Understanding the Developmental Sequences of the DRDP access – PREVIEW
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Contents
Self-Concept (SELF) | Suggested Resources for SELF | Measure 1 - SELF 1: Identity of Self | Measure 1 ReferencesMeasure 2 - SELF 2: Recognition of Own Skills and Accomplishments | Measure 2 References | Measure 3 - SELF 3: Self-Expression | Measure 3 References
Introduction
The purpose of this document, Understanding the Developmental Sequences of the DRDP access, is to provide information about the developmental constructs that make up the Indicators and the Measures of the Desired Results Developmental Profile access (DRDP access). It is intended to provide information from child development research on each of the behaviors measured by the instrument with the goal of enhancing the assessor's understanding of what they are observing and rating.
The DRDP access is part of the Desired Results Assessment System that has been developed to gather information on child progress for all young children in California who receive services through state-funded programs. Four Desired Results have been identified:
D R 1: Children are personally and socially competent
D R 2: Children are effective learners
D R 3: Children show physical and motor competence
D R 4: Children are safe and healthy
Each Desired Result is a condition of well-being for children that serves as an overall outcome.
The four Desired Results are divided into ten Indicators which represent specific measurable developmental dimensions of the Desired Results.
D R 1 has four Indicators:
Self-Concept (SELF)
Children show self-awareness and a positive self-concept
Social and Interpersonal Skills (SOC)
Children demonstrate effective social and interpersonal skills
Self-Regulation (REG)
Children demonstrate effective self-regulation in their behavior
Language (LANG)
Children show growing abilities in communication and language
D R 2 has four Indicators:
Learning (LRN)
Children show interest, motivation and persistence in their approaches to learning
Cognitive Competence (COG)
Children show cognitive competence and problem solving skills through play and daily activities
Math (MATH)
Children demonstrate competence in real-life mathematical concepts
Literacy (LIT)
Children demonstrate emerging literacy skills
D R 3 has one Indicator:
Motor Skills (MOT)
Children show physical and motor competence
D R 4 has one Indicator:
Safety and Health (SH)
Children show an emerging awareness and practice of safe and healthy behavior
Each Indicator is made up of several Measures. Measures are the individual assessment items. A Measure is a developmental continuum along which a child's observed behavior is assessed. The DRDP access includes 48 Measures.
This document provides a summary of information from child development research for each of the Indicators and Measures of the DRDP access. For each Indicator, the area of development (the underlying developmental construct) covered by the Indicator is described and an overview of development is provided. The document also includes a list of resources for learning more about areas of development covered by each of the Indicators and for exploring ideas for classroom activities to support development in that area.
The specific developmental progression assessed by each Measure is described according to what is typical for Infants, Toddlers, Young Preschoolers and Older Preschoolers. Resources from research that support the concepts in the developmental progression are provided.
Reviewing Understanding the Developmental Sequences of the DRDP access before you begin gathering observations for the DRDP access can refresh and add to your knowledge of early development in the areas covered by the instrument. This document, particularly the descriptions of the developmental progressions for the Measures, will also be a useful reference when you are completing your ratings.
Self-Concept (SELF)
Children show self-awareness and a positive self-concept
During the infant, toddler and preschool years, children experience dramatic growth in the awareness that they are separate beings with emotions, interests and abilities of their own. Simultaneously, but at a slower pace, they become aware of others as individuals as well.
Infants begin life unaware that they are individuals. They, their caretakers and their surroundings are all one. Toward the end of the first year, however, they begin to see themselves as separate individuals. They respond to their names and recognize themselves in the mirror. They also begin to have a sense of themselves in relation to important people in their lives. Most children this age are strongly attached to their primary caregiver, and fear losing sight of that person.
As children grow and develop, they become more mobile and verbal. They delight in exploring things and people in their environment. Given time and space, young children are amazingly persistent as they try to put the big doll in the small car, or try again and again to reach the light switch. They take great pride in their accomplishments, and appreciate an audience. They seek and appreciate attention and validation, especially from their significant adults.
"Me" and "mine" are spoken with increasing frequency. They are quick to protest with "Me do it" to let you know they don't need help to take their shoes off. As their vocabulary grows, they begin to talk about their physical characteristics and things they like. Their consciousness of important relationships to others becomes obvious when they call their brother "My David" or when they carry around a family picture.
Soon children develop an emotional vocabulary when they can finally say "I'm hungry" or "I'm mad" instead of leaving it up to you to figure out what is going on inside of them. With guidance and support, they learn what they need to do to manage those feelings, and will be able to let you know "I'm scared. Can I stay by you?"
As preschool children become more aware of their peers, they begin to compare themselves, their appearance and their abilities to others. "Fredo and me both don't get scared of thunder" or "You like to eat cheese and I don't, right?" About the same time, they will be able to label the feelings of others by looking at their body language and faces.
Suggested Resources
Beaty, J.J. (1990). Observing development of the young child (pp. 42-69). New York, NY: MacMillan Publishing Company, 42-69.
Bilmes, J. (1994). Beyond Behavior Management: Six Life Skills Children Need to Thrive in Today’s World. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
Gestwicki, C. (1999). Developmentally appropriate practice: Curriculum and development in early education. New York, NY: Delmar.
Mooney, C.G. (2000). Theories of childhood: An introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget & Vygotsky (pp.37-57). St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
Pruitt, D.B. (Ed.). (1998). American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Your child: Emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development from birth through preadolescence (pp.3-119). New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Zero to Three website. http://www.zerotothree.org
Measure 1 - SELF 1: Identity of Self
Child shows increasing awareness that self is distinct from and also connected to others.
Young children learn about who they are from the adults who care for them. Through these daily interactions children learn what behaviors are expected and accepted, how to communicate, and how and when to express emotions. As they grow and learn in supportive and nurturing environments, children develop a sense of their own self-worth and capabilities.
Infants are instinctively interested in the faces of others and will gaze intently at their caregivers. When they are very young, infants are not aware that they are separate beings. They explore themselves and others with eyes, hands and mouths. Between six and nine months of age, they become aware that they are separate beings and they recognize and prefer the familiar people in their lives. An infant might crawl to the window when she sees her brother waving or crawl over to a familiar adult when a new volunteer comes into the room. Older infants also recognize the names of familiar people, as well as their own name. They will look at familiar people when they are named and respond when they are spoken to by name.
Toddlerhood involves a major step in becoming autonomous as children grow aware of themselves as distinct from others both physically and emotionally and begin to want to do things without adult help. One moment they struggle to become separate and independent human beings and the next moment they are running back to a familiar adult to be carried and hugged. Toddlers' first words also reflect their growing sense of themselves as distinct from others. They are able to tell you their own name, and as they learn to combine words, they begin to refer to self in language, as in "Dee's hat" or "I do it." Familiar people are very important to toddlers, and many of their first words are their names for familiar people, such as Mommy, Daddy, or Grandma. They also show their connectedness to familiar people in other ways, for example, carrying a photo of their family around with them as a comfort item or pretending to talk to their grandma on the phone.
Young preschoolers begin to talk about their connections to other people and things and may talk about activities with family members or incorporate the roles of family members into play. As they become more aware of the physical characteristic of themselves and others, they begin to use words to describe these physical characteristics. They become interested in identifying hair and skin color and usually know how old they are. As their awareness and vocabulary increase, they begin to communicate their preferences to others as well. At lunch, they might say, "I love potatoes" or when you bring out a book they may tell you that it is their favorite one.
As older preschoolers increasingly work and play more with other children, they move from simply describing the physical characteristics of each other to comparing themselves with others. Two children may come to you and ask you to measure them to see who is taller. They are quick to notice that they have the same shoes as another classmate or may announce that "Me and Jamey are twins today" because they have the same color shirt on.
References
Damon, W., & Hart, D. (1982). The development of self-understanding from infancy through adolescence. Child Development, 53, 841-864.
DesRosiers, F.S., & Busch-Rossnagel, N.A. (1997). Self-concept in toddlers. Infants and Young Children, 10, 15-26.
Marshal, H. H. (2001). Cultural influences on the development of self-concept: Updating our thinking. Young Children, 56, 19-22.
Mooney, C.G. (2000). Theories of childhood: An introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget & Vygotsky (pp. 37-57). St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
Pipp-Siegel, S., & Pressman, L. (1996). Developing a sense of self and others. Zero to Three, 17, 17-24.
Pruitt, M.D., D.B. (Ed.) (1998). American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Your child: Emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development from birth through preadolescence (pp. 3-119). New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Stipek, D.J., Gralinski, J.H., & Kopp C.B. (1990). Self-concept development in the toddler years. Developmental Psychology, 26, 972-977.
Measure 2 - SELF 2: Recognition of Own Skills and Accomplishments
Child evaluates and takes pleasure in own ability to perform skillfully.
In the earliest months, when infants' cries for help and comfort are met, they begin to develop a sense of trust and safety. This early trust spurs the infant on to further explore his world and relate to people outside of his immediate family. As infants grow, their developing motor skills and sense of self lead to increasing autonomy. They learn how to walk and run, feed themselves and become more independent. If adults have given toddlers and young children the space and opportunities they need to explore and practice independence, they move on to a stage of initiative when they develop the ability to use independent thoughts and actions to meet their own needs.
Until infants develop a sense of self, they are unable to recognize their own skills and impact on others. Within the first few months, however, they discover they can make a noise with a rattle or cry out and get an adult to appear. Through experimenting and a lot of repetition, they begin to realize that they can make things happen intentionally. The more opportunities they have to "make something happen," the more they are encouraged to continue to explore their powers. The more time infants spend exploring the world and discovering how they can make things happen, the more they discover their own abilities.
Toddlers clearly understand that they are individuals in their own right, and they make it their full time job to practice this new autonomy. Their waking hours are filled with developing motor skills, language skills and social socials as they explore their ever-expanding worlds, leading them to be increasingly skilled and able. Toddlers tend to be persistent in the face of challenges. They will practice new skills over and over, day after day until they master what they set out to do, whether it is turning on the water by themselves, walking by themselves, or getting your attention! Adult reaction is a great motivator for a toddler. Anything that gets that attention tends to be repeated over and over again.
Young preschoolers begin to take pride in their work as they start to use the outside world as a reference. Soon they develop the language they need to reflect on their activities and talk to others about what they can do. "I can climb highest, see?" They begin developing a sense of mastery by finishing what they set out to do. For example, they may put all the puzzle pieces back into the puzzle or line all the cars up in a row, sit back and get a look of satisfaction or accomplishment on their faces. Adult attention and feedback is important and encouraging for young children, and they will frequently call favored adults over to show what they have accomplished.
For older preschoolers, peer relationships become more and more important. As children interact more with each other, they begin to compare themselves and their skills to those of other children. Young children characterize their accomplishments and skills positively. They take great pride in the things they can do, and are pleased to show other children "how to do it." You may hear a child offering to help another open a package of crackers at snack or see one child helping another with the buttons on a baby doll dress. Or they may want to show you how they can carry a full cup of water from the sink to the art table without spilling. Because they are growing and learning so quickly, most children this age are very proud of their accomplishments. They begin to generalize their overall abilities and skills based on individual accomplishments. For example, after making instant pudding during a cooking project, a child may tell you that she is a good cook. Or a child might talk about how he is a "good helper" after working with an adult to get the table ready for lunch.
References
Gestwicki, C. (1999). Developmentally appropriate practice: Curriculum and development in early education. New York, NY: Delmar.
Hauser-Cram, P. (1998). Research in review. I think I can, I think I can: Understanding and encouraging mastery motivation in young children. Young Children, 5, 67-71.
Linder, T.W. (1993) Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment: A Functional Approach to Working with Young Children. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Mooney, C.G. (2000). Theories of childhood: An introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget & Vygotsky (pp. 37-57).St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
Pruitt, M.D., D.B. (Ed.) (1998). American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Your child: Emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development from birth through preadolescence (pp. 3-119 ). New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Talaris Brain Research website: http://www.talaris.org
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 communicate with others. In a brief five years, children grow from instinctive crying to communicate needs to 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.
Infants are born able to make their presence known with vocalizing and crying out when they are in distress. By six months of age, infants begin to consciously express emotions of contentment and distress, likes and dislikes, with gestures and sounds. They babble to get attention, and spit out a mouthful of applesauce and turn their heads when they are full. At about the same time, they develop the ability to recognize and respond to emotional expressions of others. They smile in response to smiling and show concern in response to a troubled or sad face.
Toddlers are actively trying to make sense of the world and 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. Toddlers delight in discovering their abilities to make things happen, and will repeat those actions that have an effect. Although they lack a sophisticated verbal emotional vocabulary, they are able to express needs, feelings, and desires to caregivers with facial expression, body movements, and vocalizations. They may take your hand and walk you to the water pitcher when they want a drink, or may toss a banana on the floor when they are done with snack.
Young preschoolers develop an emotional vocabulary to identify basic emotions (happy, sad, scared, and angry) in themselves and others. They can look at a picture of a baby crying in a book and tell you "That 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 help you set the table?"
Older preschoolers begin to understand that others may have feelings and preferences different than their own: they might feel like painting while their best friend wants to read books. They are beginning to notice that their feelings may change over time ("I used to be scared of swimming but now I'm a good swimmer"). Some children at the end of the preschool years begin to understand that they can feel more than one way about something, such as the mixed feelings of excitement of moving to a new house while at the same time feeling sad to leave the old one.
References
Joseph, G.E. & Strain, P.S. (2003). Enhancing emotional vocabulary in young children, Young Exceptional Children, 6, 18-26.
Messinger, D.S. & Fogel, A. (1998). Give and take: The development of conventional infant gestures. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 44, 566-590.
Ridgeway, D., Waters, E., & Kuczaj II, S.A. (1985). Acquisition of emotion-descriptive language: Receptive and productive vocabulary norms for ages 18 months to 6 years. Developmental Psychology, 21, 501-508.
Understanding the Developmental Sequences of the DRDP access Copyright 2007 California Department of Education, Special Education Division
This document was developed by the Desired Results access Project to support the implementation of the Desired Results system based on the guidelines and specifications of the California Department of Education, Special Education Division.
The Desired Results access Project is funded by the California Department of Education, Special Education Division (Contract #6217).
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Updated 08/16/07