Domain: NC Foundations for Early Learning: Cognitive Development (CD)

Subdomain: Construction of Knowledge: Thinking and Reasoning

Goal: Children demonstrate the ability to think about their own thinking: reasoning, taking perspectives, and making decisions

Skill Progression: Thinking and reasoning

Age: 33-36 Months

Click here to go to all skills for ages 33-36 Months.

Watch as the child builds with blocks, puts together a challenging puzzle, tries to operate a complex cause-and-effect toy, or works on any challenging task.

No elicitation needed.

The child will examine the object or situation to look at its parts and/or characteristics. She will then use what she finds to try to solve the problem. If this does not work the child may try another way.

At this age children are moving beyond sensory discovery into logical discovery. They will apply what they know about the characteristics of objects to understand how to solve a problem. Encourage early childhood educators and parents to let children work on solving problems for themselves before they jump in to help. If what the child tries first does not work, the adult can say, “Try another way.” This suggests to the child that she has the ability to do it. She just needs to persist and be flexible.