TOOLS OF THE MIND CURRICULUM

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Tools of the Mind Basics

• Created by Dr. Deborah Leong and Dr. Elena Bodrova ! • Based on work of Russian Psychologist Lev Vygotsky ! • Implemented in Prekindergarten and Kindergarten ! • Focuses on development of cognitive, social-emotional, self-regulatory, and foundational academic skills children will need to succeed in school and beyond. • Central activities include mature make-believe !play and dramatization ! • Used nationally in 18 states with 40,000- !50,000 students !

Research Found:

• Tools of the Mind had positive effects on !kindergarteners’ working memory, reasoning ability and math skills, as well as stress hormones that affect attention and emotional regulation. !

• By the end of kindergarten, there were also improvements in reading and vocabulary, which increased into first grade. !

• In addition, positive effects on reasoning, vocabulary and stress physiology were more pronounced in high-poverty schools. !

What is a typical Tools Prekindergarten day like?

• Children begin the day by solving a ‘Mystery’ - in the beginning of the year, answering a ‘Mystery Question’ and by the end of the year, solving mysteries involving numbers, shapes, patterns, letters, letter sounds and rhyming.

• Children gather together for an Opening Group and engage in activities that support their awareness of concepts of print and letter sounds, build positive relationships with peers, develop oral language skills, and mathematics understandings in fun activities like Share the News, Timeline Calendar, Weather Graphing and Message of the Day.

• Throughout the day children engage in attention focusing activities, community building activities and self-regulation activities.

• Everyday children engage in make-believe play, choosing one center and planning their play either orally, in drawing or through the scaffolded writing process.

• Children engage with their teacher in ‘Make-Believe Play Practice’ building strong make-believe skills, leading to higher-level play and greater self-regulation development.

• Literacy instruction is embedded throughout the day in both small and large group ‘Story Labs’ building comprehension skills !. As well as, ‘Buddy Reading’ or ‘Graphics Practice’ !

• Children engage in small group and partnered math and science activities

• Each day children rest, eat snack, play outside, engage in free play and of course, have fun!

Additional research can be found at: http://toolsofthemind.org/learn/resources/research-by-tools/

GOLD ASSESSMENT What is GOLD assessment?

Teaching Strategies GOLD is an authentic, ongoing observational system for assessing children from birth through kindergarten. It helps teachers to observe children in the context of every day experiences, which is an effective way to learn what they know and can do. Teaching Strategies GOLD is based on 38 objectives for development and learning that include predictors of school success and are based on school readiness standards. The objectives are aligned with the Common Core State Standards, state early learning guidelines, and the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework. These objectives are at the heart of the system; teachers use them to focus their observations as they gather information to make classroom decisions.

How does assessment work in Prekindergarten?

We use an authentic, ongoing, observation-based assessment system called Teaching Strategies GOLD. We observe students throughout the day, documenting what we see and hear by taking notes, collecting samples of student work, and taking photos or videos. We compare what we see to research-based, widely-held expectations for children of similar ages and we use this information to plan learning experiences that are just right for your child.

What are the learning objectives in Prekindergarten?

Teaching Strategies GOLD includes objectives across a variety of areas of development and learning, which supports our focus on the whole child.

Social Emotional

Includes managing feelings, developing relationships with peers and friends, following limits and expectations

Physical Includes both gross motor and fine motor skills

Language Includes both using and comprehending language: following directions, using new vocabulary, having conversations, and telling stories

Cognitive Includes solving problems, thinking symbolically, and remembering and connecting experiences

Literacy Includes emerging reading and writing skills

Math Includes understanding numbers, spatial relationships, shapes, measurement, and patterns

How can I learn about my child’s progress?

We will send home report cards in November, February, and June and we will have individual family conferences. We are also happy to chat informally throughout the year! How can I learn more about Teaching Strategies GOLD?

We will host Academic Parent Teacher Team (APTT) Meetings for Prekindergarten families this year. These meetings will provide opportunities to learn more about our objectives, how we assess students, and how we scaffold students’ to the next level in various areas.

Additional Research on GOLD assessment can be found at: http://teachingstrategies.com/assessment/research/