Domains of Development

The elements of this domain include understanding the meaning of feelings and ideas that are expressed by others, and developing the ability to express oneself by listening and using speech, sounds, gestures, facial expressions, body language and words (receptive and expressive language). This domain also includes book appreciation and print concepts, as well as symbol and alphabet awareness—all of which help with developing reading and writing abilities.   

Approaches to Learning The elements of this domain include valuable learning approaches such as: developing wonder, curiosity and the ability to explore; developing persistence and the ability to focus and be attentive; practicing cooperation; developing initiative, confidence and interest; and being willing to try new things. Creative expression— through music, creative movement, dance, art and drama—is part of this domain, as are early math skills such as simple problem-solving, symbolic representation, logic and reasoning, number concepts and relationships, patterns, measurement and comparison. Early science skills within this domain include visual discrimination, understanding cause and effect, scientific methods and knowledge of the natural and physical world—while social studies skills include learning about history and events, family and community, and people and the environment.  

The elements of this domain include emotional and behavioral skills such as: relating to others; developing a growing self-concept; mastering self-regulation; expressing feelings, wants and needs; and managing emotions in appropriate ways. The social interactions encouraged by this domain allow children to learn to cooperate with others, to cope with frustrations and to resolve conflicts, as well as to begin thinking about oneself as a unique individual, which is the basis for learning social skills.  

The elements of this domain include overall health status, self-help skills, a growing awareness of meeting basic needs, and good health and nutrition practices. This domain also includes use and control of the body: gross motor-development of larger body parts (legs, arms, torso) along with their functions and coordination (walking, jumping, etc.), as well as fine motor-development of the fingers and hands along with hand/eye coordination (picking up a piece of paper, etc.).