Grade R theory chapter 4

• In this chapter we consider the transition to both Grade R and formal schooling and the needs of children in both contexts
• We consider the holistic development of the Grade R child with particular reference to perceptual motor development
• We consider the child from both a developmental and sociological perspective
• Being child


  Capable and competent as he/she is right now. Children's competencies and capabilities are acknowledged, and their voice and agency are recognised, as is the contribution they can make as young citizens in their own right
• Belonging child


  The importance of respecting children for who they are at this point so that they feel comfortable and accepted in their current context. This view, which reinforces a positive view of identity, informs a contextually appropriate and culturally responsive perspective on childhood
• Becoming child


  Places much more emphasis on developmental norms and what the child still needs to achieve. The focus has often tended to be on what the child cannot yet do as opposed to what he/she can
• Developmental theories and developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) cannot be ignored and should inform teachers' practice, but they are not enough on their own. The idea of a being and a belonging child must also be taken into consideration when decisions are made about the child's development
• Grade R children are those who will enter formal schooling in Grade 1 in the following year
• Welcoming the child into Grade R


  1. Open day at the end of the previous year to ease the transition from home/crèche to school

  2. Child and parents/caregivers can visit the school in advance

  3. Parents/caregivers can chat with the principal and their child's future teacher

  4. Child and parents/caregivers can become familiar with the location and layout of the school

  5. Include 'independent' activities for the children

  6. Give each child a 'take-home bag' with a fun activity
• Teachers must both know and acknowledge developmental milestones which align with the 'becoming' child, but they cannot optimise learning for children if they only take note of the 'becoming' child
• While the stages of development are the same for all children, the ages at which children reach these stages can differ
• rents/caregivers/older siblings/taxi drivers will come and fetch them at the agreed time, for example after story time or aftercare
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• Milestones


  Developmental stages that children reach at certain ages
• Teachers must know and draw on the different aspects of holistic development (see Chapters 2 and 3) and the developmental milestones if they are to optimise learning for every child
• The exact developmental timeline differs from child to child, but there is a general order and an optimal time (window of opportunity) in which milestones should be achieved
• Although milestones have been identified for each developmental domain or area, they must be viewed with caution
• There is no such thing as 'the universal child'. Each child is unique, and contextual factors must be taken into account
• Physical development


  Physical changes in the body and involves changes in bone thickness, size, weight, gross motor, fine motor, vision, hearing and perceptual development
• Grade R children


  • Increase running speed
  • Walk on a thin line
  • Tie their shoelaces
  • Start to ride a bicycle, often without training wheels
  • Catch a ball with two hands
  • Drop and catch a bouncing ball
  • Balance on one foot for a short period of time
  • Possess sufficient strength to lift and support their own body weight for a variety of activities (hopping, jumping and hanging)
  • Can skip with both feet
  • Hop more smoothly
  • Enjoy physical activity
• Social and emotional development

  How individuals develop the social skills and emotional maturity to build relationships and relate to other people
• Social and emotional development and behaviour are initially influenced by the home environment and through parental interaction, especially with the mother
• Where there are or have been home-based difficulties, early intervention can ease the situation and possibly prevent further social problems such as child neglect and abuse
• Cognitive development


  Development of memory, reasoning, problem solving and thinking
• By the end of Grade R, children


  • Should be able to write their own name and draw a detailed person
  • Match most colours
  • Understand numbers
  • Draw with precision and detail
  • Love to tell longer stories on the same topic
  • Tell jokes and riddles
  • Begin to understand death and ask many questions about it
  • Copy an adult's writing
  • Colour pictures carefully
  • Increase attention span
  • Build steps with three to four cubes
  • Copy geometric shapes
  • Know right from left
  • Know their number of fingers
• Child development milestone chart

  • Physical development
  • Social and emotional development
  • Language development
  • Intellectual development
• Many of the milestones could be placed in several developmental domains, which supports the view of holistic development
• Perceptual motor development


  The ability of the child to take in information through the senses, interpret this information (in the brain) and respond appropriately (a motor response)
• By the age of six or seven, the perceptual motor behaviours are generally refined
• Perceptual motor activities enable the child to develop

  • Greater levels of body control
  • Better coordination
  • Greater body awareness
• Children who lack perceptual motor skills often struggle with coordination and can possess poor body awareness, and therefore feel less confident
• Gross motor development (GMD)


  Development of and increased control over the large muscles - the legs, arms, back and shoulders, for example - which are used for walking, sitting, running, jumping, climbing and riding a bike, etc.
• Fine motor development (FMD)


  Development of the small muscles of the fingers, hands, toes and eyes, for example, which are used for activities such as grasping objects, holding, cutting, drawing, buttoning, writing or focusing the eye
• Spatial awareness and orientation behaviours

  Children's understanding of their bodies and what their bodies can do, including body awareness and body image
• Temporal awareness


  Children's ability to develop an inner and outer sense of time, including coordination and rhythmic movements
• Sensory awareness behaviours


  Children's ability to respond to sensations perceived through the five senses
• The development of visual and auditory perceptual motor behaviours is crucial for the acquisition of literacy skills
• Kinetics


  The unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation of stimuli
• The development of auditory and visual perceptual motor awareness is crucial for successful academic learning