Clare Swan Early Learning Center > Alaska Developmental Profile Tool
Cognition and General Knowledge
This area focuses on how your child thinks, solves problems, and understands the world around them. Children naturally explore and learn about how things work through play and everyday experiences.
During the early years, children develop important thinking skills like reasoning, problem-solving, and understanding symbols. They learn basic math concepts like numbers, counting, and measurement. They begin to sort objects, make predictions, and conduct simple experiments.
Children also develop understanding about their community, the natural world, and how people interact with their environment. They learn about time (past, present, future), places, and basic economic concepts. Through play and exploration, they discover how to use technology and express themselves through creative arts.
These skills help prepare your child for learning in all subject areas when they enter kindergarten, especially science, math, social studies, and the arts.
These skills include questioning, spatial relationships, problem-solving, imitation, memory, number sense, classification and symbolic play. Imaginations are becoming a primary vehicle for play and learning. They begin to compare, contrast, organize, analyze, and come up with more and more complex ways to solve problems, which helps their math skills and scientific reasoning become more sophisticated.
Numbers and Counting
Activity: Use natural materials like small stones or pinecones collected during a nature walk. Have children count them and use them to play games or make simple math patterns that reflect the natural environment.
Sorting and Classifying
Activity: Gather traditional foods (e.g., fish, berries, herbs) represented by pictures or models and have children classify them based on characteristics such as size, color, or type of food.
Activities
Number & Letters
Choose number or letter you want your Little One to focus on (such as first letter of their name) and repeat it vertically and horizontally as you write. They use tape to follow the path of targeted numbers or letters.
Skills Developed:
- number and letter identification
DIY Puzzle
Cut front of a cereal box off and encourage your child to cut into several pieces. Reassemble to original. As your Little One becomes more familiar, try mixing two or three box fronts to create a better challenge.
Skills Developed:
- self- regulation
- concentration
- spatial awareness
- shape recognition
- fine motor
- problem solving skills
- language
- relationships with others
What Doesn’t Belong?
During a quiet time of day, or in the car, play What Doesn’t Belong? Take turns with your children naming three things and identifying what does not fit with the other two. If they respond in an unexpected way do not tell them they are wrong, but rather say “Tell me more.” This conversation will give you a hint about how your child thinks and problem solves.
Skills Developed:
- receptive and expressive language
- critical thinking
- relationships with others
Set the Table
Take a few minutes to show each piece of tableware to your child and make sure they know the proper name for each item. Have your child place the pieces in the correct spot for each family member table setting.
Skills Developed:
- executive functions
- memory
- problem solving
- gross and fine motor
- relationships with others
Would You Rather
With your children, take turns thinking about and answering Would You Rather questions.
Skills Developed:
- receptive and expressive language
- relationships with others
- critical thinking
- creativity
- self-regulation
Laundry
Tapping into your child’s innate desire to participate—and teaching them valuable skills along the way—builds confidence and creates a sense of belonging. Start with: pillowcase, washcloth, towel, pants, shorts socks, and tee-shirts.
Skills Developed:
- receptive and expressive language
- fine and gross motor
- following directions
- counting and sequencing
- comparing and categorizing
- self-regulation
- relationships with others
Model a Question
You are modeling what a good question looks and sounds like. Slow down and listen to your Little one and they will develop the habit of sharing and talking with you.
Skills Developed:
- relationships with others
- receptive and expressive language
- creativity
Want to print these activities?
Click here to download a PDF of the activities, ready to be printed as two-sided cards.
Cultural Integration
Use of Elders and Cultural Bearers
Invite Elders to participate in activities to provide context and cultural stories. For example, they can guide traditional dances or storytelling sessions, helping children understand cultural practices more deeply.
Place-Based Themes
Organize seasonal activities based on local events, like berry picking in the fall or ice fishing in winter. This not only engages the children with their local environment but also embeds traditional knowledge in their learning.