Grade Pre-K

Domain: Approaches to Learning

Domain: Social and Emotional Development

Domain: Language and Communication

Domain: Cognition

Domain: Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development

SUB-DOMAIN: EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL SELF-REGULATION

SUB-DOMAIN: COGNITIVE SELF-REGULATION (EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING)

SUB-DOMAIN: INITIATIVE AND CURIOSITY

SUB-DOMAIN: CREATIVITY

SUB-DOMAIN: RELATIONSHIP WITH ADULTS

SUB-DOMAIN: RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER CHILDREN

SUB-DOMAIN: EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING

SUB-DOMAIN: SENSE OF IDENTITY AND BELONGING

SUB-DOMAIN: ATTENDING AND UNDERSTANDING

SUB-DOMAIN: COMMUNICATING AND SPEAKING

SUB-DOMAIN: VOCABULARY

SUB-DOMAIN: EMERGENT LITERACY

SUB-DOMAIN: EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY

SUB-DOMAIN: MEMORY

SUB-DOMAIN: REASONING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING

SUB-DOMAIN: EMERGENT MATHEMATICAL THINKING

SUB-DOMAIN: IMITATION AND SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION AND PLAY

SUB-DOMAIN: PERCEPTION

SUB-DOMAIN: GROSS MOTOR

SUB-DOMAIN: FINE MOTOR

SUB-DOMAIN: HEALTH, SAFETY, AND NUTRITION

Child manages feelings and emotions with support of familiar adults.

Child manages actions and behavior with support of familiar adults.

Child maintains focus and sustains attention with support.

Child develops the ability to show persistence in actions and behavior.

Child demonstrates the ability to be flexible in actions and behavior.

Child demonstrates emerging initiative in interactions, experiences, and explorations.

Child shows interest in and curiosity about objects, materials, or events.

Child uses creativity to increase understanding and learning.

Child shows imagination in play and interactions with others

Child develops expectations of consistent, positive interactions through secure relationships with familiar adults.

Child uses expectations learned through repeated experiences in primary relationships to develop relationships with other adults.

Child learns to use adult as a resource to meet friends.

Child shows interest in, interacts with, and develops personal relationships with other children.

Child imitates and engages in play with children.

Child learns to express a range of emotions.

Child recognizes and interprets emotions of others with the support of familiar adults.

Child expresses care and concern towards others.

Child manages emotions with support of familiar adults.

Child shows awareness about self and how to connect with others.

Child understands some chracteristics of self and others.

Child shows confidence in own abilities through relationships with others.

Child develops a sense of belonging through relationships with others.

Child attends to, understands, and responds to communication and language from others.

Child learns from communication and language experiences with others.

Child communicates needs and wants non-verbally and by using language.

Child uses non-verbal communication and language to engage others in interaction.

Child uses increasingly complex language in conversation with others.

Child initiates non-verbal communication and language to learn and gain information.

Child understands an increasing number of words used in communication with others.

Child uses an increasing number of words in communication and conversation with others.

Child attends to, repeats, and uses some rhymes, phrases, or refrains from stories or songs.

Child handles books and relates them to their stories or information.

Child recognizes pictures and some symbols, signs, or words.

Child comprehends meaning from pictures and stories.

Child makes marks and uses them to represent objects or actions.

Child actively explores people and objects to understand self, others, and objects.

Child uses understanding of causal relationships to act on social and physical environments.

Child recognizes differences between familiar and unfamiliar people, objects, actions, or events.

Child recognizes the stability of people and objects in the environment.

Child uses memories as a foundation for more complex actions and thoughts.

Child learns to use a variety of strategies in solving problems.

Child uses reasoning and planning ahead to solve problems.

Child develops sense of number and quantity.

Child uses spatial awareness to understand objects and their movement in space.

Child uses matching and sorting of objects or people to understand similar and different characteristics.

Child observes and imitates sounds, words, gestures, actions, and behaviors.

Child uses objects or symbols to represent something else.

Child uses pretend play to increase understanding of culture, environment, and experiences.

Child uses perceptual information to understand objects, experiences, and interactions.

Child uses perceptual information in directing own actions, experiences, and interactions.

Child demonstrates effective and efficient use of large muscles for movement and position.

Child demonstrates effective and efficient use of large muscles to explore the environment.

Child uses sensory information and body awareness to understand how their body relates to the environment.

Child coordinates hand and eye movements to perform actions.

Child uses hands for exploration, play, and daily routines.

Child adjusts reach and grasp to use tools.

Child demonstrates healthy behaviors with increasing independence as part of everyday routines.

Child uses safe behaviors with support from adults.

Child demonstrates increasing interest in engaging in healthy eating habits and making nutritious food choices.

Uses various strategies to help manage strong emotions, such as removing oneself from the situation, covering eyes or ears, or seeking support from a familiar adult.

Looks to others for help in coping with strong feelings and emotions.

Uses strategies, such as seeking contact with a familiar adult or removing oneself from a situation to handle strong feelings and emotions.

Begins to manage and adjust actions and behavior with the guidance of familiar adults using words or signs such as “Stop” or “No” during conflict with a peer instead of hitting. Lets the adult know when they are hungry or tired.

Participates in and follows everyday routines with the support of familiar adults.

Communicates verbally or non-verbally about basic needs. Manages short delays in getting physical needs met with the support of familiar adults.

Learns and follows some basic rules for managing actions and behavior in familiar settings, such as holding an adult’s hand when crossing the street.

Participates in activities and experiences with people, objects, or materials that require attention and common focus.

Maintains engagement in interactions with familiar adults and children.

Chooses to join in activities or pays attention to tasks and activities that are self-initiated.

Maintains focus and attention on a simple task or activity for short periods of time.

Shows increasing ability to stay engaged when working towards a goal or solving a problem. Often tries different strategies until successful.

Persists in learning new skills or solving problems.

Continues efforts to finish a challenging activity or task with support of an adult.

Modifies actions or behavior in social situations, daily routines, and problem solving, such as playing quietly when asked or adjusting to changes in schedule.

Adjusts to changes in routines or usual activities when informed ahead of time by adults.

Makes common, everyday transitions that are part of a daily schedule.

Shows flexibility in problem solving by trying more than one approach.

Prepares for or starts some activities without being directed by others, such as getting ready for the next activity or bringing a ball to a new child at the playground.

Engages others in interactions or shared activities.

Demonstrates initiative by making choices or expressing preferences.

Attempts challenging tasks with or without adult help.

Shows eagerness to try new things.

Participates in new experiences, asks questions, and experiments with new things or materials, such as collecting leaves and pinecones in the fall.

Asks questions about what things are, how they are used, or what is happening.

Experiments with different ways of using new objects or materials.

Shows awareness of and interest in changes in the environment, such as changes in room arrangement, weather, or usual activities.

Combines objects or materials in new and unexpected ways. Shows delight in creating something new.

Pays attention to new or unusual things.

Shows willingness to participate in new activities or experiences.

Uses language in creative ways, sometimes making up words or rhymes.

Uses imagination to explore possible uses of objects and materials. Engages in pretend or make-believe play with other children.

Uses pretend and imaginary objects or people in play or interaction with others.

Uses materials such as paper, paint, crayons, or blocks to make novel things.

Engages in positive interactions in a wide variety of situations with famliar adults. Looks to or seeks familiar adults for comfort with distressed or tired.

Shows emotional connection and attachment to familiar adults.

Turns to familiar adults for protection, comfort, and getting needs met.

Often watches from a distance or waits for reassurance from familiar adults before approaching someone new. May angage in positive interactions when meeting new people, such as sharing a book with a visitor.

Engages in and may initiate behaviors that build relationships with familiar adults.

Uses familiar adults for reassurance when engaging with new adults.

Asks familiar adult for help or assistance when encountering difficult tasks or situations.

Seeks assistance from familiar adults in new or difficult situations, such as reaching for a toy on a high shelf.

Shows preference for familiar adults when in distress.

Seeks out other children for social interaction including initiating contact and responding to others. Develops friendships and engages in more elaborate play with friends.

Shows increasing interest in interacting with other children.

Shows preference for particular playmates, such as greeting friends by name.

Joins in play with other children by sometimes taking turns or doing joint activities with common goal, such as building block structi=ures with others or pretending to eat together.

Uses multiple strategies, such as imitating or responding, in order to enter play with other children.

Engages in extended play with other children with common focus.

Engages in simple cooperative play with other children.

Expreses a range of emotions, including surprise, guilt, embarrassment, or pride, based on increasing awareness of their effects on others.

Expresses a variety of emotions through facial expressions, sounds, or words.

Uses words to describe some feelins or emotions that reflect an awareness of other people's emotions.

Shows understanding of some emotional expressions of others by labeling the emotions, asking questions about them, or responding in appropriate non-verbal ways.

Recognizes feelings and emotions of others.

Responds to feelings and emotions of others with support from familiar adults.

Describes feelings of characters in a book with support from an adult.

Expresses empathy toward other children or adults who have been hurt or are crying by showing concerned attention. May try to comfort them with words or actions.

Shows care and concern for others, including comforting others in distress.

Responds to needs of others and tries to help others with simple tasks.

Shows developing ability to cope with stress or strong emotions by using strategies, such as getting a familiar toy or blanket or seeking contact with a familiar adult.

Uses different ways to calm or comfort self when upset.

Responds positively to emotional support from adults and other children.

Shows awareness of own thoughts, feelins, and preferences as well as those of othhers. Uses different words or signs to refer to self and others.

Shows areness of self including own body, abilities, thoughts, and feelings.

Shows awareness of others as having thoughts and feelings separate from own.

Identifies obvious physical similarities and diffrences between self and others. Compares characteristics of self and others.

Recognizes own name.

Identifies some physical characteristics of self such as hair color, age, gender, or size.

Recognizes some similarities and differences between self and others.

Constributes own ideas, skills, and abilities to activities and experiences with adults and other children. May call attention to new skills and abilities or seek to do things by self, such as putting on own jacket or pouring juice out of a smaller pitcher.

Shows confidence in increasing abilities.

Shows others what they can do.

Refers to personal or family experiences and events that have happened in the recent past, such as when gradparent came to visit or when there was a family celebration.

Identifies self as a member of a family.

Points to or names self and other familiar people, such as in photos or pictures.

Talks about family members, familiar people, or friends who may not be present.

Shows recognition of words, phrases, and simple sentences. Participates in conversations in ways that show understanding by following comments or suggestions with actions or behavior.

Shows understanding of some words and phrases used in conversation, such as by responding to simple questions.

Shows comprehension of simple sentences, such as by listening to and following one- or two-step directions.

Participates in increasingly complex and lengthy periods of joint attention with adults. Shows interest, understanding, or enjoyment when participating in language activities, such as demonstrating understanding of objects’ functions and uses, or when joining in games, songs, rhymes, or stories.

Acts on descriptions provided by others about people, objects, or events.

Demonstrates interest and understanding when participating in language activities or games.

Combines words or signs from one or more languages into phrases and sentences to communicate needs, wants, or ideas, such as “More milk,” “I want juice,” “Mas leche,” or “Quiero juice.” Children who are dual language learners may combine their two languages or switch between them.

Uses combinations of words and simple sentences or signs in a variety of situations.

Uses simple sentences, such as 3–4 word sentences, to communicate needs and wants.

Uses words, signs, phrases, or simple sentences to initiate, continue, or extend conversations with others about feelings, experiences, or thoughts.

Initiates and responds in conversations with others.

Participates in simple conversations with others that are maintained by back-andforth exchanges of ideas or information.

Engages in simple conversations by expressing own feelings, thoughts, and ideas to others.

Participates in conversations with others using spoken or sign language that includes simple sentences, questions, and responses. Sometimes describes experiences that have happened in the past or are about to happen. Children who are DLLs develop the ability to participate in conversations with increasing complexity in each of their languages.

Uses sentences of three or more words in conversation with others.

Asks and answers simple questions in conversations with others.

Refers to past or future events in conversation with others.

Seeks information and meaning of words by asking questions in words or signs, such as “What’s that?” or “Who’s that?” or “Why?”

Asks questions in a variety of ways.

Repeats or re-phrases questions until a response is received.

Comprehends an increasing number of words or signs used in simple sentences during conversation and interaction with familiar adults and children.

Shows understanding of the meaning of common words used in daily activities.

Attends to new words used in conversation with others.

Understands most positional words, such as on, under, up, or down.

Uses an increasing number of words in communication and conversation with others and adds new vocabulary words regularly. Children who are DLLs may have a combined vocabulary in both languages that is similar in number to other children’s vocabulary in one language.

Shows rapid growth in number of words or signs used in conversation with others.

Demonstrates a vocabulary of at least 300 words in home language.

Asks questions about the meaning of new words.

Says or repeats culturally and linguistically familiar rhymes, phrases, or refrains from songs or stories.

Repeats simple familiar rhymes or sings favorite songs.

Retells familiar stories using props.

Pretends to read books by turning pages and talking about or using signs to describe what is happening in the book.

Asks to have several favorite books read over and over.

Holds book, turns pages, and pretends to read.

Recognizes and uses some letters or numbers, such as letters in one’s name, and shows increasing interest in written forms of language, such as print in books or signs on buildings. Children who are DLLs recognize and use written forms of each of their languages.

Points to and names some letters or characters in their names.

Recognizes familiar signs on a building or street.

Attributes meaning to some symbols, such as a familiar logo or design.

Talks about books, acts out events from stories, and uses some vocabulary encountered during book reading.

Uses pictures as a guide to talk about a story that has been read.

Asks or answers questions about what is happening in a book or story.

Identifies the feelings of characters in a book or story.

Makes scribbles on paper to represent an object or action even though an adult might not recognize what it is.

Draws pictures using scribbles and talks with others about what they have made.

Draws straight lines or curved lines.

Makes letter-like marks or scribbles on paper.

Observes and experiments with how things work, seeks information from others, or experiments with different behaviors to see how people and objects react.

Learns about characteristics of people and properties and uses of objects through the senses and active exploration.

Experiments with everyday objects or materials to answer “What?”, “Why?” or “How?” questions.

Identifies the cause of an observed outcome, such as the tower fell over because it was built too high. Predicts outcomes of actions or events, such as turning the faucet will make water come out.

Makes simple predictions about what will happen next, such as in a story or in everyday routines.

Anticipates some cause and effects of own actions, such as what happens while running with a cup of water.

Anticipates and communicates about multiple steps of familiar routines, activities, or events. Expresses surprise or asks about unexpected outcomes or unusual people, actions, or events.

Comments about similarities or differences between new people, objects, or events, and ones that are more familiar.

Tells others about what will happen next or about changes in usual routines or schedules.

Uses a variety of search strategies to find hidden or missing people or objects, including looking in multiple locations for things that have been missing for some time.

Notices who is missing from a familiar group, such as family at dinner or children in a playgroup.

Looks in several different places for a toy that was played with a few days before.

Tells others about memories and past experiences. Remembers how to do a series of actions that were observed at an earlier time.

Recalls a similar family event when hearing a story read.

Prepares for next routine or activity based on past experiences, such as gets hat or coat when it is time to go outside.

Repeats simple rules about expected behavior, such as “We wash our hands before we eat.

Engages in activities for longer periods of time and tries several times to solve more challenging problems, often using a combination of actions or behaviors.

Uses a variety of strategies to solve problems, such as trial and error, simple tools, or asking someone to help.

Tries to solve the same problem in several different ways at different times.

Uses problem-solving and experimenting to figure out solutions to everyday problems, including in social situations, such as when two children who both want to fit into a small car agree to take turns.

Tries to fix things that are broken, such as putting a toy back together or using tape to repair a torn paper.

Plans ways to solve problems based on knowledge and experience, such as getting a stool to reach a book that is on a shelf after trying to reach it on tiptoes.

Uses language to refer to quantity, such as using some number words or signs to identify small amounts, or using other words referring to quantity, such as a little, too much or a lot.

Counts small number of objects (2–3), sometimes counting the same object twice or using numbers out of order.

Identifies “more” or “less” with a small number of items without needing to count them.

Uses fingers to show how old they are.

Predicts or anticipates how things move through space, or fit together or inside other things, such as putting smaller objects into a small box and larger objects into a large box.

Does puzzles with interlocking pieces, different colors and shapes.

Understands some effects of size or weight when picking up or moving objects.

Sorts objects into two groups based on a single characteristic, such as grouping toy animals separately from toy cars, or putting red socks and white socks in different piles.

Sorts toys or other objects by color, shape or size.

Orders some objects by size.

Identifies characteristics of people, such as “Mom has black hair like me.”

Imitates more complex actions, words, or signs at a later time in order to communicate, make, or do something.

Watches and imitates adult actions involving multiple steps, such as getting spoons and forks to set a table.

Imitates someone else’s conversation, such as in pretend play or on a toy phone.

Uses objects as symbols to represent other objects during pretend play, such as using blocks for toy cars or trucks.

Uses familiar objects to represent something else.

Improvises with props during pretend play, such as using a towel for a blanket or making a cookie out of play dough.

Understands that some symbols have meaning, such as a sign or a drawing.

Acts out routines, stories, or social roles using toys and other materials as props, such as setting toy dishes and cups on a table or pretending to shop for groceries.

Seeks to involve others in pretend or make-believe play.

Looks for props to use when telling or making up a story.

Uses pretend play to try out solutions to everyday problems, such as ways to respond to stressful situations.

Observes others making things happen to understand the cause and effect relationship of intention and action, such as seeing an adult prepare to go outside and then going to get their own jacket.

Combines information gained through the senses to understand objects, experiences, and interactions.

Adjusts ways of interacting with materials based on sensory and perceptual information, such as pressing harder on clay than on play dough to make something.

Modifies responses in social situations based on perceptual information, especially when meeting new people, such as hiding their face from an unfamiliar person.

Coordinates perceptual information and motor actions to participate in play and daily routines, such as singing songs with hand motions or practicing self-care skills.

Adjusts walking or running to the type of surface, such as a rocky, sandy, or slippery surface.

Handles or explores objects or materials in different ways depending on perceptual information about the objects or materials, such as fragile, messy, or sticky properties.

Gains control of a variety of postures and movements including stooping, going from sitting to standing, running, and jumping.

Coordinates movements and actions for a purpose.

Walks and runs, adjusting speed or direction depending on the situation.

Uses a variety of increasingly complex movements, body positions, and postures to participate in active and quiet, indoor and outdoor play.

Explores environments using motor skills, such as throwing, kicking, jumping, climbing, carrying, and running.

Experiments with different ways of moving the body, such as dancing around the room.

Shows understanding of what size openings are needed for their body to move through. Learns about body size, such as doll clothes won’t fit on a child’s body or a child’s body won’t fit on dollhouse furniture.

Maintains balance and posture while seated and concentrating, such as working with clay, blocks, or markers or looking at a book.

Adjusts position of body to fit through or into small spaces.

Uses hand-eye coordination when participating in routines, play and activities, such as putting on a mitten, painting at an easel, putting pieces of a puzzle together, or folding paper.

Uses hand-eye coordination to manipulate objects and materials such as completing puzzles or threading beads with large holes.

Uses hand-eye coordination in handling books, such as turning pages, pointing to a picture, or looking for favorite page.

Plans ways to use hands for various activities, such as stacking, building, connecting, drawing, painting, and doing self-care skills or routines.

Uses hands efficiently for a variety of actions or activities, such as building with blocks, wiping up a spill, or feeding self.

Coordinates use of both hands to put things together, such as connecting blocks or linking toys.

Adjusts grasp to use different tools for different purposes, such as a spoon, paintbrush, or marker.

Adjusts grasp with ease to new tools and materials.

Uses pincer grasp with thumb and fingers to manipulate small objects or handle tools, such as stringing small beads.

Uses hand tools in a variety of ways, such as a rolling pin with clay or play dough, or a toy shovel with sand.

Participates in healthy care routines with more independence, such as washing hands, blowing nose, brushing teeth, or drinking from a cup.

Shows increasing independence in self-care routines with guidance from adults.

Puts on or takes off some articles of clothing, such as shoes, socks, coat, or hat.

Accepts adult guidance, support, and protection when encountering unsafe situations. Learns some differences between safe and unsafe play behaviors, such as not to stand on chairs or tables, or not to put small objects in mouth.

Cooperates with adults when in unsafe situations, such as taking an adult’s hand to cross a street or being cautious around an unfamiliar dog.

Shows some understanding of safe and unsafe behaviors, such as not touching a hot stove.

Shows willingness to try new nutritious foods when offered on multiple occasions. Sometimes makes nutritious choices about which foods to eat when offered several choices, with support from an adult.

Expresses preferences about foods, specifically likes or dislikes, sometimes based on whether the food is nutritious.

Sometimes makes nutritious choices with support from an adult.

Communicates to adults when hungry, thirsty, or has had enough to eat.