What Are the Measurable Objectives in Play for Preschoolers?
- Physical objectives can measure a preschooler's ability in certain fine motor skills, including simple tasks requiring hand coordination such as using a pencil. Examples of measurable objectives for fine motor skills include cutting straight lines, buttoning or zipping closures, assembling shapes correctly, coloring in pictures, tracing hands or objects onto paper and controlling glue sticks.
- Emotions can fly wild during preschoolers' play, from giddy laughter to an outburst of tears if something disappoints them. During play activities, your measurable objectives can include displaying control over emotional outbursts, anger or tears, playing quietly or silently when asked to, playing with toys and objects the way they are intended to be played with and self-expression through creative play activities, such as arts and crafts or role play exercises.
- Play gives preschoolers a chance to build on social skills and development. Some of the social goals you can monitor and measure as a teacher include a child's ability or willingness to share, resolve conflict appropriately, play with others as opposed to staying isolated, take a leadership or follower role in group activities and help peers. Another social objective for preschoolers is to get along with peers of the opposite sex.
- Play activities provide exercises for cognitive intelligence. For instance, matching and sorting games are not only entertaining for preschoolers, but they help to develop cognitive awareness of similarities, differences and pattern recognition. Measurable objectives for play would be for students to describe things accurately, fit toys together and pull them apart again and respond appropriately to stop and start cues from the teacher.
