Approaches to Learning The "learning to learn" skills that shape how a child engages with people, materials, and ideas: curiosity and initiative, attention and executive function, working memory, and persistence. These dispositions describe how a child approaches a task rather than what they feel about it, and they are distinct from the relationship and emotion skills of social-emotional development.
Explores With Senses and Actions Infant actively investigates objects and surroundings by looking, mouthing, reaching, banging, and shaking.
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Focuses Attention Child sustains attention on a chosen activity for a developmentally appropriate stretch, resisting minor distractions.
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Shows Curiosity and Asks Questions Child notices novel or puzzling things and seeks more information by exploring, commenting, and asking questions.
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Holds Information in Mind Child keeps a small amount of information active in memory and uses it to guide a short sequence of actions.
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Persists Through Challenges Child keeps working toward a goal after setbacks, trying new strategies rather than giving up.
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Creative Arts Children express ideas, feelings, and observations through visual art, music, movement and dance, and dramatic play. The creative arts invite young children to explore materials, sound, and story in open-ended ways, valuing the process of making over any finished product.
Responds to Music and Sound Infant attends and reacts to songs, voices, and rhythmic sounds.
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Explores Art Materials Toddler investigates crayons, paint, and dough through open-ended marks.
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Moves to Music Child responds to music with bouncing, swaying, and expressive movement.
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Engages in Pretend Play Child takes on roles and uses objects symbolically in imaginative play.
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Creates Representational Art Child draws and builds recognizable people, objects, and scenes.
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Language Receptive and expressive language: understanding words and directions, building vocabulary, and communicating needs and ideas.
Follows One-Step Directions Child carries out a simple one-step direction without gestures.
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Names Familiar Objects Child says the names of familiar people, body parts, and everyday objects.
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Uses Two-Word Phrases Child combines two words to express an idea or request.
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Identifies Common Colors Child points to or names common colors when asked.
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Literacy Early reading and writing: print awareness, letter knowledge, and the fine-motor control needed to form letters.
Recognizes Print in the Environment Child notices that print carries meaning in signs, labels, and books.
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Names Alphabet Letters Child recognizes and names some uppercase alphabet letters.
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Traces Letters Child traces letter shapes along guide lines.
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Identifies Rhyming Words Child notices and produces words that rhyme.
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Mathematics Early mathematical thinking: classification, patterning, number sense, spatial reasoning, and measurement.
Sorts Objects By Color Child groups familiar objects by visible color.
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Counts to Ten Child counts objects to ten using one-to-one correspondence.
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Copies a Simple Pattern Child reproduces an AB pattern using objects or movement.
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Adds Single-Digit Numbers Child adds two single-digit numbers.
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Physical Development & Health Gross-motor, fine-motor, health, and self-care growth as the bodily foundation for all early learning. As children gain strength, coordination, and control, they build the stability and independence that let them explore, play, and engage with every other domain.
Develops a Pincer Grasp Infant picks up small objects using the thumb and index finger together.
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Walks and Climbs Toddler walks independently and climbs onto and over low furniture and steps.
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Manages Self-Care Routines Child carries out daily routines such as dressing, handwashing, and feeding themselves with growing independence.
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Uses Fine-Motor Tools Child handles tools such as child scissors, tongs, and crayons with control.
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Balances, Hops, and Throws Child balances on one foot, hops, and throws and catches a ball with growing control.
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Science & Inquiry Young scientists observe, ask questions, predict, and explore the living world and the physical world around them. Through hands-on investigation of plants, animals, motion, water, and weather, children build the habits of noticing closely, wondering aloud, and testing ideas. These early inquiry skills lay the foundation for reasoning, evidence, and a lasting curiosity about how things work.
Explores Cause and Effect Infant or toddler acts on objects to make something happen and repeats the action.
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Observes and Describes Child uses the senses to notice details and describes what they observe.
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Explores Living Things Child observes plants and animals and learns what living things need to grow.
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Investigates How Things Move Child explores how objects move by pushing, pulling, rolling, and using ramps.
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Predicts and Tests Child makes a prediction, tries it out, and compares the result to the guess.
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Social Studies Young children's widening world: who they are within their family, the community and the helpers who keep it running, and the ways people belong, are alike, and are different. Children also begin to explore the places around them and represent those places with simple maps.
Knows About Self and Family Child shares basic facts about themselves and names the people in their family and what those people do.
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Understands Rules and Belonging Child follows shared group rules and shows a sense of being part of a classroom community.
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Recognizes Community Helpers Child identifies common community helpers and tells what each one does to help people.
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Appreciates Similarities and Differences Child notices ways people and families are alike and different and shows that everyone belongs.
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Explores Places and Maps Child describes familiar places and uses or makes simple maps to show where things are.
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Social-Emotional Development The growing capacity to understand and manage emotions, build secure relationships, regulate behavior, and develop empathy. Recognized by Head Start ELOF and CDC as a foundational domain that underpins all other learning.
Identifies Basic Emotions Child names basic emotions in themselves and others.
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Takes Turns Child takes turns with others during play, with support.
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Manages Strong Feelings Child uses a simple strategy to calm down when upset, with support.
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Shows Empathy Child notices others' feelings and responds with care.
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