Child recognizes and develops the ability to explain how material objects change and how they remain stable.
What educators might observe
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When something is dropped and make a sound, looks towards that sound
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Looks for educator after they step out of the room
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Looks for or orients toward a pacifier that they have just dropped
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Finds a rattle that is hidden under a blanket when only part of the handle is showing
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Play peek-a-boo with the child
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Partially cover a familiar object with a cloth or blanket and ask, ”Where Is It,” showing excitement when the child uncovers the toy
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Carry the child to look for familiar people, toys or pets, asking, “Where Is…”
What educators might observe
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Tests the stability of physical objects, for example, patting, banging, reaching inside, and sitting on an empty box
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Looks for a toy that has been hidden under a blanket
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Read books like Where’s Spot? and encourage the baby to lift the flaps; share in the baby’s excitement
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Sing “Where is Thumbkin?” while slowly revealing your hands and fingers and then folding them away
Child uses symbolic thought to represent.
The guidelines don’t define behaviours for this area at this age.
What educators might observe
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Rolls a toy car back and forth on the floor
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Uses two objects that go together to pretend (e.g., puts a spoon in a bowl and stirs)
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Uses a bottle and pretends it contains a favorite drink (e.g., “leche”)
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Provide materials for the child to imitate caregiving routines
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Doll stroller
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Brush or comb
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Bottle
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P lay games with a script (“Where is Mommy?” “There is Mommy!” “Where is baby?” “There is baby… there you are!”)
Child develops the ability to store, retrieve, and share information about past experiences.
What educators might observe
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Can anticipate familiar activities (e.g., kicking legs and cooing when shown bottle, nipple, or spoon before feeding)
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Turns toward the front door after hearing the doorbell ring
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Keep daily schedule constant, while also responding to everyday needs; talk to the infant about what may be happening next
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Verbally express when the infant is gazing at a certain object, such as a door after their caregiver has left (“Oh, I see you looking at the door. I bet you are looking for your Mama. She will return after naptime.”)
What educators might observe
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Remembers information about recent event (e.g., continuing to play peek-a-boo after caregiver has stopped playing)
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Uses gestures or single words for a family member after morning drop-off (e.g., going to the door and saying, “Mama?”)
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Imitates actions that they have observed in the past (e.g., watching caregiver blow on hot food before eating, then blowing on own food–hot or cold)
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Create opportunities for repetitious play so that the child will say, “again,” and be willing to play the same game repeatedly
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Have designated places to put things; include pictures on the shelves to remind children where objects go
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Document everyday play in pictures and create photo albums or displays at child level; spend time talking with children about the pictures
Child becomes a scientific thinker by manipulating objects, asking questions, making observations and predictions, and developing generalizations.
What educators might observe
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Child uses senses (sight, smell, touch, hearing, taste) to interact and gain information about people and environment
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Explores objects with hands (grasping object) and mouth (bringing object to mouth)
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Expresses a sense of wonder about their surroundings (e.g., looks at an object or person intently)
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Talk to the child as they look around (“Yes, I see you looking at the teddy. Here you go, you can feel and hold the teddy.”)
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Offer the child objects, name and describe them, and invite the child to inspect the object with hands, eyes, and mouth
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Describe the environment as being rich in sensory experiences (e.g., “Do you feel the sun? Is it warm on your face? Can you see the light? The lights are sparkling.”)
What educators might observe
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Brings familiar or new objects they are curious about to a trusted adult
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Laughs at unexpected events, such as when a ball they have rolled up an incline begins to roll back
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Identify and create safe spaces and places for exploring new and different experiences
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Invite children to manipulate objects and feel their texture, weight, and size; this can include pine cones, rocks, leaves, and feathers, for example
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Join the child in paying attention to sights, sounds, smells, and textures
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Listen to the birds together
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Smell the hotdog stand
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Feel the breeze while swinging
Child understands and explores the causes and effects of actions and events.
What educators might observe
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After dropping an item, looks for or turns body toward item
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Acts on an object to make a pleasing sight, sound, or effect (e.g., shakes rattle to make sound)
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Moves body in a rocking motion in order to get the educator to keep rocking them
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Imitate the baby’s laughter, singing, smiling, and squealing to show that their action produces a reaction
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Position the baby so their kicking and grasping can produce a response
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Provide a variety of interesting objects for the baby to touch, hold, bang on, and throw
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Various rattles
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Bells
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Small and large drums
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Boxes
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Balls
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Respond to the baby’s efforts to create an effect; for example, if the baby raises their hand to be picked up, say, “You are raising your arms to show me you want to be carried. I’m going to pick you up now.”
What educators might observe
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Watches for reactions from other people when an event has occurred, such as an adult answering the phone when it rings
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Repeats actions many times to cause an effect, such as dropping an object for a caregiver to pick up
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Puts objects into a container, turns it over, watches the objects fall out, and then fills it up again
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Approaches objects with an intent to cause a certain effect (e.g., pats a drum, twists a knob, turns on a light switch)
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Respond promptly to the child’s efforts to initiate an interaction, for example, if the child makes eye contact with the educator and then covers their eyes, the educator may say, “You want to play peek-a-boo.”
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Push children on a swing so the motion of going away and coming back supports their developing sense of prediction
Child plans and uses hands, tools, and technology to solve problems with materials.
What educators might observe
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Reaches for an object that has rolled far away
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Uses a trusted caregiver as a tool to solve a physical problem (e.g., child watches the educator wind up a music box and, when the music stops, touches their hand to get them to make it start again)
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Shakes and bangs ma terials to make a sound happen repeatedly
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Observe and respond to the child’s reflexive motions and movements with words and actions; for example, if the baby accidentally spits out their pacifier, the educator may say, “Where’s your pacifier? Here it is. I’m putting it back in your mouth.”
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Notice when the child is trying to use your body as a tool, and play along with them; for example, say, “You are moving my hand toward the mobile. I will make it turn again for you.”
What educators might observe
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Uses objects as a means to an end (e.g., uses a bucket to transport blocks from one room to another)
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Crawls around a chair to get an object that has rolled behind it
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Keeps turning a container around to find the side with the lid or opening
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Attempts to unscrew lids to get objects out of them
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Undoes materials such as fasteners on shoes or tape on surfaces
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Create an environment with loose parts that the baby may freely explore
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Water cooler jugs and balls that children can drop through the top
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Containers with lids that children can attempt to pry off
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Buckets, baskets, bags, and purses for carrying materials around
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Boxes, blocks, and safe bean bags
Child recognizes some similarities and differences between familiar and unfamiliar people, objects, or experiences.
What educators might observe
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Distinguishes between objects they suck and those they do not
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Smiles when they see or hear familiar caregiver
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Gazes at unfamiliar object or person for longer period of time
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Shows preferences for particular activities, such as being carried rather than pushed in the stroller
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Explores how various toys feel and touches different objects in different ways
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Narrate when familiar individuals enter the room (“Here comes Ms. Kimball. You know Ms. Kimball. Hello, Ms. Kimball.”)
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Notice when a child is wondering about a new object (“You are looking at our new mobile. We hung it up in the window.”)
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Use descriptive vocabulary, such as rough, smooth, furry, bumpy, long, short, wet, and dry as children touch and explore their environment
What educators might observe
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Shows preference for particular items such as toys, cups, or clothing
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Knows trash can is something you place items in, but may put objects other than trash in it
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Selects a duck when educator asks, “Where’s the duck?”
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When unfamiliar adult enters the room, may cry or move toward familiar person
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Begins to understand the similarities and differences in speech sounds and distinguishes and imitates patterns of speech
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Chooses to play with the red car even though there is a blue one just like it
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Knows some objects that go together (e.g., puts the doll in a toy stroller)
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Describe objects by their size, color, and shape (“You are rolling the big, red ball.”)
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Talk about which objects go together during caregiving routines (“I am getting ready to change your diaper. I need a clean diaper, wipes, and gloves.”)
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Play language games that emphasize speech sounds; for example, repeat the consonant sounds that the baby makes
Child understands and explores numbers and quantity.
What educators might observe
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Holds one object in each hand and then drops one when someone holds out a third object
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Explores one toy at a time by holding and mouthing it
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Sing number songs to the child
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“Ten fingers, ten toes, two little eyes, one little nose…”
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“Five little ducks went out to play...”
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“Uno, dos, tres amigos...”
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Reference numbers and quantity as the educator interacts with the baby (“I see one little baby looking at me.”)
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As the child picks up, holds on to, and releases objects from their hands, name the quantity in each hand
What educators might observe
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Tries to hold onto two large balls while reaching for third ball
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Fills a bucket with objects and dumps it out
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Holds a block in each hand and bangs them together
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Shakes head “no” when asked if they want more food
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Puts multiple blocks in each cup of a muffin tin
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Use comparative vocabulary as you interact with children (“Carla has more cars than Shante.”)
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Slowly count with children throughout the day. How many
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Steps on the staircase?
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Keys on a ring?
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Wheels on a car?
Child develops the ability to identify, describe, extend, and create patterns.
What educators might observe
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Associates objects and actions with their daily rhythm (e.g., reaches for favorite blanket when tired)
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Begins to show understanding of what comes next (e.g., burping after bottle, holding legs up for diapering)
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Create and maintain predictable routines for the child’s day, including feeding, resting, bathing, and playing
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Rock and sway the child in rhythmic movements
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Use song to draw the child’s attention to the rhythm of the day (e.g. songs that include such phrases as “good morning,” “time for rest,” “time to say goodbye, see you tomorrow”)
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Rock, sway, swaddle, sing, and talk to the child with a flow and inflection that is repetitive and predictable
What educators might observe
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Hands object back and forth to educator
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Demonstrates understanding of what comes next in their daily routines (e.g., goes to get shoes after breakfast because the group always goes outside at this time)
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Talk to families about the rhythms of their caregiving routines, in order to reaffirm children’s sense of what comes next
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Play back-and-forth games with children
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Rolling balls
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Swinging
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Handing objects back and forth
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Use vocabulary related to patterns: “my turn” and “your turn”
Child understands how objects, points, lines, and shapes fit in space.
What educators might observe
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Looks at own hands and feet as they move through space
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Watches a ball rolling away after accidently knocking it
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Observes a ball bounce up and down
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Uses vision and hearing to track the path of someone walking by
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Provide comfortable, safe space for the child to move freely on the floor
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Provide materials of various sizes and shapes for the child to explore, such as different types of fabrics, silicone muffin tins, ice trays, or metal jar rims
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Present collections of balls
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Use vocabulary related to spatial awareness (e.g, “in,” “on,” “under,” “up,” “down,” and “to”)
What educators might observe
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Attempts to roll body over
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Puts smaller object inside larger one, such as placing small toy in a bucket
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Uses trial and error to play with objects that can fit inside openings (e.g., tries to put different sized balls into the top of a large jug)
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Repeatedly puts things in and takes them out (e.g., sticks a peg in a hole and pulls it out again)
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Takes rings off a stacking ring and then puts one or two back on
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Stacks blocks on each other, but may put bigger block on smaller one or try to balance a square on a triangle
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Gets in and out of things (e.g., climbs into a large laundry basket and then climbs back out)
Ways educators might support the child's development
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Encourage pointing at objects, and verbally acknowledge the item that is being pointed to
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Provide materials in the learning environment that support the development of spatial sense
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Shape sorter
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Nesting cups
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Ring stackers
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Simple knob puzzles
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Provide collections of objects that are the same shape
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A collection of cubes, including boxes and blocks
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A collection of circles, including rings, lids, and round pieces of paper
