Component 2: Sense of Self
Learning Goal 2.a: Children develop an awareness of themselves as an individual with unique thoughts, feelings, and perspectives.
By 9 months, most children:
- Explore their own hands and feet
- Demonstrate a recognition of themselves in a mirror
- Respond to their own name
By 18 months, most children:
- Explore various play materials and show preferences for specific books, toys, or food
- Demonstrate displeasure when unable to exert influence on events
- Indicate their dislike by saying “no” or through some other method (e. g., shaking their head or turning their head/body away)
- Make simple choices
By 24 months, most children:
- Recognize some body parts (e.g., pointing to eyes, ears, or nose when asked)
- Refer to themselves by name
- Use “me” and “mine” in reference to themselves and to objects
- Express preferences for certain toys or objects
- Enjoy playing alone for short periods of time
- Try to do some things without help
By 36 months, most children:
- Become aware of the idea of ownership (i.e., “This is mine”; and “that is yours.”)
- Demonstrate preferences and choices for people, toys, or activities
- Recognize a picture of themselves (e.g., by pointing or saying “me”)
- Describe some personal characteristics (e.g., hair color)
- Provide their first and last names when asked
By 48 months, most children:
- Describe their own and others’ personal characteristics (e.g., “My hair is red; your hair is black.”)
- Understand that other people have different physical characteristics as well as different thoughts, beliefs, ideas, and feelings.
- Demonstrate an awareness of their own likes and preferences
By 60 months, most children:
- Differentiate themselves from others based on characteristics they use to describe themselves, such as “shy” or “smart.”
- Differentiate themselves from others in terms of specific abilities (e.g., “I am a fast runner,” or “I am a good climber.”)
