Skip to main content

DOMAIN: Mathematical Thinking and Expression

SUBDOMAIN: Foundations for Algebraic Thinking

DEVELOPMENTAL INDICATORS

Infants (Birth to 12 months):

  • Emerging

Younger Toddlers (8 to 21 months):

  • Show awareness of different categories during play (put balls in a box and dolls in a bed; give one friend all the cars and another friend all of the trucks when playing in the block area).
  • Can follow along and imitate patterns of sounds and movement (for example, repeating a chorus in a song or clapping a simple rhythm).

Older Toddlers (18 to 36 months)

  • Sort familiar objects into categories (cars with cars, plates separated from cups; rectangle blocks on one shelf and square blocks on another).
  • Can follow along and imitate patterns of sounds and movement (for example, repeating a chorus in a song or clapping a simple rhythm).

Younger Preschoolers (36 to 48 months)

  • Sort familiar objects into categories (cars with cars, plates separated from cups; rectangle blocks on one shelf and square blocks on another).
  • Identify familiar objects as the same or different.
  • Recognize simple repeating patterns (AB type patterns) and attempt to repeat or extend them during play (repeat a movement pattern during a song, extend a line of blocks in alternating colors).

Older Preschoolers (48 to 60+ months)

  • Sort a group of objects (0-10) using one attribute (color, size, shape, quantity) with increasing accuracy (sort blocks by shape and place like-shaped blocks on the shelf; sort beads by color or another attribute).
  • Describe, duplicate, and extend simple repeating patterns (two-part patterns) using concrete objects (look at a pattern of beads and tell what bead comes next in the pattern).
  • Show beginning abilities to create simple repeating patterns.

Click here for more on Step Up to School Readiness and the SC Early Learning Standards.