IELG Standards - Social and Emotional Development Age Sub-domain Age Descriptor Indicators for children Strategies for interaction 0-9 months Attachment Children begin to build • Establishes, maintains, and disengages eye • Provide prompt, responsive, and sensitive care Relationships trust, initiate interaction, contact to the child’s and seek proximity with • Responds to caregiver(s) by smiling and cooing needs one (or a few) primary • Seeks comfort from a familiar caregiver • Hold, cuddle, smile, and interact with the child caregiver(s). • Imitates familiar adults’ gestures and sounds • Follow the child’s cues; allow the child to • Demonstrates preference for familiar adults socially disengage • Exhibits separation anxiety , e.g., does not want when ready to be held by • Provide a loving and nurturing environment another person when being held by primary with trustworthy caregiver adults, and assign a primary caregiver to consistently take care of the child’s needs 7-18 months Attachment Children trust in, engage • Distinguishes between primary caregivers and • Talk and sing to the child often; use Relationships with, and seek reassurance others opportunities such as diaper from their primary • Attempts to change the situation when changes and feeding time caregiver(s). Children can separation anxiety occurs, • Comfort and reassure the child as needed confidently explore their e.g., follows caregiver(s) when he or she leaves • Follow the child’s lead and read the child’s cues environment when in close the room when engaged physical proximity to an • Uses social referencing with caregiver(s) when in interactions attachment figure. in uncertain situations, e.g., will glance at • When separating from a child, gesture and say caregiver’s face for cues on how to respond good-bye, reassuring to an unfamiliar person or new situation the child that you will be returning; in childcare • Uses key adults as a “secure base” when settings, comfort exploring the environment and reassure the child once the primary • Exhibits stranger anxiety and concern in caregiver has left presence of an • When reuniting with a child after separation unknown person or a new situation has occurred, allow • Seeks comfort from caregiver(s) and/or a the child the necessary time to reconnect familiar object, e.g., blanket, stuffed animal • Initiates and maintains interactions with caregiver(s) Page 1 of 12 Age Sub-domain Age Descriptor Indicators for children Strategies for interaction 16-24 months Attachment Children begin to use • Shows an emotional connection with familiar • Comfort and acknowledge the child’s feelings Relationships nonverbal and verbal adults other than of distress; provide communication to connect the primary caregiver words for the emotions the toddler is exhibiting and reconnect with their • Uses imitation and pretend play to make sense • Set appropriate and consistent limits; ensure to attachment figure. of relationships, take realistic e.g., uses a toy to “brush” hair, or feeds and rocks expectations into account a doll • Provide ample opportunities for play and • Plays physically farther away from primary interaction with nurturing caregiver with adults increasing confidence; moves closer as needed • Be physically and emotionally available for the • Seeks physical closeness when distressed child, especially • Actively seeks emotional responses from after reuniting after a separation has occurred caregiver(s) by waving, • Respond to the child’s attempts to seek out a hugging, and crying response, e.g., blow a kiss back after the child blows a kiss • Model appropriate behaviors, e.g., how to emotionally react in situations, how to speak to peers 21-36 months Attachment Children demonstrate a • Uses glances and words to stay connected, • Show empathy and acknowledge how the child Relationships desire for their attachment without having to be is feeling figure to share in their physically near or touching the caregiver • Genuinely praise the child as he or she shares feelings, responses, and • Initiates activities that are meaningful in the accomplishments experiences. Behaviors that relationship, e.g., • Respond with interest as the child engages in demonstrate a need for brings over a favorite book to be read together conversation physical proximity with • Communicates thoughts, feelings, and plans to • Recognize and respond to the child’s verbal the primary caregiver familiar adults and nonverbal decrease, while in certain • Seeks adult assistance with challenges communications instances of distress, some • Separates with assistance from attachment • Prepare the child for separation by telling him children seek to be close to figure with minimal or her good-bye their attachment figure. anxiety and that you will return Page 2 of 12 Age Sub-domain Age Descriptor Indicators for children Strategies for interaction 0-9 months Emotional Children begin to express a • Uses facial expressions and sounds to get needs • Respond and comfort the child in order to meet Expression wide range of feelings met, e.g., cries, needs; act as through verbal and smiles, gazes, coos a co-regulator for the child, e.g., feed the child nonverbal communication, • Expresses emotions through sounds and when hungry, and begin to develop gestures, e.g., squeals, rock the child when tired emotional expression with laughs, claps • Describe the emotion the child is expressing, the assistance of their • Demonstrates discomfort, stress, or unhappiness e.g., “I can see you caregiver(s). through body are so excited about reaching that toy!” language and sounds, e.g., arches back, moves • Model facial expressions to match emotions, head, cries e.g., widen eyes and open mouth to express surprise 7-18 months Emotional Children begin to express • Expresses wants with intentionality, e.g., pushes • Respond to child’s display of fear or distress; Expression some emotions with an unwanted reassure and comfort intention , and with the object out of the way, reaches for a familiar adult the child help of their caregiver(s) when wanting • Model emotional expression for the child by children can increase their to be carried making facial range of emotional • Expresses fear by crying or turning toward expressions and using words to name the expression. caregiver(s) for emotion comfort • Reciprocate actions and gestures the child • Shows anger and frustration, e.g., cries when a initiates, e.g., wave toy is taken away hello, blow kisses, give hugs • Recognizes and expresses emotion toward a familiar person, e.g., shows emotion by hugging a sibling Page 3 of 12 Age Sub-domain Age Descriptor Indicators for children Strategies for interaction 16-24 months Emotional Children continue to • Demonstrates anger and frustration through a • Use words to describe the emotion; this helps Expression experience a wide range of wide range of the child associate emotions (e.g., affection, physical, vocal, and facial expressions, e.g., the feeling with the name frustration, fear, anger, temper tantrums • Pay close attention to the cues the child is sadness). At this point in • Expresses pride, e.g., smiles, claps, or says, “I did expressing development, children will it” after completing a task • Model appropriate ways to express different express and act on • Attempts to use a word to describe feelings to a feelings impulses, but begin to familiar adult • Acknowledge and validate the emotions the learn skills from their • Expresses wonder and delight while exploring child is feeling, e.g., caregiver(s) on how to the environment “I can see you are so excited by the way you are control their emotional and engaging others jumping up and expression. down.” 21-36 months Emotional Children begin to convey • Attempts to use words to describe feelings and • Discuss feelings with the child; reassure him or Expression and express emotions names emotions her that it is through the use of • Acts out different emotions while engaged in okay to feel different emotions nonverbal and verbal pretend play, • Recognize that the child may need some communication. Children e.g., cries when pretending to be sad, jumps up assistance in expressing also begin to apply learned and down for feelings strategies from their excitement • Allow other channels in which children can caregiver(s) to better • Begins to express complex emotions such as express their emotions, regulate these emotions. pride, embarrassment, shame, and guilt e.g., art, dance, imaginary play • Engages in play to express emotion, e.g., draws • Respect cultural differences when it comes to a picture for a expressing emotions; caregiver because he or she misses them, hides a never discount what the child is sharing and “monster” in a expressing box due to a fear • Ensure to continue reading the child’s cues even as the child begins to use words to describe feelings Page 4 of 12 Age Sub-domain Age Descriptor Indicators for children Strategies for interaction 0-9 months Relationship Children develop the • Uses signals to communicate needs, e.g., crying, • Provide prompt, responsive, and sensitive care with Adults ability to signal for body language, to the child’s caregivers. By the end of and facial expressions needs this age period, children • Attempts to engage both unfamiliar and familiar • Provide a loving and nurturing environment begin to engage in playful adults with trustworthy communication with • Engages in social interactions with adults adults, and assign a primary caregiver to familiar adults. through smiles, coos, consistently take care and