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Early Learning Guidelines

Across all five domains

Toddlers

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
I

Approaches to Learning

A

Curiosity and Interest

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

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Points to objects, vocalizes, and looks to educator to identify the object
  • Brings objects they are curious about to an educator
  • Takes things apart
  • When walking outside, stops to examine objects, such as a leaf
  • Will play with one object again and again (e.g., asks to hear the same book, and books on the same topic, again and again)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Ask families what the child is interested in, and invite them to contribute objects related to the child’s interests to the learning environment
  • Include different kinds of building materials in the learning environment:
    • Blocks
    • Cylinders
    • Tunnels
    • Ramps
    • Recycled materials
  • Build obstacle courses for the child to climb on and crawl through
  • Provide opportunities for the child to observe live animals

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Asks simple questions involving what, where, and why; may not attend to the answer
  • Asks questions about where people are when they can’t be seen
  • Will approach things, or devise ways to reach items of curiosity, such as pulling over a chair to reach a table
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Include nature in the learning environment:
    • Non-poisonous plants
    • Butterfly farms
    • Fish tanks
  • Model curiosity. Ask open-ended questions and then provide the answers (e.g., “Oh look, here is an acorn. I found it on the ground near the tree. Where did it come from? How did it get in the grass? Look I think it fell from the tree. I think squirrels like acorns. Maybe we should leave it by the tree and maybe a squirrel will come by.”).
B

Initiative

Child pursues their own goals.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Vocalizes to express desire for an object or curiosity about it, with such phrases as “Dis?”
  • Tries activities that their educator suggests they engage in (e.g., goes down the slide after their caregiver suggests it)
  • Is inspired by the activities of their peers (e.g., after seeing another child push a doll stroller, tries to take the doll stroller and push it themselves)
  • Looks or points at activities that they are interested in participating in
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Build opportunities throughout the day for the child to make simple choices
  • Slow down to the child’s pace, showing interest in what they are doing

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Finds ways to accomplish their own goals, such as climbing onto a table to reach something up high
  • Explores on their own and then returns to educator (i.e., runs to see something that looks interesting to them and then circles back to educator)
  • Tells an educator what they want to do
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Engage the child in taking care of their stuffed animals or baby dolls in ways that mirror their self care: washing, diaper changing, trying to use the potty, reading books, and preparing for rest time with a blanket and lullaby
  • Allow child to attempt tasks by themselves without doing it for them right away
C

Persistence and Attentiveness

Child focuses on tasks and perseveres in accomplishing them.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Tries many ways of getting to an object that is out of reach
  • Wants to do favorite activities and practice developing skills over and over again (e.g., repeatedly jumps off low step)
  • Continues to try a difficult task when a caregiver sits close to them
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Ensure that the child’s caregiving needs are met so that they can focus on the task at hand
  • Join the child in paying attention to an object or experience of interest
  • Talk with the child about their activities using open-ended questions, such as “How did you do that? Tell me more.”
  • Notice the child’s verbal and non-verbal expressions of determination, such as “Me do.” Provide time for the child to attempt the task independently and acknowledge their effort

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Sits on a caregiver’s lap while they read a board book from start to finish
  • Maintains their focus on a desired outcome
    • Stacks large cardboard blocks until they balance
    • Completes 3–5 piece puzzle
    • Pushes and pulls a wagon up a hill
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Provide materials and opportunities that meet their growing skill level. For example:
    • Scissors that cut well and are designed for leftor right-handed dominance
    • Small pitchers and stable cups so that children may pour independently
    • Easy to manage clothing such as pull-on pants
    • Sinks and toilets at child level or safely adapted for independence
D

Creativity and Inventiveness

Child uses their imagination to create and invent.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Invents new uses for everyday materials ( e.g., bangs on pots and pans)
  • Tries different combinations of objects (e.g., tries to fit small blocks into a peg sorter)
  • Imitates adult’s idea (e.g., following educator’s example to makes themselves a necklace by stringing large beads or tubes together)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Include open-ended materials in the learning environment
    • Various wooden blocks
    • Cardboard blocks
    • Textural fabrics
    • Various kinds of paper
    • Clay
    • Egg cartons
    • Play dough
    • Interlocking toys
    • Crayons
    • Paints
  • Be creative and inventive with language; engage in wordplay by making up silly words that rhyme with one another

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Uses everyday objects in imaginary play (e.g., picks up sticks and pretends they are swords)
  • Experiments with using various materials to solve problems (e.g., places a block on a stack of papers that is blowing away)
  • Dresses up as characters, (e.g., wraps scarf around neck and pretends to be a superhero)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Provide different kinds of music and encourage the child to move to the different beats and tempo
  • Include open-ended props for dramatic play, such as boxes, bags, and large pieces of cloth
  • Provide everyday items for children to play and create with, such as paper towel rolls, tissue paper, yarn, string, and tape
II

Physical Well-Being, Health and Motor Development

A

Large Motor Skills

Child uses and coordinates their large muscle groups.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Runs
  • Kicks a ball
  • Climbs onto an adult-sized couch
  • Walks up and down stairs while holding onto an educator’s hand
  • Walks up and down stairs or climbing equipment by stepping with both feet on each step
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Create outdoor spaces that are safe for young toddlers to freely explore
  • I nclude large motor furniture in the indoor learning environment
    • Small slide
    • Steps with platform
    • Rocker boat/ bridge
    • Tunnel
    • Large blocks made of wood or cardboard

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Changes speed or direction while moving though may have difficulty stopping with control
  • Walks up stairs, placing one foot on each step
  • Bends over to pick up a toy and stands back up
  • Jumps forward with both feet at the same time
  • Walks on tip-toes when asked
  • Climbs a playground ladder
  • Catches a medium-sized ball
  • Pedals a tricycle
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Play ball with children, introducing concepts of taking turns, catching, and throwing
  • I ntroduce action songs such as, “Animal Action,” “Sammy,” and “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”
  • Give children opportunities to walk barefoot on different surfaces, such as carpets, wood floors, linoleum floors, sand, concrete, or soft matting
B

Small Motor Skills

Child controls the small muscles in their hands and wrists.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Holds a truck in one hand and uses the other hand to explore the wheels
  • Pulls toys by tugging on a string
  • Holds on to two blocks while trying to reach for another block
  • Uses large brush to stand and paint at the easel
  • Holds board book upright and turns the pages
  • Holds a crayon between fingers and thumb and scribbles with big arm movements
  • Uses wrist to rotate knob puzzle pieces to fit them in puzzle board
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Acknowledge the child’s efforts at mastery of their fine motor skills and share authentic praise of their accomplishments
  • Sings songs in which the child can observe your hand movements, such as “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Little Fish, Little Fish, Swimming through the Water”

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Use child-safe scissors in one hand to make snips in a piece of paper
  • Strings large wooden beads onto a shoelace
  • Balances 5–6 blocks on top of one another
  • Open a door by turning the round handle
  • Picks up a cup with one hand to drink from it
  • Turns the pages of a paper book one at a time
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Include materials in the learning environment that foster fine motor skills
    • Balls
    • Blocks
    • Cardboard tubes to string with yarn
    • Knob puzzles
    • Large pegboards
    • Modeling compound
    • Spoons and scoops in sand and water areas
    • Cloth to collage
    • Safety scissors
    • Paper to crumple/rip
    • Variety of painting supplies
C

Sensory Integration

The child uses sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, proprioception (deep pressure), and vestibular function (balance) to perceive and respond to the world around them.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Starts to move body to fit into different spaces (e.g., fits their body into boxes, shelves, or laundry baskets)
  • Pats, pushes, mounds, and squeezes modeling compound
  • Enjoys (or shows a dislike for) messy activities
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • As educators cook, they may offer the child cornstarch or flour to feel
  • Talk about smells with children, such as the aroma of cooking or the scent of natural items such as flowers and grass
  • Provide time for children to spend in nature
  • Invite children to participate in meaningful jobs that require lifting, pushing, pulling, and carrying objects of various sizes and weights

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Notices textures on their clothes (e.g., a lumpy sock or pants made of different fabric than their shirt)
  • Tries different positions for walking quickly or running (e.g., leaning forward, rotating arms like propellers, or running sideways)
  • Jumps off a step
  • Rolls across the floor
  • Touches everything in their environment
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Create a learning environment that provides opportunities for children to develop their senses; consider Including:
    • Beautiful objects
    • Heavy objects for children to move and carry, such as phone books wrapped in duct tape or laundry detergent containers filled with sand
    • Large pieces of cloth in which children can wrap themselves
    • Opportunities for practicing balance, such as riding a rocking horse
    • Water and sand tables
    • Materials that can be stretched, squeezed, and rubbed
D

Self-Care

Child cares for their physical well-being.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Crawls or toddles toward or away from changing table when educator suggests a diaper change
  • Holds out hands or pulls them away when educator brings them to the sink for hand washing
  • Opens mouth for educator to brush their gums and teeth, or, if they would not like their gums to be brushed, closes mouth firmly
  • Participates in sleeping routines in culturally appropriate ways (e.g., lying down with grandma, gathering blanket and pacifier, or crawling to a rocking chair)
  • Drinks from an open cup
  • Undresses themselves completely
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Model, mirror, and reflect both actions and reactions (“Thank you. You are doing such a great job of taking care of yourself by getting your coat.”)
  • Tell the child that it is time for a caregiving activity, such as diaper changing, and then pause to give the child the opportunity to decide to participate (e.g., getting a new diaper and going to the changing area)
  • Narrate your actions as you change the baby’s diaper (“Now I am going to use a wipe to clean off your penis. It is going to feel cold for a minute. It’s all clean now.”)
  • When children express their growing autonomy by resisting a caregiving activity, reflect their feelings and gently carry on with the activity (“You don’t want to have your diaper changed right now. You are so mad. We will be done soon. Would you like to hold the clean diaper?”)
  • Use picture labels on toy containers and corresponding shelves so that children may clean up independently

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Tries a wider range of textures and flavors of food
  • For breastfeeding toddlers, begins to have interactions with their mother about when and how they like to nurse
  • Anticipates and participates in family and/or childcare sleeping routines
  • Shows interest in toilet training and may start to use toilet regularly with assistance
  • Washes and dries hands after toileting and before meals, with assistance
  • Cooperates and assists educator in tooth-brushing
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Talk to families about their values. (Are independence and autonomy important to them? In which areas?) Acknowledge different perspectives.
  • Provide the child with opportunities to do tasks that their family expects them to learn to do independently
    • Pour their milk and help themselves to a rice cracker from a plate on the table
    • Dress and undress themselves
    • Brush their teeth
    • Set the table for meal times
    • Put on their shoes
  • Offer the child appropriate choices when dressing (“Do you want to wear your star shirt or your elephant shirt?”)
  • Post supporting visuals to encourage independence; for example, show the steps of hand washing above the sink or the steps of washing their own cup and plate in the kitchen
  • Explore toileting by reading:
    • Everyone Poops , by Taro Gomi
    • Once Upon a Potty , by Alona Frankel
    • Diapers Are Not Forever , by Elizabeth Verdick
E

Healthy Sexuality

Child develops a healthy relationship to their body, pleasure, and others. This healthy sense of self is supported and demonstrated through respectful, caring, and loving relationships with families, educators, and other children.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Touches or rubs their genitals themselves for pleasure (Note: Children this age are not masturbating to orgasm.)
  • Says “no” or walks away when another child tries touch, hit, or kiss them
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Explore books about the body and appropriate physical touch by reading
    • Whose Toes Are Those? by Jabari Asim
    • More, More, More, Said the Baby , by Vera B. Williams
    • C is for Consent , by Eleanor Morrison
    • Baby Says , by John Steptoe
    • Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes , by Mem Fox
    • Loving Me , by Debby Slier
    • Kiss by Kiss , by Richard Van Camp
    • Full, Full, Full of Love , by Trish Cooke

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Learns the language for different body parts and their functions (e.g., penis, vagina, or breasts)
  • Communicates their gender identity (e.g.,“I’m a girl!”) and categorizes others by gender
  • Expresses curiosity about their own body and the bodies of others (e.g., trying to see other people’s bodies or asking questions like: “Why doesn’t Kayla have a wee wee?”)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • When toilet-teaching, use accurate language to describe genitals; validate children’s curiosity and provide accurate, age-appropriate answers to their questions
  • Engage in two-way communication with families regarding toilet teaching , and include
    • Words for penis and vagina in the child’s home language
    • Cultural expectations for privacy in the bathroom
  • Encourage children to read facial expressions and other body language (scared, sad, frustrated, happy, angry, etc.)
III

Social and Emotional Development

A

Trusting Relationships with Adults

Child develops trusting relationships with nurturing adults.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Indicates need for assistance from a trusted adult (e.g., looks to adult and points to ball to indicate they need help when a ball rolls under shelves)
  • Periodically checks with caregiver for help or reassurance when playing alone or with peers (e.g., moves body to caregiver to get a hug then goes back to playing)
  • Initiates interactions and plays with adults (e.g., brings book for adult to read)
  • Responds to adults’ verbal greetings either verbally or nonverbally by, for example, waving or blowing a kiss
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Openly share observations and information with families at drop-off and pick-up
  • Nurture child with kind words and positive engagement (e.g., hug, cuddle, sing, read, dance, play, etc.)
  • Make reading an intimate experience (e.g., hold child in lap while reading, and pause to talk to them about the pages they are interested in)
  • Use a positive approach with children, telling them what they can do versus what they can’t (e.g., “In the classroom we use walking feet, and you can run or jump when we go outside.”)

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Imitates adult activities (e.g., pretends to cook or “reads” next to adult who is reading)
  • Communicates with adults about recent activities (e.g., “Mama and I went to the store.”)
  • May show discomfort with separation or new situations when familiar caregiver is not present (e.g., by protesting loudly, crying, or withdrawing)
  • Seeks adult assistance with challenges but may become angry when help is given (e.g., “Help please, I do it myself.”)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Connect families to community supports such as parenting programs, book groups, and peer learning communities
  • Welcome the child as they are coming back to check in with you, and express confidence in their ability to go out and explore the world
  • Observe children playing independently and offer guidance when needed (e.g., “I see you want to play with a truck with Diego. I found a truck you can play with.”)
  • Listen carefully and with interest to what the child says and expand on the conversation (e.g., “When you went to the park, Daddy brought you an apple? What color was it? I like apples too.”)
  • Thank the child when they follow directions or help another child
B

Sense of Belonging

Child experiences a sense of belonging in environments that link, extend, and affirm the child’s family and community. Child expresses comfort and joy with human diversity.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Displays ease and comfort in a variety of places when with familiar adults
  • Follows familiar routines (e.g., knows what chair is theirs when meal time occurs)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Participate in cultural events in the community
  • Invite families to make family books or share photo albums of people who are important to the child; keep these in a place that is accessible to the child
  • Ensure that the materials in the learning environment incorporate home cultures and introduce diversity through books, posters, and puzzles
  • Allow objects that are important to the child and representative of their family, community, and culture to be brought into the learning environment
  • Encourage children of all genders to play with a wide variety of toys (dolls, puzzles, dress-up, trucks, etc.)

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Identifies self as a member of a family; talks about family members who are not present
  • Is curious about physical characteristics of self and others (e.g., skin color, hair texture, or gender anatomy)
  • May begin to use social labels such as race to describe people and “match” them based on physical characteristics
  • Asks simple questions about other children (e.g., “Where’s Tommy?” “What’s he doing?”)
  • May begin to show fear, discomfort, or dislike toward people who look or speak in unfamiliar ways
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Invite families to celebrate the child’s culture and traditions with the group (e.g., family comes to school snack time and serves sushi to children)
  • Gently introduce the child to a new learning environment, verbally and physically showing the child items to be played with and places their caretaking needs will be met; allow the child to observe and enter the environment at their own pace
  • Point out familiar items or people within the environment (“Look, Susie is here! You played with Susie yesterday with the cars.” “There is a maraca; you have a maraca like this at home.”)
  • Facilitate the initiation and inclusion of children in play
C

Sense of Self

Child develops a sense of self through noticing and developing their own interests, preferences, and abilities. Child increasingly develops self-awareness, confidence, family pride, and positive social identities.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Expresses thoughts and feelings by saying “no!”
  • Uses name or other family label (e.g., nickname or birth order such as “little sister”) when referring to self
  • Shows pride in accomplishments/achievements (e.g., smiles after making hand print)
  • Expresses comfort with and preference for foods and songs that are culturally familiar
  • Recognizes and calls attention to self, by pointing, when looking in the mirror or at photographs
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Practice cultural humility
    • Take time to critically reflect on your own values, beliefs, experiences, and culture
    • Address power dynamics in your relationships with families
  • When culturally appropriate, allow the child opportunity to complete a task on their own before offering help
  • Take pleasure in the child’s attempts and successes by verbally expressing delight (“You did it!”)
  • Model positive self-talk (“Wow! Look at my strong legs! They help me run so fast!”)

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Understands that they are a separate person
  • Refer to themselves as “me” (e.g., “Me big.”)
  • Tests limits and strives for independence
  • Communicates with phrases such as “I doing this,” “I don’t do this, “I can do this,” or “I did this”
  • Identifies objects as belonging to them, such as a lunchbox or a stuffed animal (e.g., “That’s mine!”)
  • Makes choices (e.g., what toys to play with or what clothes to wear)
  • Communicates their gender identity (e.g.,“I’m a girl!”) and categorizes others by gender
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Use songs and tell stories that are rooted in children’s home languages and cultures
  • Provide the child with a variety of materials and experiences to help them discover preference and abilities; add materials based on child’s interests
  • When appropriate, provide choices and respect children’s preferences (“Would you like to brush your teeth first or go to the bathroom first?”)
  • Proactively deepen your knowledge of children’s families, communities, and cultures so that you can provide culturally responsive care
  • I nclude books in the learning environment that promote a positive sense of self
    • My Heart Fills With Happiness , by Monique Gray Smith
    • I Can, Can You? by Marjorie W Pitzer
D

Empathy

Child forms deep, caring, human connections by imagining what someone else may be thinking or feeling and responding with care. Child recognizes unfairness and understands that unfairness hurts.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Uses known strategies to try to help other children who are upset or sad (e.g., brings a crying friend to the educator)
  • Notices and disapproves of unfair (unequal) distribution of desired objects
  • Attempts to help with a perceived need, (e.g., opens a cabinet for someone whose hands are full)
  • Wants to see good actions rewarded and bad actions punished
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Acknowledge acts of kindness (“You helped Frannie find her shoes.” “Thank you! That hug really helped to make Josie feel better.”)
  • Model empathy (“Bill was tired. I could tell because he was crying, so with your help, we went and got his blanket that he sleeps with. This made him feel better, and he has stopped crying.”)

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Understands that people have beliefs that are not true
  • Understands that just as they have thoughts, feelings, and goals, other people have thoughts, feelings, and goals too
  • Begins to understand that not everyone likes the same things
  • Assigns feelings to dolls or toys and cares for them
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Provide pets for the children to observe and care for (“I wonder if our fish is feeling hungry?”)
  • Empathize with the child (“I know it’s hard to wait for a turn.”)
  • Rethink the use of ‘I’m sorry,” as children may not know what this means; instead describe children’s feelings (“Look at Sheila. She’s sad. She’s crying. She’s holding her arm where you pushed her. Let’s see if she’s ok.”)
E

Cooperation and Negotiation

Child navigates friendships with peers through cooperation and negotiation.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Physically removes toys from another child’s grasp that they would like to play with
  • Refuses to give peer a turn
  • Accepts adult help to negotiate disputes over toys
  • Expresses interest in playing with a certain child
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Provide simple tasks and toddler-sized materials so that the children may cooperate in caring for their learning environment; for example, offer children small sponges to help clean off the table
  • Support children’s curiosity about other children; when a child reaches for another child, model what “gentle touches” mean and practice gentle touches on a stuffed animal

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Responds physically when another child takes a toy (e.g., pushing, hitting, or biting)
  • Recognizes there is conflict and seeks out educator’s assistance
  • Understands concept of “mine” and is starting to develop the concept of “his/hers/theirs”
  • Seeks out, initiates, and responds to other children for social interactions for short periods of time
  • Plays side by side with another child, making comments to them
  • Participates in loosely structured group games (e.g., chase, dramatic play, or ring-a-rounda-rosie)
  • Sometimes accepts and imitates other children’s ideas for play with adult prompts as needed (e.g., takes a shovel that is offered and briefly digs in sandbox beside another child)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Respond to conflicts objectively, using simple language to describe the conflict and phrases such as, “We have a problem, so what can we do to solve it?”
  • Stay with children until the conflict is resolved
  • Notice and verbalize children’s feelings (“I see you really want to play with that toy and it is hard to have to wait for it.”)
  • Provide alternate objects and activities while children wait for a turn
  • Show respect for the child’s choices and attempts at problem solving (“Hmm, I see you want that toy and you said, ‘Turn please.’ I wonder if we could find another toy to trade with Diana?”)
F

Emotional Self-Regulation

Child expresses and manages their feelings and impulses.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Uses a variety of strategies to manage their feelings, such as withdrawing from the group, seeking a hug from the educator, or holding on to a special object
  • Tells educator “I’m ok!” after they fall down
  • Says phrases like “Mommy bye-bye” and points to the door to communicate that they miss their family
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Set clear and consistent limits in a loving way
  • Include soft items in the caregiving environment that the child can snuggle with
  • Allow the child to freely experience and feel their emotions in safe ways; label all feelings, especially intense ones, so that the child starts to connect the feeling with the word
  • Name your own genuine feelings as they arise (“I feel so happy to be with you today.”)
  • Create a balance between quiet and louder activities in the learning environment and throughout the day

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Continues to do an action, such as climbing over the top of a table, after an educator has asked them to stop
  • Protests loudly, and may have tantrums, in response to limits
  • Names some emotions (e.g., happy, sad, excited, mad, tired, or scared)
  • Begins to use pretend play to express/act out emotions
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Invite the family to provide a comfort object from home, such as a blanket or a stuffed animal that a child may use to calm down
  • Use words to teach children to associate feelings with proper names (e.g., “She’s smiling. Do you think she’s happy, excited, or silly?”)
  • Talk with children about the feelings characters are having in books
  • Support the child by reflecting back their responses and reactions (“I see you. You are hitting and kicking. I am here to help you.”)
  • Stay with children while they are having strong feelings, and let them know they are safe
  • Notice and acknowledge the child’s preferred strategies for managing their feelings
G

Rhythms, Rules, and Routines

Child follows the rhythms, rules, and routines of the learning environment.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Begins to assert self by resisting educator requests
  • Reaches to take a toy from a peer, but then pulls back their hand in response to the educator’s look
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Provide appropriate alternatives and substitutes (e.g., “I see you want the baby doll. Can you hold the puppy while you’re waiting?” or “Chairs are for sitting. You can climb on the climber.”)
  • Use familiar cues such as dimming of lights, playing music, singing a song, or displaying a picture to indicate a transition
  • When giving a child directions
    • First gain the child’s attention
    • Use simple language
    • Give one direction at a time
    • Use positive language (e.g., “Gentle hands,” rather than “Don’t hit.”)
    • Give time for children to respond to direction
    • Follow through with positive acknowledgement

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Follows some consistently set rules and routines (e.g., chooses a book after lunch for quiet time)
  • Challenges boundaries and rules while striving for independence
  • Experiences difficulty transitioning from one activity to the next
  • Can verbally start to tell what comes next in the routines, and helps guide others in different transitions and activities
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Meet with families to discuss the rules in their home. Identify which of these rules families consider cultural values; establish rules in the classroom that provide continuity with the children’s experience at home.
  • Agree on a simple set of rules with your team of educators
  • Provide time for children to learn and practice rules
  • Create a picture schedule and post at the children’s level to help children anticipate transitions; review the picture schedule at the start of the day
  • Encourage children to feel ownership of the learning environment; for example, provide access to a small sponge so they can wipe up their own spills
IV

Communication, Language, and Literacy

A

Speaking

Child will develop the ability to speak and/ or sign in increasingly complete, complex, precise, and varied ways.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Points to items that they want or want the caregiver to give attention to
  • Uses two words together to express wants, needs, or ideas, such as “Papi, go.”
  • Shakes head “no” in response to questions
  • Uses made-up words to refer to familiar objects and experiences that family members and educators understand
  • Uses some words to refer to more than one thing (e.g., “wowa” may mean both sitting in the stroller and going outside)
  • Adds new words to their vocabulary every day
  • Socializes and interacts with peers using nonverbal (gestural) means, along with words or phrases (e.g., making a motion to push another child away and saying, “Go Away.”)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Include books in the learning environment that represent the home languages or language variations and cultures of the children
  • Bend down to the child’s level when they are talking to you
  • Use children’s names when you talk to them
  • Create a language-rich environment with many opportunities for back-and-forth interactions
  • Keep sentences short and to the point (“I see that you are playing with the ball. Oh look, Carl is also playing with the ball!”)

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Puts two or more words together to express more complex thoughts (e.g., “All gone bubbles,” “Mommy eat,” “I want,” or “I no want.”)
  • Uses past tense in simple sentences that may contain errors, such as “I goed to school.”
  • Uses the possessive, though not always correctly, (e.g., “Her Julia.”)
  • Starts to label different items with an adjective such as a big chair or blue ball
  • Emergent multilingual learners will play with using more than one language in a single sentence or conversation (e.g., “More leche please.”)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Encourage families to read, sing, and play with their child in their home language
  • Have meaningful conversations with the child; notice what they are thinking and talk to them about it
  • Pause and wait for the child to respond to your questions
  • Demonstrate that you are committed to understanding children who speak a different home language than you
  • Reflect on personal biases and assumptions about “proper speech.” Ask families about words and grammar from language variations with which you are unfamiliar
B

Listening and Understanding

Child will develop their ability to listen and understand complete, complex, precise, and varied language.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Points to familiar people when asked where they are
  • Shows joint attention with adults (e.g., looks at and points to elephant with daddy at the zoo)
  • Shows understanding of pronouns such as “my” and “your” (e.g., points to their belly button when asked, “Where is your belly button?”)
  • Identifies people, objects, and actions when asked
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Talk to families about the importance of talking with and reading to their children in their home language
  • Include pictures or movements when introducing words to help children understand new vocabulary
  • Point to colors and shapes in the real world (“I see a red balloon.”)

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Answers/asks simple questions (Note: child’s answer may not be a response to what was asked, but may instead involve what they want to talk about in the moment)
  • Demonstrates understanding of simple directions in familiar context by responding appropriately (e.g., “Give daddy the cup, please.”)
  • Responds to directions that include verbs (e.g., run, jump, reach, open)
  • Understands statements with descriptive words for time (e.g., “After we clean up, we’ll go to the bathroom.”)
  • Understands words and phrases associated with family life in their home language
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Encourage families to limit screen time and be active viewers with the child by talking about what they are seeing on the screen
  • Give specific descriptions of objects, events, and activities in the child’s world (“We are going to school with the blue door tomorrow, and you will see your friends and Miss Tatia.”)
  • Read to the child and have them turn the page and answer simple questions (“Where’d doggy go? Oh, there he is, under the bed.”)
C

Social Communication

Child uses language to relate to others according to the social expectations of their family, community, and culture.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Starts to shake head “Yes” or “No” in answer to simple questions
  • Makes requests by pointing and vocalizing
  • Repeats themselves if the educator does not respond or understand them
  • Talks into pretend phone and then pauses, as if to listen to the other person
  • Makes related comments (e.g., when adult says, “Here is your water,” child says, “cup,” “ agua ,” or “water cup.”
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Learn greetings and social phrases in the child’s home language
  • Play games that encourage back and forth interactions
    • Catch and release
    • Hide-and-seek
    • Peek-a-boo
    • Open and shut them
    • Run away and jump into my arms
  • Ask questions when the child points to something, and wait for the response of the child before proceeding

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Sustains conversation about a single topic for one or two turns
  • Makes a request or response (e.g., “I can,” “Yo quiero”, or “I want.”)
  • Repeats part of what the educator said to continue the conversation
  • Uses translanguaging, such as “That’s my abuelita.”
  • Uses single and paired words to command, indicate possession, express problems, and gain attention
  • Answers questions such as “What’s that?” and “Where is it?”
  • Begins using language to engage others in pretend play
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Use phrases like “my turn,” “your turn,” and “When you’re finished, can I have a turn?”
  • Encourage awareness of the larger social world by participating in activities where familiar faces are seen and community is encouraged
    • Take a walk around the local park
    • Visit the library
    • Go to the farmer’s market
D

Engaging with Stories and Books

Child enjoys, attends to, understands, and makes meanings from spoken and written language of storytelling and books.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Points to and names familiar people and objects in photos or books
  • Points to pictures related to the text the educator is reading
  • Holds board books upright and turns pages
  • Imitates gestures that go with rhymes or simple songs, such as “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” or “Pin Pon”
  • Listens to a story or looks at books for a short period of time
  • Responds to storytelling and texts with short questions, comments, or movements (e.g., flapping their arms when a bird appears in a book)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Create a classroom library including
    • Baskets of books
    • Bookshelves
    • Cookbooks
    • Coloring books
    • Books with photographs
    • Family albums
    • Plastic books
    • Textured books
    • Pop-up and lift-the-flap books
  • Draw the baby’s attention to print-related activities
    • Read the subway map
    • Cook from recipes
    • Look at catalogues
    • Look at menus
    • Narrate actions as you write a grocery list
    • Discuss the mail
    • Point out and identify store signs
  • Read the child’s favorite books many, many times, because repetition is comforting and promotes enjoyment
  • Use movements that correspond with the songs and stories that are being read

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Contributes language from the text at the expected time (e.g., calls out “Caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!” during a group reading of that book)
  • Asks for or picks out favorite story to read at bedtime or during play
  • Starts to point to words in the book and pretends to “read” them aloud
  • Spends time looking at books by themselves
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Select books that are connected to a child’s life
    • Read books in the child’s home language
    • Read books that take place in the child’s community or culture
    • Read baby books to a child whose sibling was just born
    • Read books related to the child’s developmental experiences (e.g., toilet learning )
  • When reading, emphasize connections with the child’s lived experience; while reading a book about going to the doctor, for example, point out similarities to the child’s own doctor, or when reading about a market trip, comment on the foods a child might see in their local store
E

Phonological Awareness

Child develops the ability to recognize and manipulate the different sounds in spoken language(s).

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Speech shows their ability to use a variety of sounds and syllables from their home language
  • Imitates sounds of adult speech to quickly learn new words
  • Attends to, repeats, and uses a few words from culturally and linguistically familiar rhymes, phrases, or refrains from stories or songs
  • Laughs when adult makes up rhymes containing nonsense words
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Repeat books and stories over and over with enthusiastic rhythmic intonations (e.g., Please Baby Please, by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee)
  • Talk about animal sounds and sounds in the environment by using descriptive words (“The bus made a very loud sound when it stopped!”)

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Imitates substitution of the first sound in a word to rhyme (e.g., substitutes the initial sound of the name of friends to play a rhyming game or sing “Willaby Wallaby Woo.”)
  • Plays with sounds of words in context, and makes silly substitutions
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Draw focus to words with similar endings (e.g., Oh, yes, you have a nose, and the nose smells the rose!”)
  • Read stories with short sentences that emphasize rhyming sounds (e.g., B rown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? by Eric Carle)
F

Composing

Child uses materials and/ or language to make meaning for themselves and/or an audience.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Makes decisions about how to manipulate and order objects in the environment (e.g., drops crayons into a paper towel tube)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Set up an overhead projector, and allow children to experiment with making shadows against the wall
  • See children’s manipulation of objects as holding meaning and or significance for them even if temporary
  • Acknowledge the marks children intentionally or accidentally make with crayons or markers

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Uses objects such as stuffed animals or action figures to act out simple stories (e.g., going to bed and waking up)
  • Organizes visual materials (e.g., play dough, paint, collage); may not intend to represent something or may change what they are representing throughout the process
  • Pretends to be a character (e.g., puts on cape and flies like Superman)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Observe children’s interactions with toys and art materials
    • Are they telling a story as they play?
    • Are they arranging objects and marks with greater intentionality?
    • Are they pretending to be a character?
  • Acknowledge and extend children’s story-making
  • Provide many and varied writing tools and materials, including markers, crayons, pencils, and chalk
G

Creating and Interpreting Multimedia Texts

Child views, creates, and makes meaning of visual communication and multimedia documentation, which includes drawings, collections, photographs, videos and displays.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Identifies themselves and familiar people in photographs
  • Notices and identifies pictures, road signs, and graphics
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Take time to look at documentation of children’s development with children, families, and colleagues
  • Document the development of a child’s interest or skill over time
  • Look at the evidence of their curiosity and learning with them

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Makes connections between a display of objects or images of personal experiences
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Take photographs of local landmarks, familiar community members, or children’s houses; make a book of them or post them in the classroom
  • Document experiences that were meaningful to the child, such as a time they jumped off a step, and use the documentation to reflect on the experience with the child
  • Use photographs of the children in the classroom to create a picture schedule of the day
V

Cognitive Development

A

Understanding Stability and Change

Child recognizes and develops the ability to explain how material objects change and how they remain stable.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Uses a variety of strategies to find missing people or objects, including looking in multiple locations for things that have been missing for some time
  • Waits or watches at window for the return of a family member
  • Thinks that they may go down the toilet or bathtub drain
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Play with a Jack-in-the-Box alongside the child (Note: sometimes children do not readily accept this toy.)
  • Give the child a box large enough for them to climb in and out of so that they can be “Jack.”
  • Play a simplified version of hide-and-seek using sounds to help the baby find you; repeat the game by having the baby hide

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Is curious about physical objects that appear to be stable but whose properties change, such as ice and sand
  • Reacts to puppets and adults in costume as if they were real
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Set up activities such as mixing color stations or watercolors over ice cubes to show how things change properties
  • Plant bean or grass seeds and watch them grow
  • Notice and respect children’s feelings about puppets and costumes
B

Representing

Child uses symbolic thought to represent.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Substitutes similar objects in dramatic play (e.g., uses a block as a phone)
  • Imitates a few steps of adult behavior in dramatic play (e.g., puts doll in bed and says, ‘night-night.’)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Talk with families about the way they use storytelling, song, theater, and art in their home and community
  • Make play dough with the child and use household objects such as wooden spoons or cookie cutters
  • Use music to enhance the telling of stories

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Uses objects flexibly for symbolic play (e.g., a stick becomes a spoon then a wand; a box is a boat then a house)
  • Animates and interacts with objects (puppets, toys, sticks, or dolls) as characters who speak aloud and have feelings
  • Talks to self during dramatic play even when no playmates are around
  • Completes a series of actions related to a theme in dramatic play, such as listening to a doll’s heart, then giving the doll a shot and a bandage
  • -Makes marks on paper and says they represent something (”I drew Mommy.”)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Provide fabrics and props for the child to use in dramatic play so they can create scenarios
  • Encourage child to talk about or point to specific parts of their drawings, paintings, and sculptures by saying, ”Tell me about your…” or “Oh, you are pointing at a red tree!”
C

Memory and History

Child develops the ability to store, retrieve, and share information about past experiences.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Knows where familiar objects are stored (e.g., looks at the shoe bin when educator says, “We’re going for a walk, where are your shoes?”)
  • Gives another child an object that belongs to them
  • Acts out caregiving sequences within dramatic and pretend play (e.g., breastfeeding a doll and then pretending to burp it)
  • Anticipates, acknowledges, and participates in the steps of caregiving routines (e.g., after eating says, “All Done. Wash Hands”)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • At pick-up, talk to families about the child’s activities with the child present so that the family may extend the conversation after school
  • Observe the child’s dramatic play and help them make connections (“You are pretending to feed your baby just like mommy does with your sister.”)
  • Use songs, chants, and verbal cues to help children learn what comes next in caregiving routines

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Recreates experiences in dramatic play (e.g., after going to the grocery store, pretends to put food in a cart and check out)
  • Tells about a significant event they remember from the past, such as a time they jumped in a big puddle
  • Shares information about recent experiences with trusted adults (e.g., telling a family member about the bee at the school playground)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Provide the child with photographs or objects to bring home to inspire family conversations about what the child did at school
  • Discuss previous events if the child brings them up, such as a trip to the grocery store or a bus ride to school
  • Provide props so that the child may reenact their experiences
  • If multiple children are remembering a past experience, acknowledge each story, but also point out details such as the time of day, or who they were with
D

Investigating and Exploring

Child becomes a scientific thinker by manipulating objects, asking questions, making observations and predictions, and developing generalizations.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Investigates new phenomena (e.g., when walking past a pile of leaves, stops and feels them with their hands)
  • Is curious about items that appear in nature, such as worms, moss, and puddles
  • Repeats experiences
  • Points to objects and signals to ask what they are
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Bring in natural items, such as bird nests, feathers, and different types of soil
  • Provide time for children to investigate objects and experiences during community walks
  • Value repetition of experiences as a form of scientific inquiry

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Makes guesses about what might happen next based on previous experiences (e.g., pushes doorbell and waits for someone to come to the door)
  • Asks simple questions about the natural world (e.g., asks “Where did the rainbow go?” or “Why is it wet outside?”)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Engage in multi-sensory activities that invite investigation
    • Cooking in the classroom
    • Mixing and stirring natural materials in buckets
    • Walks in the neighborhood, woods, or park
    • Floating scarves in the wind
    • Freezing objects in ice and watching them thaw
    • Digging holes
  • Ask “wh” questions, such as “What is that?” “Who is that?” “What if...?” “What do you think?” and “What happened?”
  • Listen to children’s questions and provide descriptive answers
E

Understanding Cause and Effect

Child understands and explores the causes and effects of actions and events.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Examines toy if it is not producing the desired effect, or tries new ways to manipulate toy
  • Knows that playing with certain forbidden objects will get adult’s attention
  • When radio is turned on, says, “Dance, Mama.”
  • Builds a tower of big cardboard blocks and then knocks it down to watch it fall
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Help the toddler understand the effects of their actions on others (“The baby is smiling because you are talking to her.”)
  • Provide cause and effect toys and experiences, such as water and sand, toys that sink and float, ramps and toys with wheels
  • Provide materials that encourage children to explore cause and effect
    • A ramp to roll objects down
    • Cardboard rolls to push objects through
    • Push and pull toys
    • Pinwheels
    • “Busy boxes” that have various buttons and latches on each side

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Says, “She needs her blanket,” when a peer becomes upset
  • Says “shhh” and tiptoes when a child is still sleeping
  • When a child has a Band-Aid, other child points at it and asks what happened
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Narrate what may be happening during an event that the child is curious about
  • Use the phrases, “I wonder...” and “Let’s see what happens if…”
  • Allow child plenty of time and repetition to explore an event or item; add materials to extend learning such as different size balls to roll down a ramp
F

Engineering: Problem-solving with Materials

Child plans and uses hands, tools, and technology to solve problems with materials.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Uses adult as a resource to solve problems with materials (e.g., child hands a toy car to an educator after it stops moving, and the child cannot figure out how to make it move again)
  • Uses trial and error to solve problems with materials (e.g., tries different orientations of a three-piece knob puzzle before fitting the pieces in place)
  • Imitates a problem-solving method they have previously observed an adult use (e.g., going to the door and turning the knob to try to open it)
  • Uses an object to reach another object (e.g., uses the handle of a broom to get an object stuck under the couch)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Include “busy boxes” in the learning environment so children can practice manipulating a variety of latches, laces, hooks, hinges, and locks
  • Allow child to solve simple self-help challenges such as maneuvering a cup off an out-of-reach shelf
  • Provide various materials that encourage problem-solving skills, such as ramps, tunnels, stools, big blocks, and train or car tracks

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe
  • Intentionally selects objects to use as tools in play (e.g., chooses a thick stick over a thin one to use as a “spoon” to stir mud in make-believe soup)
  • Puts a circular piece into a puzzle without having to try the other areas
  • Verbally and physically asks for help from an adult or peer by saying “Help,” grabbing their hand, and leading them over to the problem
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Allow child time to figure out problem for themselves, instead of intervening immediately; for example, build time into the schedule for child to try and get their shoes on before going outside
  • Encourage child to try doing a task, or suggest ways that they may be successful, such as getting a stool to reach the sink
  • Ask if the child needs help and acknowledge and respect the response
G

Math

1. Comparing and Categorizing

Child recognizes some similarities and differences between familiar and unfamiliar people, objects, or experiences.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers
What educators might observe
  • Helps clean up environment by putting materials in their places; puts books in basket, for example, or blanket in cubby
  • Arranges objects in lines (e.g., makes a row of blocks)
  • Points to a duck in a book when the educator asks, “Which one says, ‘quack?’”
  • Identifies two identical toys by putting them together (or in response to the question, “Can you find one like this?”)
  • Calls all the four-legged animals on a farm “cows,” although some are sheep and some are horses
  • Connects objects and ideas, such as using a broom for sweeping or a shovel or cup to scoop sand or water
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Provide intentional collections of toys
    • An animal family with a male, a female, and a young animal
    • A variety of trucks, trains, and cars
    • A doll with a bottle, a brush, and clothes
    • A toy broom, mop, and dustpan
    • A collection of objects that are all the same color
    • A collection of heavy objects
    • A collection of pieces of fabric such as velvet and burlap
  • Store and display collections of items in separate, accessible, attractively presented bins
24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers
What educators might observe
  • Collects a single type of object (e.g., picks up pinecones on a walk in the park)
  • Calls a big animal “Papi” (“Daddy”) and a small animal “Bebe” (“Baby”)
  • Begins to sort similar items into categories such as color or shape (e.g., retrieves blue ball when asked, “Could you please get the blue one?”)
  • Identifies small, medium, and big objects when arranged in a series
  • Uses one-to-one correspondence with objects(e.g., puts one straw in each cup.) objects (e.g., puts one straw in each cup)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Provide puzzles and toys that encourage matching, such as shape sorters
  • Incorporate categorization into games with children; for example, make up a story together in the block area about a family of goats and a family of sheep
  • Label the same objects in a group in different ways (“mommy, child, baby” and then “big, small, tiny.”)
  • Encourage child to group toys and compare similarities and differences between them (e.g., “Let’s find all the toys with wheels.”)

2. Number Sense and Quantity

Child understands and explores numbers and quantity.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers
What educators might observe
  • Puts three animals in a row when playing
  • Understands and communicates the concepts of “more” and “all done” through words or gestures
  • Identifies which group has “more” with collections in which one has much more than the other
  • Names groups of one or two (e.g., when shown a pair of shoes, says “two shoes.”)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Encourage counting out loud in multiple languages
  • Read books about numbers that reinforce concepts of one-to-one correspondence, numerical order, and mathematical concepts of more, less, too many, and all gone
  • Use number and quantity vocabulary during mealtimes (“two crackers, one apple, and one cup of milk), and count as you pour each cup of water (“one, two, three, and stop”)
  • Name groups of two objects, and identify groups that do not include two items (“That’s not two, that’s three!”)
24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers
What educators might observe
  • Starts counting with “one”
  • Says all the number words they know when counting objects, even when the quantity of objects is small
  • Reuses the number words they know if the quantity of objects is greater than the number words they know
  • Uses “a little” and “a lot” to describe quantity
  • When told, “Give me one,” hands educator just one object
  • When educator says, “Just take two,” takes only two slices of apple from the bowl
  • Demonstrates one-to-one correspondence with objects (e.g., puts one block in each muffin tin)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Encourage children to set the table for snack or lunch with one cup, one plate, and one napkin at each chair
  • Use language to describe quantity throughout the day (“We have a lot of apples for snack! We have many more apples than we can eat.”)
  • Incorporate counting into representational play with children (“There are three bears in the house. One, two, three.”)
  • Provide egg cartons, ice cube trays, and muffin tins with small blocks so children can practice one-to-one correspondence

3. Patterning

Child develops the ability to identify, describe, extend, and create patterns.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers
What educators might observe
  • Anticipates and follows familiar sequences of events (e.g., washes hands, sits at the lunch table)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Read books that involve a simple sequence of events encompassing breakfast, lunch, dinner, or morning, noon and night, such as The Big Red Barn , by Margaret Wise Brown
  • Sing repetitive songs, read repetitive stories, and recite nursery rhymes with child
    • I Went Walking , by Sue Williams
    • “The Wheels on the Bus”
    • “Where is Thumbkin?”
    • “Los Pollitos Dicen”
24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers
What educators might observe
  • Calls a striped shirt with no repeating unit a “pattern”
  • Copies simple repeating patterns (e.g., if the educator squats then stands repeatedly, the child continues this motion)
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Look for patterns in the natural and built environment with the child
  • Encourage the child to help set the table at mealtimes
  • Engage children in cooking activities where patterns are reinforced (e.g., when taking turns mixing, chant, “Stir, stir, stir, pass! Stir, stir, stir, pass!)

4. Spatial Sense and Geometry

Child understands how objects, points, lines, and shapes fit in space.

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers
What educators might observe
  • Rolls ball back and forth with educator
  • Puts together a knob puzzle with two or three separate pieces
  • Uses trial and error to place a group of nesting objects, such as boxes of different sizes, inside one another
  • Makes a line of blocks next to one another
  • Turns a book right side up after looking at the pictures and realizing it is upside down
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Encourage whole body movement
    • Roll in the grass or on the rug
    • Crawling, walking, and running over distance
    • Kicking, throwing, and rolling balls
    • Crawling through tunnels
  • Name shapes in the environment
  • Take children on community walks along different routes and discuss the landmarks you see; ask children to point to different landmarks at various points along the path
  • Provide various size and shaped containers that children can fill with water, sand, or play dough
24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers
What educators might observe
  • Matches shapes with similar sizes and orientations
  • Completes three or four piece puzzles
  • Stacks rings on a post with the biggest on the bottom and the smallest on the top
  • Understands words related to position (e.g., “Please put the basket on the table” or “Please get under the covers.”)
  • Understands the words “longer,” “shorter,” “big,” and “little”
  • Places blocks on one another to make a stack, lining up the edges
Ways educators might support the child's development
  • Outline shapes on the floor using string or tape, and encourage the children to go inside
  • Provide different sized boxes, wagons, and wheelbarrows that the children can climb in and out of and can use to move objects or other children
  • Talk about the shapes of blocks with children; compare the blocks with one another
  • Emphasize words describing where objects are in relation to one another (“beside” and “between”)
  • Help the child to find themselves in space (“Where is your pinky finger? Where is your elbow?”)

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