Early Childhood Education Glossary

The emotional bond between a child and caregiver that provides a sense of security and influences social-emotional development.

A child's growing sense of independence and self-governance, central to Erikson's second psychosocial stage (18 months to 3 years).

The process by which children acquire the ability to think, reason, remember, problem-solve, and understand the world.

A learning theory holding that children actively build knowledge through experience and interaction rather than passively receiving information.

Teaching practices aligned with what is known about child development, individual needs, and cultural contexts, as defined by NAEYC.

A child who is acquiring two or more languages simultaneously or learning a second language while developing the home language.

Services and supports provided to infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities to promote development and minimize future challenges.

A curriculum approach that builds on children's observed interests and questions rather than following a predetermined plan.

A set of cognitive skills — working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility — essential for goal-directed behavior.

Small-muscle movements of the hands and fingers used in tasks such as writing, cutting, and buttoning, developing progressively in early childhood.

Large-muscle movements such as running, jumping, and climbing that develop rapidly during the early childhood years.

A form of play in which adults set up the environment or gently steer activities toward learning goals while allowing children to maintain agency.

A legally binding document specifying the special education services and supports a child with a disability will receive.

Open-ended materials (blocks, fabric, natural objects) that children can move, combine, and transform during play, encouraging creativity and problem-solving.

The foundational understanding of numbers, counting, patterns, and basic mathematical concepts that develops in early childhood.

A primary assessment method in ECE in which educators systematically watch and record children's behaviors, interactions, and learning.

A stage of play in which children play alongside but not directly with each other, common in toddlers, representing an early step toward cooperative play.

The ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words, a subset of phonological awareness and a strong predictor of reading success.

A collection of a child's work samples, photographs, and observations over time used to document growth and inform instruction.

Voluntary actions intended to benefit others, such as sharing, helping, and cooperating, that emerge and are nurtured during early childhood.

Temporary instructional support adjusted to a child's level of need and gradually removed as competence increases.

A child's preparedness to succeed in a school environment, encompassing cognitive, social-emotional, physical, and language development.

The ability to manage one's emotions, behavior, and attention, a key developmental task of early childhood.

Activities that stimulate the senses — touch, sight, sound, smell, taste — supporting cognitive development, fine motor skills, and language.

Vygotsky's term for the range between what a child can do independently and what they can achieve with skilled assistance.