California Preschool Learning Foundations - ECEZero2Three ...

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
14 | Social Interaction
3.0 Group Participation
At around 48 months of age At around 60 months of age
3.1 Participate in group activities and
are beginning to understand and
cooperate with social expectations,
group rules, and roles.
Children enjoy participating in group activities
and are beginning to understand social expectations
and group rules and their application.
Children may have difficulty, however, coordinating
their interests with those of the group.
Examples Examples
• Enjoys playing simple games, such as
“Duck-Duck-Goose” or “Follow the Leader,”
with adult help.
• Stays with the group for a nature walk.
• Notices when other children are missing from
class.
• Responds appropriately when a teacher
announces circle time or cleanup, although
may need guidance in what to do.
• Is interested in playing games but often deviates
from the rules.
• Attention often wanders after a brief period of
group activity, especially if it is not personally
engaging, which may result in inappropriate
behavior or nonparticipation.
• Begins to explore social roles (e.g., mother,
teacher) in pretend play.
• Responds appropriately to verbal prompts in
songs or stories during circle time (e.g., “Hokey
Pokey,” “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,”
“Itsy Bitsy Spider”).
• Needs help remembering how to prepare for an
activity, such as getting ready to paint at an easel.
• With adult prompting, can share toys or wait
for a turn.
3.1 Participate positively and cooperatively
as group members.
Children participate in group activities with
the ability to anticipate familiar routines and
contribute to shared projects more competently
as group members.
• Anticipates the predictable routines of the day,
such as initiating hand washing without being
prompted when snack time arrives.
• Actively explores social roles in imaginative play.
• Is more capable of sustained attention and
remaining engaged in group activities, such as
putting a puzzle together cooperatively.
• Applies game rules more consistently for simple
games.
• Knows the procedure for leaving the setting to
go to the bathroom or to another room and
corrects children who do not follow the
procedure.
• Anticipates and begins preparing for an activity,
such as a painting project.
• Sometimes shares spontaneously and thinks
of turn-taking without adult prompting.
Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 1 • California Department of Education