The Areas of Environment, Language and Expression

Which is the capacity to be fostered, as stated in brackets at the start of the area "Environment" in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. The capacity to develop a healthy mind and body and to create a healthy and safe life by oneself
2. The capacity to engage with the various surroundings with curiosity and an inquiring mind, and to try to bring them into one's life
3. The capacity to develop independence and to relate to others, so as to live in friendship and mutual support with other people
4. The capacity to acquire correct knowledge about nature and social systems nearby and to explain it

Environment aim (3) reads: "Through looking at, thinking about and handling familiar phenomena, children enrich their ( ) for the properties of things, numbers and quantities, letters, etc." Which word fills the blank?

1. knowledge
2. skills
3. understanding
4. sense

Environment content (1) reads: "Living in contact with nature, children notice its vastness, beauty, ( ), and so on." Which word fills the blank?

1. harshness
2. frightfulness
3. wonder (mysteriousness)
4. usefulness

Regarding the national flag, which is stated in the contents of the area "Environment" in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. Children understand the origin and meaning of the flag and can explain them.
2. Children become familiar with the national flag at events inside and outside the kindergarten.
3. Children can draw the national flag in the correct shape and colours.
4. The flag is not included because it is dealt with in elementary school.

Among the contents of the area "Environment", which statement about animals and plants is correct?

1. Children learn the correct names of familiar animals and plants and group them by their features.
2. Children carry out their animal-care or plant-care duties responsibly to the end every day.
3. Children treat familiar animals and plants with affection, notice the preciousness of life, and care for and cherish them.
4. Children observe and record the growth of living things and compare the changes with friends.

Environment content (8) reads: "Children engage with familiar objects and play equipment with interest and play creatively, thinking and trying things out while (a) and (b) in their own way." Which pair fills (a) and (b)?

1. (a) counting (b) measuring
2. (a) comparing (b) relating things
3. (a) classifying (b) recording
4. (a) imitating (b) memorising

Which of the following is NOT included in the contents of the area "Environment" in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. Children notice that nature and human life change with the seasons.
2. Children take good care of familiar objects.
3. Children enjoy conveying things through letters and other means in daily life.
4. Children become interested in information and facilities closely related to their lives.

Regarding numbers and shapes, which is stated in the contents of the area "Environment" in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. Children become able to count correctly up to 10 and write the numerals.
2. Children learn the names of circles, triangles and squares and tell them apart correctly.
3. Children become able to do simple addition using concrete objects.
4. Children become interested in numbers, quantities, shapes, etc. in daily life.

In which area of the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領) is the content "Children become familiar with the various cultures and traditions of Japan and the local community in daily life" found?

1. Environment
2. Human Relationships
3. Expression
4. Language

In handling note (1) of the area "Environment", what is the teacher to value?

1. The steps for children to reach the correct answer as quickly as possible
2. Children operating tools exactly as the teacher has shown
3. The process by which children notice regularities in things and become able to think in their own way
4. Children memorising the names and properties of familiar things accurately

Handling note (1) of the area "Environment" says that, through encountering other children's ideas, what feeling should be fostered?

1. The feeling of tasting the joy and fun of creating new ideas and wanting to make one's own ideas better
2. The feeling of comparing one's ideas with others' and judging which is right
3. The feeling of going along with the idea most children support and acting together as a group
4. The feeling of sticking to one's first idea without being swayed by others

According to Environment handling note (2), what is cultivated through experiences of directly touching the vastness, beauty and wonder of nature?

1. The foundations of systematic scientific knowledge and skills in observation and experiments
2. The foundations of physical strength for safe outdoor activity and judgement to avoid danger
3. The foundations of a sense of rules for group life and cooperation with friends
4. Peace of mind and the foundations of rich emotions, curiosity, thinking and expression

Environment handling note (3) says that, through various ways of relating to familiar phenomena and living things, "affection and ( ) toward them, a feeling of valuing life, public-mindedness, an inquiring mind, etc." should be fostered. Which fills the blank?

1. a sense of ownership
2. competitiveness
3. wariness
4. awe and reverence

According to Environment handling note (4), what should be fostered through becoming familiar with traditional events and games and with activities that touch other cultures?

1. Correct knowledge of Japanese history and the origins of traditional events
2. The beginnings of awareness of connection with society and of international understanding
3. The beginnings of the ability to greet and talk simply in a foreign language
4. The beginnings of the ability to plan and run traditional events by the children themselves

Which correctly describes Environment handling note (4)?

1. Japan's traditional culture comes first, and activities touching other cultures are left to elementary school and later.
2. School songs and traditional children's songs are stated, but the national anthem is not.
3. Traditional games are stated, but events such as New Year and seasonal festivals are not.
4. Besides becoming familiar with Japan's traditional events and games, becoming familiar with activities that touch other cultures is also stated.

Which guidance best fits Environment handling note (5), "regarding numbers, letters, etc., value experiences in daily life based on the children's own sense of need"?

1. At each morning meeting, every child does the same number of hiragana writing worksheets.
2. Once a week, children practise reciting numbers from 1 to 20, and those who succeed get a mark.
3. Responding to children who want to make price tags in a shop game, the teacher provides materials with numbers and letters.
4. Children who cannot yet write letters just watch, without joining the activity of making signs.

Which of the "figures we hope to see by the end of early childhood" corresponds most directly to the Environment contents "become interested in numbers, quantities, shapes, etc." and "become interested in simple signs, letters, etc." in daily life?

1. Interest in and sense of numbers, quantities, shapes, signs and letters
2. Communication through language
3. Rich sensitivity and expression
4. Beginnings of morality and a sense of rules

Which "figure we hope to see by the end of early childhood" contains wording almost identical to Environment handling note (1), "encountering other children's ideas, tasting the joy and fun of creating new ideas and trying to make one's own ideas better"?

1. Healthy mind and body
2. Beginnings of thinking skills
3. Involvement in social life
4. Communication through language

Which is the bracketed statement at the start of the area "Language" in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. To foster the will and attitude to express what one has experienced and thought in one's own words and to listen to others, and to develop a sense for language and the ability to express oneself in words.
2. To acquire correct pronunciation and grammar, to foster the ability to hear others' words accurately, and to build the basis for reading and writing.
3. To develop rich sensitivity and the ability to express, and to enrich creativity, through expressing what one has felt and thought in one's own way.
4. To learn many words needed in daily life, to foster the attitude of using them appropriately for each situation, and to build the ability to present in a group.

Language aim (1) reads: "Children taste the ( ) of expressing their feelings in words." Which word fills the blank?

1. enjoyment
2. correctness
3. importance
4. difficulty

Language aim (3) reads: "Children come to understand words needed in daily life, become familiar with picture books and stories, enrich their sense for language, and ( ) with teachers and friends." Which phrase fills the blank?

1. state their opinions to each other
2. keep promises with each other
3. connect heart to heart
4. talk with each other correctly

Regarding letters, which is stated in the contents of the area "Language" in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. Children become able to read all hiragana and read simple sentences.
2. Children enjoy conveying things through letters and other means in daily life.
3. Children become able to write their names in the correct stroke order.
4. Children practise writing letters repeatedly to prepare for elementary school.

Which of the following is stated as a content of the area "Language" in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. Children listen silently to adults until the end and ask questions only later.
2. Children speak to elders using honorific language correctly.
3. At presentations, each child clearly recites set words one by one.
4. Children express in words what they want to do and what they want others to do, and ask about what they do not understand.

According to Language handling note (1), how is language acquired?

1. Gradually, through adults repeatedly teaching correct words and children imitating and practising them.
2. Gradually, through relating with affection to familiar people, conveying one's feelings and intentions, receiving their response, and listening to their words.
3. Gradually, through learning letters and reading picture books alone, which increases vocabulary.
4. Gradually, through hearing many words on television and videos, which naturally increases vocabulary.

Which way of using picture books best fits Language handling note (3)?

1. Letting children fully enjoy them by linking the content to their own experiences and letting their imagination roam.
2. Asking questions about the content after every reading to check whether children answer correctly.
3. Having children trace the letters with a finger while reading, as practice in reading letters.
4. Choosing only stories with a clear moral and confirming the moral in words after reading.

Which explanation of word play such as shiritori and tongue twisters fits Language handling note (4)?

1. Word play is a contest of vocabulary size, so winners and losers should be made clear to raise motivation.
2. Word play is for after children can read letters, so it should start in the second half of the five-year-old year.
3. Word play hinders learning correct Japanese, so reading picture books aloud should be the focus instead.
4. Through touching the sounds and rhythms of words and new words and expressions, and enjoying using them, children's language is enriched.

Based on the link between the development of language abilities and of thinking, what does the General Provisions of the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領) (notes on making teaching plans) say to do?

1. Arrange a language environment suited to children's development and enrich language activities throughout kindergarten life.
2. Set aside a special time every day for language teaching and concentrate language activities in it.
3. Limit language activities to those related to the area Language, keeping them separate from other activities.
4. Leave the language environment to parents, since the home plays a large role in language development.

One of the figures we hope to see by the end of early childhood reads: "While connecting heart to heart with teachers and friends and becoming familiar with picture books and stories, children acquire rich words and expressions, convey their experiences and thoughts in words, listen carefully to others, and come to enjoy ( )." Which fills the blank?

1. rich verbal expression
2. communication through language
3. discussions with friends
4. being read picture books

The bracketed aim of the area "Expression" reads: "Through expressing what one has felt and thought in one's own way, to develop rich sensitivity and the ability to express, and to ( )." Which fills the blank?

1. improve expressive skills
2. build the ability to finish works
3. enrich creativity
4. build the ability to reproduce accurately

Expression aim (1) reads: "Children have rich ( ) toward the beauty of various things." Which word fills the blank?

1. sensitivity
2. knowledge
3. technique
4. connoisseurship

Expression content (1) of the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領) reads: "In daily life, children enjoy noticing and feeling various ( ), etc." Which fills the blank?

1. sounds, shapes, colours, textures, movements, tastes and smells
2. sounds, rhythms, melodies, beats and dynamics
3. sounds, shapes, colours, textures and movements
4. lines, planes, solids, light and shade, and perspective

Which of the following is stated as a content of the area "Expression" in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. Children look carefully at a model and become able to draw and make things with accurate shapes and colours.
2. Children express what they have felt and thought through sounds, movements, etc., and freely draw and make things.
3. Children learn the correct use of tools such as scissors and glue step by step.
4. Children make works on themes set for each season and finish them by the deadline.

Regarding music, which is stated in the contents of the area "Expression" in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. Children read simple sheet music and become able to play short pieces on a keyboard instrument.
2. Children practise singing seasonal songs well, with correct pitch and voice production.
3. Children memorise their part in an ensemble and become able to play together in time.
4. Children become familiar with music and enjoy singing songs, using simple rhythm instruments, and so on.

According to Expression handling note (1), how should rich sensitivity be fostered?

1. Through systematically appreciating excellent paintings and music and repeatedly explaining the features of the works in words
2. Through teaching expressive techniques step by step from easy to difficult, so that each child masters them
3. Through securing time for each child to work alone with concentration, so as not to be influenced by others' expression
4. Through meeting beautiful things and moving events while fully engaging with one's surroundings, sharing the impressions with other children and the teacher, and expressing them in various ways

A three-year-old rolls clay and shows it, saying "Cake!" It does not look like a cake. Which teacher response best fits Expression handling note (2)?

1. Saying "What a tasty-looking cake!" and accepting the expression and the wish to make it as they are.
2. Making a model, saying "A cake looks like this", and encouraging the child to remake it.
3. Telling the child it will be displayed after they get a little better, since the shape is not neat.
4. Saying frankly "It doesn't look like a cake" and encouraging the child to observe carefully first.

When doing dramatic play at a presentation day, which guidance best fits the idea of Expression handling note (3)?

1. Having the teacher fix lines and movements and drilling them repeatedly, so the performance looks polished for parents.
2. Valuing the process in which children become their roles and devise movements and words, and creating chances to see others' expression.
3. Choosing children who act well for the main roles and having the others join as stage-set crew.
4. Refusing changes from children's ideas and following the script exactly, to avoid mistakes on the day.

Which statement matches the Course of Study's description of the desired figure "rich sensitivity and expression"?

1. Children learn the correct use of various instruments and art materials, finish their feelings and thoughts as works, and taste the joy of showing them to many people at presentations.
2. Through experiences of being moved by nature, children sense its changes, think with curiosity and an inquiring mind, express in words, and grow more interested in familiar phenomena.
3. Children notice the features of various materials and ways of expressing, express what they feel and think by themselves, enjoy the process of expressing together with friends, taste the joy of expressing, and become eager.
4. While connecting heart to heart with teachers and friends and becoming familiar with picture books and stories, children acquire rich words and expressions and come to enjoy communication through language.

According to Chapter 2 of the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領), from what aspect do the five areas organise the aims and contents?

1. Aspects of elementary school subjects
2. Aspects of teachers' teaching techniques
3. Aspects of children's development
4. Aspects of the kindergarten's annual events

In Chapter 2 of the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領), which pairing of areas and descriptions is correct?

1. Environment = nature and science; Language = acquiring language; Expression = music and art-making
2. Environment = relating to familiar surroundings; Language = acquiring language; Expression = sensitivity and expression
3. Environment = relating to familiar surroundings; Language = basics of reading and writing; Expression = sensitivity and expression
4. Environment = nature and science; Language = communication; Expression = sensitivity and expression

How does Chapter 2 of the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領) describe the "handling of contents"?

1. Matters to keep in mind when giving guidance based on children's development
2. The qualities and abilities to be nurtured in kindergarten, seen from how children live
3. The matters taught in order to achieve the aims
4. Goals that every child must reach by the end of kindergarten

A kindergarten's plan says: "Monday: Environment; Wednesday: Language; Friday: Expression." Which comment best reflects the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. Not all five areas are covered, so adding days for Health and Human Relationships would make it fit the Course of Study.
2. Dividing areas by weekday is fine, but one area a day is too few; two areas a day would be better.
3. The Course of Study says three-year-olds should be taught area by area, and integrated guidance should start at age five.
4. The contents are to be taught in an integrated way through concrete activities children develop by engaging with their environment, so dividing areas by weekday does not fit.

What does Chapter 2 of the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領) say about a kindergarten adding its own contents to those shown for each area?

1. The contents of each area are uniform nationwide, so kindergartens may not add their own contents.
2. If parents request it, elementary school subject contents may be added regardless of the intent of the aims.
3. When especially necessary, suitable concrete contents based on the intent of the aims may be devised and added, taking care not to depart from the basics of kindergarten education.
4. When adding contents, the same amount of the Course of Study's contents must be removed to keep the total the same.

A five-year-old wants to know what the pill bug caught in the yard eats. Which response best fits the General Provisions' view on using information devices?

1. Showing a video that explains pill bug ecology well and skipping keeping real bugs.
2. Never using picture books or videos, since information devices do not suit early childhood.
3. Keeping the bugs while looking them up in picture books or videos, so as to deepen the direct experience.
4. Giving each child a tablet and practising repeatedly until they learn how to search.

Regarding the areas Environment, Language and Expression in "Aims and contents of care for children aged 3 and over" in the Guidelines for Nursery Care at Day Care Centers (保育所保育指針), which is correct?

1. They are written in almost the same sentences as the kindergarten Course of Study, with "teacher" replaced by "nursery staff, etc." and "young children" by "children".
2. Since day care centres focus on care, Language and Expression are not shown, and only Environment is.
3. For children aged 3 and over there are no five areas; they are shown with the same three perspectives as for infants.
4. The guidelines have no statement on the national flag and no content on culture and tradition.

In the handling notes of Language for children aged 1 to under 3 in the Guidelines for Nursery Care at Day Care Centers (保育所保育指針), how is language acquisition in this period described?

1. A period with almost no language acquisition, when exchanges rely only on gestures and facial expressions.
2. A period when interest in letters suddenly rises and children begin reading and writing their names.
3. A period when children come to talk about experiences in logical order and explain clearly to others.
4. A period of great progress, from single words to two-word sentences to exchanges in pretend play.