AEPA Early Childhood Education key terms

Skills and behaviors most children can do by a certain age range, such as walking, using words, or sharing. Teachers use them to gauge whether a child's growth is typical or needs closer attention.

The broad areas of growth used to organize child development: physical, cognitive, language, social, and emotional. Observing across domains gives a fuller picture than looking at one area alone.

A pattern of growth that differs noticeably from typical expectations in timing or sequence, such as late talking or unusual motor patterns. It signals a need for observation, screening, or referral rather than a diagnosis by the teacher.

The understanding that objects and people continue to exist even when out of sight. It typically emerges in infancy and underlies peekaboo games and early separation distress.

Piaget's first stage of cognitive development, roughly birth to age two, when infants learn through senses and actions. Understanding develops through touching, mouthing, reaching, and experimenting with objects.

Piaget's stage from about ages two to seven, marked by symbolic play and language growth but limited logic. Children often think egocentrically and focus on one visible feature at a time.

The young child's tendency to see the world only from their own viewpoint and to assume others share their knowledge and feelings. It fades gradually with social experience and maturation.

The understanding that quantity stays the same when appearance changes, such as water poured into a taller glass. This ability typically develops in middle childhood, not in the preschool years.

The growing ability to recognize that other people have their own thoughts, beliefs, and feelings that may differ from one's own. It supports empathy, pretend play, and successful peer interaction.

Vygotsky's term for the range of tasks a child can do with adult or peer help but not yet alone. Instruction is most effective when aimed at this range.

Temporary support an adult or capable peer gives a child to complete a task just beyond their independent ability, then gradually withdraws as competence grows. It may include hints, modeling, or breaking tasks into steps.

The emotional bond an infant forms with primary caregivers, shaping expectations about safety and relationships. Secure attachment supports exploration, self-regulation, and later peer relationships.

Distress a young child shows when parted from a familiar caregiver, common in toddlerhood and often resurfacing at preschool entry. Predictable routines and gradual transitions help ease it.

A child's inborn style of reacting and self-regulating, such as activity level, mood, and adaptability. Understanding temperament helps teachers match expectations and support rather than label children.

The ability to manage one's emotions, attention, and behavior in order to meet a goal or follow expectations. It develops with adult co-regulation, routines, and practice rather than simple instruction.

The set of mental skills that support planning, holding information in mind, and inhibiting impulses. These skills grow rapidly in early childhood and are strengthened through play, songs, and turn-taking games.

The skills children need to understand and express feelings, form relationships, cooperate, and resolve conflicts. It is taught through modeling, coaching, and structured opportunities to practice.

An approach in which children learn through self-directed and guided play rather than only direct instruction. Play supports language, problem solving, social skills, and motivation.

Designated classroom areas, such as blocks, art, dramatic play, or books, where children choose activities that target specific skills. Centers support independence, small-group teaching, and integrated learning.

Teaching that matches children's age, individual characteristics, and social or cultural context. It balances what is known about typical development with what is known about each child.

Planning lessons with varied materials, grouping, and levels of support so children with different skills can work toward the same learning goal. It responds to readiness, interests, and learning profiles.

An approach that attends to a child's academic, physical, social, emotional, and creative growth together rather than focusing narrowly on one area. It assumes these areas influence each other.

The early reading and writing behaviors that develop before formal instruction, such as handling books, scribbling, and recognizing environmental print. These foundations predict later reading success.

The ability to hear and work with the sounds of spoken language, including syllables, rhymes, and individual sounds. It is an oral skill and a strong predictor of later decoding.

The most specific level of phonological awareness: the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words, such as blending or segmenting. It involves sound, not letters.

Instruction that teaches the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent in written words. It differs from phonemic awareness, which works only with spoken sounds.

A child's understanding of how print works, including that text carries meaning, is read left to right, and consists of letters, words, and spaces. Shared reading builds this knowledge.

Ongoing gathering of information during learning, through observation, questioning, or work samples, to adjust teaching in the moment. It is used to inform instruction rather than to assign a final grade.

Evaluation of learning at the end of a unit or period to determine what a child has achieved. In early childhood it is often reported through portfolios and developmental summaries.

Written notes describing what a child actually does and says, recorded objectively and without judgment. They provide evidence for planning and for communicating with families.

A brief, factual account of a specific incident or behavior observed at a particular time. Records are most useful when they separate description from interpretation.

A purposeful collection of a child's work and observations gathered over time to show growth and achievement. It supports family conferences and captures progress that tests may miss.

A brief, standardized check to identify children who may need further evaluation in areas such as language, motor, or social skills. It is not a diagnosis and is followed by referral when concerns appear.

Assessment based on real classroom activities and everyday tasks rather than artificial testing conditions. It reflects what children can do in familiar contexts.

The professional obligation to protect children's and families' private information and share it only with those who have a legitimate need. It applies to records, conversations, and photographs.

The standards of conduct expected of educators, including honesty, fairness, safety, and respect for families. Ethical codes guide decisions when obligations conflict.

The legal duty of educators to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the designated agency promptly. Teachers do not investigate; they report reasonable suspicion.

The steps used to connect a family with outside services, such as developmental evaluation or community supports, after a concern is identified. It includes consent, clear communication, and follow-up.

Building respectful, two-way partnerships with families so they are involved in their child's learning and feel welcome at school. It goes beyond one-way communication such as notices home.

Teaching that recognizes and values children's and families' cultures, languages, and experiences, and uses them as resources for learning. It includes examining one's own assumptions.

The process of helping children move between settings, such as home to preschool or preschool to kindergarten, with continuity and reduced stress. Advance preparation and family involvement ease adjustment.

A written plan developed by a team for a child who qualifies for special education services, stating goals, supports, and placement. Teachers implement it and contribute observations to team reviews.