North Carolina Early Learning and Development Progressions: Birth to Five

Domain: NC Foundations for Early Learning: Emotional and Social Development (ESD)

Subdomain: Developing a Sense of Self with Others

Goal: Children form relationships and interact positively with other children

Skill Progression: Positive social interactions

Age: 18-21 Months

Click here to go to all skills for ages 18-21 Months.

Shows a preference for play with a peer over an adult; demonstrates cooperative play with large outdoor equipment

Situations for Observation of Skill

Observe the toddler when another toddler is close by. Have several toys within the toddler’s reach.

Elicitation Strategy

No elicitation needed.

Behavior Observed

Even if the adult is close by, the child will choose to play close to or with the peer. The child still fights over small toys, but cooperates with larger play materials.

Routines-based Intervention (Embedded Instruction)

Some parents may start to feel a sense of loss of their “baby” as the toddler prefers to move away and play with peers. Help parents understand the importance of this phase of independence and move toward expanding the child’s social world. Encourage play dates at parks or play areas to reduce conflicts

 North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 2015

©2015 by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.