Key Developmental Indicators

A. Approaches to Learning
1. Initiative: Children demonstrate initiative as they explore their world.
2. Planning: Children make plans and follow through on their intentions.
3. Engagement: Children focus on activities that interest them.
4. Problem solving: Children solve problems encountered in play.
5. Use of resources: Children gather information and formulate ideas about their world.
6. Reflection: Children reflect on their experiences.

B. Social and Emotional Development
7. Self-identity: Children have a positive self-identity.
8. Sense of competence: Children feel they are competent.
9. Emotions: Children recognize, label, and regulate their feelings.
10. Empathy: Children demonstrate empathy toward others.
11. Community: Children participate in the community of the classroom.
12. Building relationships: Children build relationships with other children and adults.
13. Cooperative play: Children engage in cooperative play.
14. Moral development: Children develop an internal sense of right and wrong.
15. Conflict resolution: Children resolve social conflicts.

C. Physical Development and Health
16. Gross-motor skills: Children demonstrate strength, flexibility, balance, and timing in using their large muscles.
17. Fine-motor skills: Children demonstrate dexterity and hand-eye coordination in using their small muscles.
18. Body awareness: Children know about their bodies and how to navigate them in space.
19. Personal care: Children carry out personal care routines on their own.
20. Healthy behavior: Children engage in healthy practices.

D. Language, Literacy, and Communication¹
21. Comprehension: Children understand language.
22. Speaking: Children express themselves using language.
23. Vocabulary: Children understand and use a variety of words and phrases.
24. Phonological awareness: Children identify distinct sounds in spoken language.
25. Alphabetic knowledge: Children identify letter names and their sounds.
26. Reading: Children read for pleasure and information.
27. Concepts about print: Children demonstrate knowledge about environmental print.
28. Book knowledge: Children demonstrate knowledge about books.
29. Writing: Children write for many different purposes.
30. ELL/Dual language acquisition: (If applicable) Children use English and their home language(s) (including sign language).

E. Mathematics
31. Number words and symbols: Children recognize and use number words and symbols.
32. Counting: Children count things.
33. Part-whole relationships: Children combine and separate quantities of objects.
34. Shapes: Children identify, name, and describe shapes.
35. Spatial awareness: Children recognize spatial relationships among people and objects.
36. Measuring: Children measure to describe, compare, and order things.
37. Unit: Children understand and use the concept of unit.
38. Patterns: Children identify, describe, copy, complete, and create patterns.
39. Data analysis: Children use information about quantity to draw conclusions, make decisions, and solve problems.

F. Creative Arts
40. Art: Children express and represent what they observe, think, imagine, and feel through two- and three-dimensional art.
41. Music: Children express and represent what they observe, think, imagine, and feel through music.
42. Movement: Children express and represent what they observe, think, imagine, and feel through movement.
43. Pretend play: Children express and represent what they observe, think, imagine, and feel through pretend play.
44. Appreciating the arts: Children appreciate the creative arts.

G. Science and Technology
45. Observing: Children observe the materials and processes in their environment.
46. Classifying: Children classify materials, actions, people, and events.
47. Experimenting: Children experiment to test their ideas.
48. Predicting: Children predict what they expect will happen.
49. Drawing conclusions: Children draw conclusions based on their experiences and observations.
50. Communicating ideas: Children communicate their ideas about the characteristics of things and how they work.
51. Natural and physical world: Children gather knowledge about the natural and physical world.
52. Tools and technology: Children explore and use tools and technology.

H. Social Studies
53. Diversity: Children understand that people have diverse characteristics, interests, and abilities.
54. Community roles: Children recognize that people have different roles and functions in the community.
55. Decision making: Children participate in making classroom decisions.
56. Geography: Children recognize and interpret features and locations in their environment.
57. History: Children understand past, present, and future.
58. Ecology: Children understand the importance of taking care of their environment.


 ¹Language, Literacy, and Communication KDIs #21–29 may be used for the child's home language(s) as well as English. KDI #30 refers specifically to ELL/Dual language acquisition.