While your primary checklist focuses on Life Skills, the beauty of early childhood assessment is how intertwined development is. Observations made during Life Skills activities often provide valuable insights into a child's Language and Mathematics development, which you'll note in your "General remarks" section. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) encourages a holistic approach, recognizing that children's learning and development are interconnected.
How Life Skills Observations Inform Language Development:
Look for these indicators during Life Skills activities, particularly in children aged 4-6 (Young Children and Towards Grade R):
- Drama & Role-Play (aligned with ELDA 5: Creativity):
- Vocabulary: Observe if the child uses a variety of words, including those specific to their role-play scenario (e.g., during "doctor" play, do they use terms like "stethoscope," "patient").
- Sentence Structure: Are they speaking in increasingly complex sentences as they express ideas and interact in pretend play?
- Narrative Skills: Can they create a simple story or sequence events in their play, showing an understanding of beginning, middle, and end?
- Communication: Do they take turns speaking, listen to others with concentration, respond to simple questions, and express their needs or ideas clearly to their peers and adults?
- Music & Dance (Singing Action Songs) (aligned with ELDA 5: Creativity):
- Pronunciation: Are they articulating words clearly when singing action songs and rhymes?
- Following Verbal Cues: Can they follow multi-step instructions embedded in a song (e.g., "clap your hands, stomp your feet")?
- Memory: Can they remember song lyrics, rhyming patterns, or simple word sequences from songs?
- Beginning Knowledge (Discussions) (aligned with ELDA 6: Knowledge and Understanding of the World):
- Answering Questions: Can they respond to "what," "where," "who," and increasingly "why" questions about topics related to their body, family, safety, or the natural world around them?
- Descriptive Language: Can they describe objects, experiences, or feelings using a growing range of vocabulary and sensory words?
- Recalling Events: Can they remember and talk about familiar people and events using time-related words (e.g., "yesterday," "later")?
How Life Skills Observations Inform Mathematics Development:
Look for these mathematical indicators during Life Skills activities:
- Arts & Craft (Construction & Baking) (aligned with ELDA 5: Creativity and ELDA 4: Exploring Mathematics):
- Shapes: Can they identify, name, or create basic 2-D (circle, square, triangle) and 3-D shapes in their constructions or baking activities?
- Counting: Do they count materials (e.g., "I need 5 blocks") or ingredients accurately?
- Spatial Reasoning: How do they fit pieces together, understand positional concepts like "on top," "under," "next to," "between," and "middle" when building or arranging items?
- Patterns: Do they create and extend simple patterns with beads, blocks, or other craft materials?
- Measurement: Do they use comparative language (e.g., "This one is bigger," "a lot of dough," "tall," "short," "empty," "full") while handling materials?
- Physical Education (Games & Movement) (aligned with ELDA 1: Well-being and ELDA 4: Exploring Mathematics):
- Counting: Can they count steps, jumps, or players during games and movement activities?
- One-to-One Correspondence: Do they demonstrate an understanding that one item corresponds to one other item (e.g., one ball goes to one person)?
- Spatial Awareness: Do they understand and respond to concepts like "over," "under," "through" obstacles, or directions like "forwards and backwards, up and down, upwards and downwards, left and right"?
- Following Rules/Sequencing: Can they follow a sequence of steps or rules in a game, demonstrating an understanding of order?
- Beginning Knowledge (Classification/Sorting) (aligned with ELDA 6: Knowledge and Understanding of the World and ELDA 4: Exploring Mathematics):
- Sorting & Classification: Can they sort objects based on one or more attributes like colour, size, shape, or type (e.g., healthy vs. junk food, farm animals vs. wild animals)?
- Number Recognition: Do they begin to recognize simple numerals in their environment (e.g., on a calendar, clock, or sign)?
- Simple Problem Solving: Can they solve simple, everyday problems related to immediate experiences, often involving mathematical reasoning?
By observing these connections, you can provide a richer, more integrated "General remarks" section in your child's report, showcasing their holistic development as guided by the NCF's emphasis on integrated learning.
