Using words relating to mental strategies • Becoming resistant and dawdling at times • Experimenting with putting things together and taking them apart • Having play preferences and seeking out desired types or play, routines, interactions, foods etc. Wanting to do favorite activities over and over again • Pushing for autonomy and persisting with tasks of moderate difficulty Insisting on some choices • Talking about what they “know” and performing preferred actions independently for several minutes • Insisting on some choices • Seeking and accepting assistance when encountering difficulties • Inventing new uses for everyday materials with assistance (banging on pots and pans, using a box for a house) • Approaching tasks experimentally, adapting as the activity evolves • Displaying understanding of how objects work together (gets the dustpan when adult is sweeping the floor) • Wanting to do things by him/herself such as tearing, unwrapping and putting things together • Substituting similar objects (uses boxes for blocks) • Using the present progressive adding “ing” to verbs • Pointing to smaller of the body when asked (chin, elbow) • Understands 500 words, says 200 words • Understanding word association through functional association (“What do you drink with?” “What do you sleep on?” “What do you brush your teeth with?”) • Understanding size differences (little doll, large dog) • Responding to action by performing the action • Speaking in 2 or 3 word sentences; jargon and echolalia are almost gone • Using morphemes (in, on) • Recounting an event, with assistance • Requesting to hear familiar stories • Changing intonation and tone to communicate meaning • non-verbal gestures and body language to express needs and feelings (hugs, hands on hips, etc.) • Addressing listener appropriately to get attention (uses child’s or adult’s name to get attention) • Understanding “one”, “all” (“Give me one block.”) • Matching an object to a picture • Matching simple shapes such as circle, square and triangle • Listening attentively to stories; enjoying familiar stories told without any changes in words
• Realizing that behaviors can precede events (If mom takes things out of the refrigerator and turns on the stove, she is going to cook lunch) • Language and actions are increasingly coordinated with joint discussion of actions, descriptions, and regulation of play Words begin to serve as turns in games • Can be angry at parent separation and /or upon reunion after separation • Separating from parent in familiar surrounding without crying • Demonstrating nurturing, caring , control in dramatic play • Attempting to comfort others in distress • Completing a sentence that repeats itself in a familiar story • Naming mouth, eye, ear, nose and fingers 31-36 months 31-36 months 31-36 months • Asking for help or redirecting self to another activity if s/he becomes frustrated • Expressing feelings such as fear, anger and affection • Talking how to solve a problem while doing it (verbal mediation) • Observing children at play; may join in for a few minutes • Talking about the emotions and feelings of others and the cause of their emotions. • Involving other children’s ideas in play sequences • Imitating peers and involving them in activities • Associative play (playing together with same materials, but not with same goals). Imitation is strong motivator • Following rules part of the time • Understanding concepts of “mine” • Identifying boy or girl in picture book • Often using personal pronouns (I, you, he, it, me) correctly • Using regular plurals (cats, dogs, balls) • Using “s” to make plural nouns • Sometimes labeling and talking about own drawings when asked • Giving first and last name when asked • Understanding common verbs (run, jump, walk) • Using several verb forms correctly in relating action in pictures • Understanding common verbs and adjectives • Following directions involving common prepositions (in, on, behind, out, under) • Jumping over a string or other object that is two inches high • Showing daytime control of toileting needs with occasional accidents • Verbalizing toilet needs fairly consistently • Following basic health practices when reminded (washing and drying hands, brushing teeth) • Knowing faucet is hot and cold • Screwing lid on jar • Unbuttoning buttons • Buttoning one button or snap • Putting on socks, coat, and shirt • Catching ball (by trapping against body) when playing with adult or peer• Separating easily from mother in familiar environment • Following simple
• Playing well with two or three children in group Associative play predominates • Showing interest in other children • Having difficulty sharing • Displaying affection for caregivers • Separation may still be stressful. Calms with reassurance and distractions • Separating easily from parent or caregiver in familiar environment • Showing facial expressions and behaviors indicating pity, shame, modesty • Expressing feelings such as fear, anger, and affection • Sometimes restless, rebellious, very active • Throwing tantrums when thwarted or unable to express urgent • Objecting to major changes in routines • Imitating adults and playmates • Imitating and involving them in activities • Using toys in appropriate ways • Verbalizing play plan for assigned role (“I am mother”, “You be baby”, “I cook”, “You watch TV”) • Verbalizing play plan and using pretend props which are identified for benefit of adult (“This is our house (box)”) • Following rules part of the time • Taking turns in games • Understanding concepts of “mine” and “his/hers” • Playing interactive games • Answering simple “who” and questions about familiar people or things • Relating experiences from recent past • Making negative statements (“Can’t open it,” “Don’t touch”) • Beginning to use contractions (can’t, we’ll, won’t) • Beginning to use auxiliary verbs (“I hafta sleep” “Me gonna get it”) • Using some plural forms correctly in speech • Correctly producing phonemes , k, g, ng) • Performing multi-step tasks (takes money, rings cash register, puts money in drawer when playing) • Copying a circle • Matching three colors • Matching objects by color, shape and size • Identifying objects by category • Demonstrating symbolic play, using one object as a signifier for another object • Sorting objects into categories may not be able to label categories • Using and error to experiment with a variety of solutions • Getting a drink from a fountain • Cutting from one side to opposite side • Walking upstairs and downstairs alternating feet without holding on to handrail • Enjoying projects that involve scissors and glue
• Describing self, using several basic characteristics (first and last name, gender, age, family, talents) • Generally obeying adult requests • Understanding another’s perspective • Accepting suggestions and following simple directions • Managing transitions • Connecting consequences to a specific behavior, but may not understand why the behavior warrants the consequence • Accepting the consequences of one’s own actions • Using multiple strategies to solve problems • Asking for help from sources when solving social and/or cognitive problems • Following routines independently and completing familiar routines • Focusing on of interest to him/her • Remaining engaged in an activity for at 5 to 10 minutes • Completing favorite tasks and activities over and over again • Preferring challenging tasks • persistent in trying to complete tasks when previous attempts have not been successful (completing a puzzle, building a tower or structure, dressing self) • Participating in meal times with minimal distractions • Inventing new activities or games • Using imagination to create a variety of ideas • Creating acceptable rules for group activities • Comprehending congruent and incongruent (“Can you stand up and sit down at the same time?”) • Understanding and using common prepositions (under, in front of, behind) • Understanding common adjectives of size, and shape • Understanding temporal terms (before and after) • Understanding time terms “now, soon, later” • Understanding prepositions in temporal expressions (in a week, after a while) • Understanding concept of more • Recognizing everyday sounds • Selecting specific details in a story and repeats them • Responding to questions with appropriate answers • Gaining information through listening • Using an average sentence length of four words • Consistently using complete sentences • Dictating a story for adult to write out • Engaging in adult-like dialogue • Correctly producing phonemes (-s, f, -f, y) • Telling gender when asked • Drawing face from a model • Speaking clearly enough so that 75 to 80 percent of speech is understandable to the unfamiliar listener • Stumbling over at times • negative phrases other than “No” (“Don’t do that!”)
• Retelling an experience • Responding appropriately (verbally) to requests made by adults • Calling teachers and peers by name • Using at least 5 to 6 word sentences • Telling age, middle name, last name, parent’s name, • Asking definitions of words • Using contractible auxiliary (“Mommy’s eating an apple.”) • possessive pronouns (his, hers, theirs) • Labeling items when group name is given (“What are some toys?”) • Following through on a task until completed • Repeating number and word groupings modeled by the teacher • Recalling object placement, missing parts and identifies added object • Matching, pointing to and naming 6 to 8 colors • Labeling a group with no pictures (“What are cookies, hamburgers and carrots?”) • Giving function of a group with no pictures (“What are coats, shirts and pants for?”) 61-72 months 61-72 months 61-72 months • Recognizing that there are “good” and “bad” touches • Balancing his/her own with the needs of others • Responding verbally and positively to good fortunes of others • Having a best friend/group of friends • Progressing from using scribbles to shapes and pictures that represent more detailed ideas • Solving conflicts by using thinking skills • Telling similarities and differences • Predicting what will happen next • Knowing what to do in unfamiliar situations (emergencies) • Brushing teeth following good dental hygiene procedures • Understanding that it is unsafe to accept rides, food or money from strangers • Recognizing that there are “good” and “bad” touches • Running smoothly with changes in speed
• Interacting with familiar adults • Separating and reuniting appropriately from primary family member • Completing a project Independently • Naming feelings (happy, sad, angry, surprised, worried, fearful) • Demonstrating tenderness and protectiveness toward younger children and pets • Predicting classroom routines and guiding other children in routines • Solving conflicts by using thinking skills • Conforming to adult ideas • Participating in pretend reading activities with other children • Modifying activities when new ideas are presented • Working alone at chore for 20 to 30 minutes • Expressing anger with non- aggressive words rather than with physical actions • Comforting friends in distress • Expressing feelings appropriate words • Pointing out common words in stories • Discriminating middle sounds in words (cup, cap) • Articulating the middle sounds in words • Articulating the difference between beginning and ending sounds (fish/dish, can/cat, ring/rat, bat/hat) • Substituting sounds in words (bat-rat, hat-hit, • Naming the sound spoken /mm/, /tt/, /bb/ “monkey, many, moon money - These words start with what sound?” • Identifying beginning sound of name and/or familiar words and find another with the same sound, (“My name is Mary, his name is Matt. They both begin with /mm/.”) • Identifying most letter sounds • Recognizing most letters • Naming most letters • Using letters that represent sounds in writing words (phonetic spelling) • Recalling single words from single presentation (stop sign) • Predicting what will happen in a story • Accurately relating familiar story • Attending while being read to for more than ten minutes • Stringing invented words together leaving spaces between words • Printing name • Printing various letters of the alphabet and symbols • Assisting in food preparation requiring mixing and cooking • Making simple breakfast and • Selecting clothing appropriate for temperature and occasion • Requiring minimal supervision and help with dressing and undressing • Selecting own clothes • responsible for one household chore • Making own bed when • Using imagination and inventiveness to create novel experiences • Skipping on alternating feet, maintaining balance • Demonstrating the ability to look ahead and visualize a solution • Writing to communicate
• Making up patterns with objects • Making number comparisons between groupings of concrete objects (“This is one, this is three.”) • Matching numbers with objects • Understanding concepts of greater than, fewer, equal to • Knowing sums to five • Subtracting from five • Understanding and analogies (hot/cold, fast/slow, short/long, thin/fat) • Sorting objects according to two or more attributes • Asking and answering questions size, measurement, comparison • Creating own set of instructions amount, ingredients and equipment • Demonstrating beginning awareness of state and country • Demonstrating initial understanding of how people rely on each other to obtain goods and services • Describing different community jobs • Creating by folding, cutting, drawing, models of circles, squares, triangles and rectangles using various materials • Understanding that most natural events occur in consistent patterns • Describing patterns of structure and function in living things • Describing how different technologies affect people’s lives (telephone, computer, TV)