Early Childhood Standards of Quality for ... - State of Michigan

ELE: Physical Development and HealthExamples of Experiences and Strategies• Children experience support from adults and peers when attempting newskills that require fine motor skills.• Children are provided with a variety of interesting materials each day todevelop fine motor skills in painting, drawing, and creating.• There is space for children to display their creations.• The environment has a wide variety of manipulatives that are engaging,safe, and useable for small hands and children use them in scientific,mechanical, artistic, and technological activities.• Manipulatives and other material requiring small muscle control areadapted so that all children can be involved.• Books, photos, posters, and stories about the body, hands, fingers, andtoes are available for children and staff to use.• Music and finger plays are a part of each day’s routines and represent avariety of cultures and/or languages.• Teachers are purposeful in designing activities that improve fine motor skills.Questions for Reflection1. How frequently do adults encourage pretend play with manipulativesthat also supports fine motor skills; e.g., using a calculator, scales, keys,pipes, typewriters, computers, a magnifying glass?2. How does the schedule allow unrushed time for developing small motorskills; e.g., dressing, serving food, eating?3. What opportunities are planned for children to take things apartand investigate, design, and build things; how do adults use theseopportunities to promote children’s learning?4. How frequently are manipulatives rotated, repaired and re-evaluatedby staff?5. In what ways are families informed about songs and fingerplays andprovided with information about how they enhance young children’slearning?4. Early Learning Expectation: Children participate in activities thatencourage self-motivation, emphasize cooperation, and minimizecompetition.Children typically:1. Learn to cooperate with others through games and other activities andactions that show a growing knowledge of the rights of others.2. Take pride in their own abilities and increase self-motivation.100 Michigan Department of Education