I

Approaches to Learning

A

Curiosity and Interest

Child approaches the world with curiosity and develops knowledge about specific topics.

7-year-olds – See this age across all domains Early elementary

What educators might observe

• Recognizes that reality is not directly knowable and that people may have different interpretations of the same event
• Pursues a particular interest by reading multiple books about the topic and writing and drawing about it
• Observes and records information over time (e.g., observes and records notes about the guinea pig in its cage each day)

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Create lists of children’s interests as part of learning about one another
• Encourage children to ask their own questions about books (e.g., “Do you have any questions about the character?”)
• As the class begins a study, the educator gathers questions from the children, asking them:
  • “What do you want to find out about this?” and recording their ideas
• Invite children to create a presentation for the class on a topic or experience they know a lot about

B

Initiative

Child pursues their own goals.

7-year-olds – See this age across all domains Early elementary

What educators might observe

• Applies learning in new contexts (e.g., learns about gardening in school and then brings seeds home and plants them in back yard)
• Attempts to master styles of drawing and creating (e.g., sees manga in a graphic novel and tries drawing in that style)
• Selects materials to create engineering solutions (e.g., uses wire, tape, and pieces of wood to create a drawbridge)
• Uses writing to meet their goals (e.g., writes a card to a friend when they are out sick)

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Engage children in conversation about their unique strengths and approaches to learning
• Allow children to bring functional materials from one area of work to another, for example tape and paper to the block area to hang signs
• Observe children’s work with them, reflect on what they have done or created and their ideas, and plan next steps together

C

Persistence and Attentiveness

Child focuses on tasks and perseveres in accomplishing them.

7-year-olds – See this age across all domains Early elementary

What educators might observe

• Is able to concentrate for extended periods of time (30 minutes or more), even on non-preferred tasks
• Makes several attempts to solve a problem, but doesn’t give up until they find a solution
• Tries multiple strategies for solving a problem
• Remembers essential facts over a period of days
• Is conscious of the presentation of their work and makes revisions to improve their work

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Encourage children to choose and read books that they need several days to finish; when you check in with them ask them to summarize and predict
• Support children in planning and carrying out projects over time; offer structures for them to keep track of steps in their work (i.e., check lists, story maps, and planning pages)
• Create formats for reflective talking and writing about the child’s work processes, including such prompts as
  • “What was hard in making your project?”
  • “Where did you get stuck?”
  • “How were you able to figure out the problem?”

D

Creativity and Inventiveness

Child uses their imagination to create and invent.

7-year-olds – See this age across all domains Early elementary

What educators might observe

• Uses standardized tools to assist them in their projects (e.g., uses a yardstick to measure the amount of string they need to hang up a curtain)
• Thinks flexibly about how to create a project
• Creates variation of existing games with peers
• Adds functional details to a project (e.g., sews on a button and makes a rough buttonhole to hold on a cape)

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Provide specific challenges to see how children encounter them, (e.g., ask chi ldren if they can figure out how to use a piece of paper to support a book)
• Ask the child(ren) to use drawing and writing to plan a longterm project, alone and in groups, and include a materials list and book/computer resource list for project
• Support child(ren) in collecting materials to create their project (e.g., collect bottle caps for children to use for wheels when building vehicles)