California Preschool Learning Foundations - ECEZero2Three ...

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
10 | Self
5.0 Initiative in Learning
At around 48 months of age At around 60 months of age
5.1 Enjoy learning and are confident
in their abilities to make new
discoveries although may not
persist at solving difficult problems.
Children become engaged in learning
opportunities, approach learning with
enthusiasm, and have confidence in their
capacities to learn more. But they may give
up when facing difficult problem-solving
challenges.
Examples Examples
• Shows interest in many different activities in the
classroom.
• Responds positively to a teacher’s invitation to
try a new activity.
• Moves away after working on a puzzle that he
has been unable to solve.
• Asks, “Why?” when faced with a perplexing
discovery.
• Notices when a new science display has been
prepared by the teacher.
• Starts many challenging puzzles but may finish
few.
5.1 Take greater initiative in making
new discoveries, identifying new
solutions, and persisting in trying
to figure things out.
Children are self-confident learners who
become actively involved in formal and informal
learning opportunities by asking questions,
proposing new ways of doing things, and
offering their own ideas and theories.
• Communicates, “Here’s a different way!”
• Asks “why” questions fairly often out of real
curiosity (e.g., “Why is the worm doing that?”).
• Suggests another way of creating a castle at the
sand table.
• Wants to try again when failing in his initial efforts
to solve a problem.
• Offers information about animals that she has
learned at home.
• Initiates a conversation with an adult about a
class activity.
• Works hard on a project that has captured her
interest.
• Communicates, “I’m going to play with blocks
and then go to the science table.”
Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 1 • California Department of Education