I

Approaches to Learning

A

Curiosity and Interest

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

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

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Talk with families and children about the interests they are pursuing at home
• Provide access to books and computer resources for children to use in researching their own interests and questions
• Provide graphic organizers to support children in researching their own questions and curiosities and in using information to create their own works

B

Initiative

Child pursues their own goals.

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

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Talk with families and children about skills the child is developing outside of school, such as the ability to play soccer
• Notice when children are taking initiative, and invest time and resources in helping them to achieve ambitious goals
• Provide models of individuals who noticed a problem and decided to act
• Engage children in service learning projects

C

Persistence and Attentiveness

Child focuses on tasks and perseveres in accomplishing them.

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

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Notice and provide encouragement when children feel frustrated or impatient (e.g., “I see that this is taking longer than you expected, and sometimes when we have to take many steps to solve a problem, we get tired!”)
• Acknowledge persistence (e.g., “Wow, you are wrestling with that long text! I bet you are learning so much. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts about it.”)
• View mistakes as learning opportunities (e.g., “I love seeing your work on this problem; every time I see you find a mistake and use a new strategy, I know your brain is growing!”)
• Reach out to families to help with establishing a routine for homework time and modeling positive support

D

Creativity and Inventiveness

Child uses their imagination to create and invent.

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

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Create opportunities for children to work collaboratively on creative projects over the course of several weeks
• Facilitate group reflection on projects, exploring what children noticed, what observations they made, and what they learned about working together
• Provide more specialized tools and materials for use in making projects
  • Scales to compare weights
  • Graphite pencils
  • Chalk pastels
  • Editing software
• Visit museums and libraries to learn about varieties of art -making and engineering