7-year-olds

Stage Infants Toddlers Preschool Early elementary

Age 0–9 months 8–16 months 15–24 months 24–36 months 3-year-olds 4-year-olds 5-year-olds 6-year-olds 7-year-olds 8-year-olds

Domain All domains I. Approaches to Learning II. Physical Well-Being, Health and Motor Development III. Social and Emotional Development IV. Communication, Language, and Literacy V. Cognitive Development

Show Both What educators might observe Ways educators might support the child's development

Approaches to Learning

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

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

Child pursues their own goals.

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

Child focuses on tasks and perseveres in accomplishing them.

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?”

Child uses their imagination to create and invent.

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)