school, your child has many opportunities to listen to and speak with children and adults. Oral language skills allow children to communicate effectively and are strongly linked to reading and writing. To support these skills, teachers

• Explore new vocabulary words with children during science, math, social studies, and art, while on field trips, and during reading and computer time
• Give children opportunities to talk about what they know and make connections to their own lives
• Encourage children to take turns when talking so they learn to politely listen and speak
• Ask children to explain what they're doing and what they notice

Reading.  Children enter kindergarten with different reading experiences and skills. No matter what children already know, teachers help them continue to develop reading skills and a love of reading. They

• Share books and other types of information in both print and digital formats, and post different types of print around the room (like the daily schedule and helper charts) so children see that reading is useful and fun
• Read with children every day, individually or in a group
• Teach children letter sounds
• Point out and explain parts of written language, like capital letters and punctuation
• Support children who are learning English in addition to their home languages

Writing.  Your child will work on many skills to develop his writing. For example, he might draw pictures to plan a story. When he writes, his teacher might encourage him to use his own spelling. She'll show him how to form letters and leave space between words. The more he writes, the better he'll get at it. To support children's writing, teachers might do the following:

• Provide lots of writing materials, like different kinds of paper, pencils, markers, crayons, and digital devices (such as tablets and computers)
• Model—show and explain—specific skills
• Have children write in different forms, like observations in their science notebook or instructions on how to feed the class guinea pig
• Encourage your child to review and look for ways to improve his writing
• Share the pen—on a large sheet of paper, the teacher writes some of the words of a story, and then invites the children to write some too

Math.  Math is all around us! When your child's class is learning about patterns, for example, she might discover them on the kitchen tile at home, on a butterfly's wing, and on her striped shirt. Teachers use math concepts during everyday activities and encourage children to solve real problems, like using rulers to measure the plants they are growing. They ask questions to extend your child's thinking and encourage children to explain their answers.

Science.  Teachers provide materials and activities that encourage children to be curious (as they naturally are!) and to make discoveries: building and taking apart things, examining objects, thinking about why certain things happen, and explaining what they find out. Teachers help children think like scientists—to predict what will happen, test their ideas, come up with solutions, and record (document) their learning through pictures, graphs, writing, and photos.

Social studies.  In kindergarten, children learn how their family and their class are part of the school and local community. Teachers offer lots of opportunities for children to share their opinions, listen to others, resolve disagreements, and learn about their languages and cultures. Long-term projects in geography and history connect skills and concepts to events children are familiar with.

Creative arts.  Children express their feelings, ideas, and creativity in many ways—by exploring different art forms, inventing and telling stories, dancing, making music, and combining materials to make something new. In a high-quality kindergarten, your child might act out a story, learn about painting and architecture, and learn to appreciate the art of many cultures. Creating helps your child imagine, focus, and think about problems in a new way.

Technology.  Computers, tablets, smartphones, digital cameras, and other technology are available in many classrooms. Children use them to find information, solve problems, create, and learn at their own pace. When children use technology together, they learn to cooperate, consider different ideas, and make group decisions.

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Primary Education Thinking Skills (P.E.T.S.) <show description> PETS ™ is a systematized enrichment and diagnostic thinking skills program. Lessons are presented in convergent analysis, divergent synthesis, visual/spatial thinking, and evaluation. The program aligns to the higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.     PETS ™ helps build behavioral portfolios for talented learners that support a differentiated approach to their education, integrates flexibly into any existing primary curriculum, and offers opportunities for learners with different strengths to shine.

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Lower Elementary PE Bundle: Kindergarten to Year 3 | FMS Skills, Lessons & Games

Last updated

21 September 2024

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Resources included (11)

PE Posters - Fundamental Movement Skills

Physical Education - Early Childhood Unit

Physical Education - Fundamental Movement Skills Pack

Physical Education - Catching Task Cards

Physical Education - Throwing Task Cards

Physical Education - Kicking / Punting Task Cards

Physical Education - Striking Task Cards

Physical Education - Hand Dribble Task Cards

Physical Education - Foot Dribble Task Cards

Physical Education - 20 Team Games

Physical Education - 50 Warm Up Games

Ultimate Lower Elementary /Primary PE Bundle : Engaging & Effective Physical Education Resources for Kindergarten to Year 3

Transform your physical education program with this comprehensive bundle designed specifically for Kindergarten to Year 3! This best-selling collection includes everything you need to teach sport & foundational movement skills, keep students active, and make learning fun. Perfect for PE teachers looking to streamline lesson planning and deliver high-quality, engaging activities. Great value, save 40% with this value pack.

What’s Inside:

FMS Skills Unit: A complete unit focused on fundamental movement skills, ensuring students develop essential physical literacy.

Early Childhood PE Unit: Tailored for younger learners, this unit features age-appropriate activities that foster a love for movement and physical activity.

20 FMS Skill Posters: Vibrant, easy-to-understand posters that visually reinforce key skills, perfect for classroom displays or gym walls.

60 Games & Stations: A versatile collection of games and stations that can be used for skill development, warm-ups, or full lesson activities.

50 Warm-Up Games: Start your lessons off right with these fun, dynamic warm-up games that get students moving and ready to learn.

120 FMS Skill Cue Cards: Handy, portable cards that provide quick reminders and cues for teaching fundamental movement skills effectively. Why Choose This Bundle?

Engage Young Learners: Activities are designed to be fun and interactive, keeping students excited about physical education. Save Time: With ready-to-use resources, you can focus more on teaching and less on planning.

Proven Success: This bundle features top-rated resources that have already helped countless PE teachers enhance their programs. Ready to elevate your PE program? Click ‘Add to Cart’ now and start transforming your K-3 physical education lessons today!

Don’t miss out! Check out our other highly-rated PE resources for even more engaging and effective lessons.**

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