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DR 1: Children are personally and socially competent
⇣ Indicator: SELF—Children show self-awareness and a positive self-concept
⇣ Measure 3: Self-Expression—
Child explores own action, makes presence known in social situations, and outwardly expresses feelings to others
	Descriptors	Examples
8	Begins to understand that he/she can feel more than one way about something (“mixed or opposite feelings”)	Communicates: That he is excited about going to the petting zoo but anxious about petting the goat. Feeling happy about trying out a climbing structure but scared about being at the top.
7	Identifies own and other’s feelings; understands that own feelings might be different than someone else’s	Communicates using speech, sign, or communication device: “Mary is sad today. I am happy today.” “He’s scared, but I’m not scared.”
6	Expresses ways to take care of feelings	“I want to go home.” Communicates, “I’m scared,” and goes to adult for a hug. Stays by the door because he/she is missing mommy.
5	Labels own feelings	Communicates, “I am sad” or “I am mad.” Points to a happy face to describe that he or she is happy.
4	Asserts self by expressing needs, feelings, or desires through simple actions	Holds onto toy when someone tries to take it. Turns body away from somebody when needing a break. Watches for awhile before joining in play with another child. Lies down when tired. Pushes things away when finished.
3	Expresses self by repeating actions that have an effect	Drops object repeatedly for adult to pick up. Presses button on push-button toy that makes noise. Signals to get adult to repeat an action.
2	Responds to people or things in the environment through actions or sounds	Reaches for a toy. Grasps things or people. Smiles or stares at people or things. Orients to a sound. Pushes away something the adult offers.
1	Moves or vocalizes	Cries. Moves arms, head, legs, or other parts of the body. Makes sounds.

Measure 3 — SELF 3

Self-Expression

Child explores own action, makes presence known in social situations, and outwardly expresses feelings to others

One of the most critical aspects of early social/emotional development is the ability to make oneself known and to communicate with others. In a brief five years, children grow from having only the ability to instinctively cry when they need to communicate to using rather sophisticated language to describe a range of emotions in themselves and others. By the end of the preschool years, many children are also able to appreciate that different people have different feelings about similar events, and that they themselves might have two conflicting feelings at once, such as fear and excitement about a ride at the fair, for example.

Newborn infants are born able to make their needs known by vocalizing and crying out when they are in distress. But over their first few months of life, infants begin to respond to people or things in the environment with an increasing variety of behaviors. They smile in response to smiling and quiet in response to a troubled or sad face. They express contentment and distress and likes and dislikes with gestures and sounds. For example, they will babble to get attention or spit out a mouthful of applesauce or turn their heads when they are full. Older infants delight in discovering their abilities to make things happen and will persistently repeat actions that have a desired effect, for example, repeatedly banging a spoon on a table or bowl to hear it clang.

Toddlers are actively trying to make sense of their world, and they continue to discover how they can make things happen. They play many “what if” and cause-and-effect games, such as throwing a ball into a puddle again and again to make the water splash. Although they lack a sophisticated vocabulary, they are able to express needs, feelings, and desires to caregivers with facial expressions, body movements, and vocalizations. They may take an adult’s hand and lead her to a water pitcher when they want a drink, or may drop a banana on the floor when they are done with their snack.

With adult support, young preschoolers develop an emotional vocabulary to identify basic emotions (such as happy, sad, scared, and angry) in themselves and others. They can look at a picture of a baby crying in a book and say, “The baby is sad.” They are also learning how to communicate what they need to take care of their own feelings. For example, a child whose preferred playmate is busy with another child might say “I’m sad. Jerome won’t play with me. Can I play with you?”

Older preschoolers begin to understand that others may have feelings and preferences different from their own. For example, a child might prefer to paint, while his best friend wants to read books. They are beginning to notice that their feelings may change over time (“I used to be scared of water, but I’m not anymore.”). By the end of the preschool years, some children begin to understand that they can feel more than one way about something, such as having the mixed feelings of excitement about moving to a new house, while at the same time feeling sad to leave the old one.

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