Approaches to Learning (ATL)

Other California PTK DRDP: An Early Childhood Developmental Continuum sets

• English Language Development (ELD)
• Foundational Language Development (FLD)
• Health (HLTH)
• Math (MATH)
• Physical Development (PD)
• Science (SCI)
• Social Emotional Development (SED)

Orients to people, objects, or changes in the environment Earlier

Engages in explorations of people or objects for brief periodsLater

Engages in simple self-initiated activities, sometimes with adult supportEarlier

Engages in and returns to self-initiated activities after a brief interruptionLater

Engages in self-initiated activities for extended periods of timeEarlier

Manages distractions or challenges with adult support during group learning activitiesLater

Engages in group learning activities with adult guidanceMiddle

Manages distractions or challenges on own during group learning activitiesEarlier

Engages in complex adult-selected group learning activities with multiple componentsMiddle

Engages in, with adult support, structured learning and returns to complex adult-selected activities that span several time periods (e.g., morning to afternoon or one day to the next) Later

Engages in, on own, structured learning and returns to complex adult-selected activities that span several time periodsEarlier

Engages in, with adult support, complex, structured learning activities while incorporating new information or adjusting approachesMiddle

Engages in, usually on own, complex, structured learning activities while incorporating new information or adjusting approaches, spanning several time periods Later

Orients toward movement or changes in people, objects, or soundsEarlier

Shows interest in new or unexpected characteristics or actions of people or objectsLater

Explores objects and notices and responds to interactions with peopleEarlier

Explores new ways to use familiar objects outside of their intended useLater

Explores self-selected ideas, objects, or events by manipulating, or asking simple "what" or "where" questionsEarlier

Explores self-selected ideas, objects, or events by examining, manipulating, or asking detailed "why" or "how" questions, often with adult promptingMiddle

Explores self-selected ideas, objects, or events in greater depth, over repeated occasions, sometimes with adult support Later

Tries out and builds on new ideas or approaches introduced by adults to extend explorations Earlier

Tests how things or materials react under different conditions by modifying actions or approaches Middle

Seeks purposefully to understand new information by making connections to information they know well Later

Explores new topics or ideas by making comparisons between different approaches or conditionsEarlier

Explores new topics or ideas by identifying multiple alternative outcomes or reasons, sometimes testing them outMiddle

Communicates about abstract ideas or asks open-ended questions without clear answersLater

Orients toward people, sounds, or objectsEarlier

Explores doing things with people or objects and attends to what happensLater

Tries different ways to do things using people or objects when encountering problemsEarlier

Uses effective strategies, suggested by others or observed, to solve problems Later

Comes up with strategies to solve everyday problems, with adult supportEarlier

Identifies different aspects of everyday problems and comes up with strategies to try to solve them Middle

Pauses and examines everyday problems before trying out one or more targeted strategies to solve them Later

Examines novel or complex problems and seeks help to come up with strategies to solve themEarlier

Uses strategies to solve the first part of novel or complex problems, then examines the next part of problems, and shifts strategy to solve them, sometimes with adult supportMiddle

Uses a variety of strategies to solve novel or complex problems on own Later

Identifies some potential novel or complex problems and takes steps to proactively solve them Earlier

Describes or demonstrates strategies that might be used to solve novel or complex problems, sometimes with adult support Middle

Identifies and uses strategies to solve novel or complex problems on own, examines the result, and then pivots to another strategy as neededLater

There are no earlier levels for this measure.Earlier

Participates in familiar routines and activitiesLater

Carries out the next two steps of familiar learning activitiesEarlier

Carries out the next one or two steps of new learning activitiesMiddle

Makes and carries out a oneor two-step plan for familiar learning activities, using adult-prompted strategies (e.g., checklist, visual reminder) Later

Makes and carries out a one- or two-step plan using familiar strategies for new learning activities, sometimes with adult supportEarlier

Makes and carries out a multi-step plan for new learning activities on own or with peersMiddle

Extends a multi-step plan beyond the initial goal on own or with peersLater

Sets a short-term goal (i.e., within one to two days) and makes and carries out a multi-step plan on own or with peers to achieve itEarlier

Sets a longer-term goal (i.e., within a week) and makes and carries out a multi-steр plan on own or with peers to achieve it, with adult supportMiddle

Reviews and reflects on the success of plans to achieve goalsLater