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Social and Emotional Development

Toddlers sharing a toy.Social and Emotional Development is one of the five central domains of the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF). It focuses on children's ability to create and sustain meaningful relationships with adults and other children. These resources explore the ways children learn to express, recognize, and manage their own emotions, as well as respond appropriately to others' emotions.

Other ELOF domains include Approaches to Learning; Language and Literacy; Cognition; and Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development.

Social Infant

Goal IT-SE 1. Child develops expectations of consistent, positive interactions through secure relationships with familiar adults.

Giving Children Responsibilities

This in-service suite offers ideas teachers can use to engage children in classroom activities and routines. Learn how giving simple tasks to children keeps them involved.

Developmental Screening Tips, Tools, and Resources

Screening for potential developmental delays in children allows for early treatment and supportive services. On the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, Head Start educators and families will find a number of resources on developmental screening tools.

Early Essentials Introduction

Explore the Early Essentials video series. Learn what Early Head Start, Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, and child care staff can do to support infant and toddler development and learning.

Early Essentials

The webisodes in this series offer key messages and helpful resources to get staff started with the youngest children and their families. Managers can use Early Essentials to design orientation experiences or staff can participate on their own.

Emotional Literacy

Learn teaching practices to help children develop a varied emotional vocabulary and identify feelings in themselves and others. Practice talking with families about children's emotional literacy.

Daily Separations and Reunions

Daily separations and reunions are part of the fabric of relationships. In center-based and family child care programs, they provide opportunities to develop a young child's skill at making positive transitions. 

IT3 Infant Interactive Tool

Please rate yourself and your infant on the following nine traits. Check the box for each trait that comes closest to describing each of your regular behaviors. Remember, you can use the chart of Temperament Traits for definitions of each trait.

Introduction to Temperament

Temperament is an important feature of social and emotional health. It describes the way we approach and react to the world. It is our own personal "style" that is present from birth. There are three general types of temperaments, often referred to as easy-going, slow-to-warm, and active.

HeadStart.gov

official website of the Administration for Children and Families

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