Domains of

Child Development

L C S
P A E

Information adapted from Foundations: Early Learning Standards for North Carolina Preschoolers
and Strategies for Guiding Their Success, NC Department of Public Instruction, 2005
 Oh, the
PLACES
You’ll Grow…
B-4.01-Domains
 • Physical development & health
Domains
are • Language development &
types or
communication
areas of
growth • Approaches to learning
or
develop-
ment.
• Cognitive development
• Emotional development
• Social development
B-4.01-Domains
Physical Development and Health

P
This domain includes:
• Self-care
• Safety awareness
• Motor skills
• Physical health and growth

B-4.01-Domains
 Self-Care
• Awareness of hygiene
• Basic hygiene practices
• Basic self-help skills
• Ability to care for
personal belongings
• Routine care of the
environment

B-4.01-Domains
Safety Awareness
• Importance of personal
safety
• Basic health and safety
rules
• Comfortable, safe
environment
• Harmful persons,
objects, substances,
activities, and
environments

B-4.01-Domains
Motor Skills
• Small muscle control
• Experimenting with handheld tools
• Activities to enhance hand-eye
coordination
• Developing body strength, balance,
flexibility, and stamina
• Large muscle control
• Enhancing gross motor development
• Increasing the ability to move their
bodies in space

B-4.01-Domains
Physical Health and Growth
• Participating in physical activities for longer periods
• Transition from high-energy to low-energy activities
• Recognition and eating of nutritious foods
• Awareness of personal health and fitness
• Participation in games,
outdoor play, other exercise
• Adaptive physical activities
as appropriate
• Better use of vision and
hearing

B-4.01-Domains
Language Development
and Communication
This domain includes:

L
• Receptive language
• Expressive language
• Foundations for reading
• Foundations for writing

B-4.01-Domains
 Receptive Language
• Understanding increasingly complex sentences
• Understanding/using a growing vocabulary
• Attending to language for longer periods
• Consistently responding to requests for
information or action
• Comprehending and using language for multiple
purposes, both cognitive and social
• Developing familiarity with sounds and words
• Understanding that people
communicate in many ways

B-4.01-Domains
 Expressive Language
• Using verbal and nonverbal language to communicate
• Using language in pretend play
• Using language to establish/maintain relationships
• Initiating and engaging in conversations
• Creating and telling simple stories
• Asking questions, making comments
• Communicating with expression
• Using more complex words
and sentences

B-4.01-Domains
Foundations for Reading
• Motivation for reading
– Show interest in books
– Enjoy storybooks, information
books, and poetry read aloud
– Independently “read” (turn
pages, point to words, tell the
story)
– Independently “write” (write
symbols for names)
– Show preferences for favorite
books
– Use books to learn about the
world
B-4.01-Domains
Foundations for Reading
• Vocabulary and comprehension
– Develop knowledge about what things are, how
they work
– Respond to questions about stories
– Predict what will happen next
– Relate personal experiences to stories
– Ask questions about what’s in a book
– Imitate the special
language in books

B-4.01-Domains
 Foundations for Writing
• Using a variety of writing tools and materials
• Using a variety of writing in their play
• Representing thoughts/ideas through marks
• Learning to tell their thoughts for adults to write
• Playing with writing letters, their names
• Using letters/approximations to “write” their
names
• Attempting to connect
word sounds with
letter forms

B-4.01-Domains
Approaches to Learning
This domain includes:
• Pondering, processing, and applying

A
experiences
• Curiosity, information-seeking, and
eagerness
• Risk-taking, problem-solving, and
flexibility
• Persistence, attentiveness, and
responsibility
• Imagination, creativity, and invention
• Aesthetic sensibility
B-4.01-Domains
 Pondering, Processing,
and Applying Experiences
• Drawing on everyday experiences
and applying knowledge to everyday
situations
• Seeking information to better
understand
• Generating ideas and making
predictions
• Describing or acting out a memory
• Forming hypotheses about cause
and effect
B-4.01-Domains
 Curiosity, Information-
Seeking, and Eagerness
• Using multiple strategies
and senses to explore
• Choosing to participate in
experiences
• Demonstrating eagerness
and interest

B-4.01-Domains
Risk-Taking, Problem-
Solving, and Flexibility
• Demonstrating a willingness to
choose both familiar and new
experiences
• Demonstrating ability to tell
the difference between safe
and dangerous risk-taking
• Trying several ways to solve a
problem
• Being resilient (“bouncing
back”) when challenged
B-4.01-Domains
 Persistence, Attentiveness,
and Responsibility
• Remaining engaged in an experience
• Working to complete a task in spite of distractions
• Seeking and
accepting help
• Developing a
sense of purpose
• Ability to follow
through

B-4.01-Domains
 Imagination, Creativity,
and Invention
• Taking on pretend
roles
• Approaching tasks
with more flexibility
and imagination
• Using materials in
new ways
• Thinking more openly
and creatively

B-4.01-Domains
Aesthetic Sensibility
• Appreciating
and using humor
• Demonstrating
a sense of
wonder
• Taking delight
in beauty

B-4.01-Domains
Cognitive Development

C
This domain includes:
• Mathematical thinking and
expression
• Scientific thinking and invention
• Social connections
• Creative expression

B-4.01-Domains
Mathematical Thinking
and Expression
• Using numbers and counting
• Recognizing shapes
• Understanding words for places (in, out)
• Duplicating simple patterns in the environment
• Sorting objects based on one or two attributes
• Describing a sequence of events
• Understanding size and volume/comparisons
• Using non-standard measurement
• Understanding the passage of time
• Using a variety of strategies to solve problems
• Making and checking predictions
B-4.01-Domains
Scientific Thinking and Invention
• Expanding knowledge of the environment
• Comparing physical characteristics of
objects
• Using the senses to observe and learn
• Caring for pets and plants
• Asking questions and seeking answers
• Using simple tools to investigate
• Manipulating the environment for
desired effects
• Understanding discoveries
• Making estimates
• Thinking about things that are not present
• Understanding uses of technology
• Sharing responsibility in the care of the
environment

B-4.01-Domains
 Scientific Thinking and
Invention (cont’d.)
• Showing awareness of
– Their bodies
– Seasons and weather
– Time
– Changes in the
environment
(freezing)

B-4.01-Domains
 Social Connections
• Identifying similarities/differences among people
• Understanding roles and relationships
• Participating in a democratic community
• Talking about changes in themselves/their families
• Making sense of their world by asking questions
• Showing awareness of different cultures
• Identifying characteristics of the places they live
• Recognizing roles of
community helpers
• Helping others
• Learning about people

B-4.01-Domains
Creative Expression
• Participating in art, music, and other
creative activities
• Using a variety of materials and activities
• Creating drawings, paintings, and models
• Using learning in all curricular areas to
reinforce learning in other areas
• Sharing ideas about artistic creations
• Showing respect for others’ creations
• Showing creativity and imagination
• Showing awareness of musical patterns
• Imitating musical tones, songs, rhythms
• Moving in response to beats and rhythms

B-4.01-Domains
Emotional Development

E
This domain
involves developing
a sense of self.

B-4.01-Domains
Developing a Sense of Self
• Showing self-confidence as they develop
• Demonstrating persistence, a “can-do”
attitude
• Showing greater self-direction
• Being better able to express/regulate
emotions
• Enjoying playing alone or near other children
• Developing coping skills for change/adversity
• Managing anger
• Showing awareness of personal uniqueness
• Recognizing that they are members of groups
• Using pretend play to express feelings

B-4.01-Domains
Social Development

S
This domain involves
developing a sense
of self with others

B-4.01-Domains
Developing a Sense of
Self with Others
• Approaching others easily, expecting
positive interactions
• Seeking out others
• Being aware of the effects of their behavior
on others
• Balancing their needs with the needs of
others
• Working to resolve conflicts
• Playing cooperatively with other children
• Showing interest in others’ points of view
• Responding to others’ feelings and showing
empathy
B-4.01-Domains
Developing a Sense of Self with Others
(cont.d)

• Realizing the difference between

intentional and unintentional actions
• Showing ease with familiar people
• Forming positive relationships
• Accepting differences among
people
• Following social rules and routines
• Recognizing the classroom as a
caring community with respect for
safety and rights of others

B-4.01-Domains
1. Can you name the
domains of child development?

2. Can you give at least

one example of each?

L C S
P A E

B-4.01-Domains