California Preschool Learning Foundations - ECEZero2Three ...

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
18 | Relationships
2.0 Close Relationships with Teachers and Caregivers
At around 48 months of age At around 60 months of age
2.1 Seek security and support from their
primary teachers and caregivers.
Children use their primary teachers and
caregivers as sources of security and support,
especially in challenging circumstances,
by obtaining comfort, requesting help, and
communicating about feelings.
Examples Examples
• Plays comfortably at a distance from the teacher,
but cries to the teacher for help if hurt or frustrated
and readily calms when comforted.
• Prefers a particular teacher’s company or assistance
to that of other teachers who may be
equally available.
• Seeks to be near the primary teacher if distressed
by peer conflict or frightened by an unfamiliar
adult.
• Talks about the primary teacher at home (as
reported by the parent).
2.2 Contribute to maintaining positive
relationships with primary teachers
and caregivers.
Children prefer interacting with their primary
teachers and caregivers, choosing them
for sharing activities, seeking comfort and
assistance, and displaying discoveries or
achievements.
Examples Examples
• Completes a puzzle and proudly shows it to the
primary teacher.
• Rebuffs another adult’s attempts to help when
the child is hurt and looks around to locate the
primary teacher or caregiver.
• Responds with pleasure when the primary
teacher talks about a project done together with
the child; may not, however, contribute much to
the conversation at this age.
2.1 Take greater initiative in seeking the
support of their primary teachers
and caregivers.
Children seek the support of their primary
teachers and caregivers, especially when they
are in difficult situations, by requesting the
adult’s help in resolving conflicts with others,
initiating cooperative problem solving, or
seeking comfort when distressed.
• Seeks the teacher’s help in a conflict with another
child.
• Seeks the teacher’s assistance when confronted
with a difficult task (e.g., challenging puzzle, new
skill to master).
• Upon returning from outdoors, looks for the primary
teacher and asks to play a game together.
• With assistance from the primary caregiver,
can describe his own feelings about a recent
upsetting experience.
2.2 Contribute to positive mutual
cooperation with primary teachers
and caregivers.
Children demonstrate an awareness of the
mutuality of close relationships in their efforts
to be helpful, showing interest in the teacher’s
feelings, preferences, or well-being and sharing
personal experiences with the teacher.
• Responds with interest when the primary teacher
communicates, “Yesterday I got a new dog!” and
continues the conversation about dogs.
• Proudly displays a drawing or discovery to the
primary teacher for a positive response.
• Contributes to classroom cleanup at the primary
teacher’s request and, sometimes, initiates
the cleanup of her own project, then shows the
teacher what she has done.
• Volunteers to help when the primary teacher is
setting up a new activity.
Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 1 • California Department of Education