## North Carolina Early Learning and Development Progressions: Birth to Five

#### Domain: NC Foundations for Early Learning: Cognitive Development (CD)

#### Subdomain: Social Connections

#### Goal: Children identify and demonstrate acceptance of similarities and differences between themselves and others

#### Skill Progression: Identify and demonstrate acceptance of similarities and differences

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List of Skills by Age

1-2 Months

Prefers people to objects

Discriminates between voices and people

2-4 Months

Knows difference between mom, dad, and siblings

4-6 Months

Stares longer at faces of persons from another race

6-8 Months

Consistently makes the sounds of the parent’s language

8-10 Months

Demonstrates separation distress, resistance to strangers

Reads emotional expressions of same race better than other races

10-12 Months

Identification with the same gender (recognizes similarity)

12-15 Months

Shares toys with family, friends, and siblings

Knows all family members and friends, cautious with strangers

15-18 Months

Approaches other children (recognizes similarity in size, faces, and play preferences)

18-21 Months

Recognizes own clothing, toys, and personal belongings

21-24 Months

Girls may withdraw from rough house play of boys

Dresses up like the same gender parent

24-27 Months

Prefers play with peers to that of adults

Notices obvious disabilities and points or makes comments

27-30 Months

Notices and talks about differences in people’s size, eye color, skin color, hair, etc.

30-33 Months

Chooses playmates of the same race if they are present

33-36 Months

Knows gender

Adjusts language and play for younger playmates

36-42 Months

Demonstrates a preference for same-sex peers

Notices peers with similar interests

42-48 Months

May ask embarrassing questions about differences observed in people (race, weight, disability)

48-54 Months

Tends to choose friends with like interests and personalities

Begins to notice more subtle developmental concerns, such as language delays, negative emotional behaviors, etc. in peers

54-60 Months

Begin to understand that race is more than a difference in color; becomes aware of different cultures and begins to ask questions about them; establishing an ethnic identity

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 2015

©2015 by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.