Before and After - A 4 or 5 Year Old's Journey (Butterfly Class)
Social: On a social level, friends start to become very important and students learn to adjust how they play so they can get along with friends. Another big step for Butterfly students is being able to think about how to solve a problem, rather than always asking a teacher. This is an important life skill.
Academic: Students begin to use sentences to communicate their needs and wants in English. Also, students learn to identify all of the sounds and letters of English and can use phonics to slowly read simple phonics words like “in” and “cup”.
Here are some of the key skills that students will master by the time they graduate out of BUTTERFLY CLASS.
| An incoming BUTTERFLY | A graduating BUTTERFLY |
|---|---|
| I usually ask my teacher for help in resolving problems. | I can think about how to solve problems by myself. |
| I express myself in English using two word phrases. For example: "toilet please". | I express myself using sentences and thoughts with more detail. For example: "Can I go to the toilet?" |
| I need the teacher to tell me every step to take when completing a task. | I can listen to and remember multiple steps to complete a task. |
| I do not want to change how I am playing and get upset when my friends want to do something else. | I can change how I am playing so I can have fun with my friends. |
| I know a few letter sounds and can identify them at the start of words (ie d,d, dog). | I know the letter sounds and can hear them in different positions in a word. |
| I recognize numbers from 1-12. | I recognize numbers from 1-20 and can write them. |
The BUTTERFLY level is a very important time of building academic and social skills. These essential skills form the base for more focused academic work when students start in the next and final grade of Kindergarten, PORCUPINE level.
Quiz:
Which of the following is normal behavior for a 4 year old child?
- I enjoy playing with my friends.
- I get sad and cry when I’m separated from my mom.
- When I am angry I tell people about it rather than hitting people.
- When I want to communicate, I speak using short sentences.
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