Childhood Map

Discover the amazing things 5-year-olds are learning — from climbing and jumping to friendships, feelings, and first words on a page. Each skill comes with fun activities you can try together.

Physical & Motor 8 › Sensory 8 › Executive 7 › Cognitive 6 › Language 5 › Communication 5 › Emotional 5 › Social 6 › Self-Care 7 › Literacy 4 › Math 5 › Creative & Artistic 5 › World & Science 5 ›
by Robert Pankowecki
Understanding the World & Scientific Thinking

Exploring, investigating, and making sense of the natural and social world through observation, inquiry, and reasoning.

Sources (7)
  • UK EYFS (Understanding the World)
  • Head Start ELOF (Scientific Reasoning)
  • Montessori (Cultural Studies)
  • HighScope (Science & Technology, Social Studies)
  • E.D. Hirsch ("What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know")
  • Singapore NEL (Discovery of the World)
  • Finland ECEC (Exploring and Interacting with My Environment)
5 Subdomains
Observation & Scientific Inquiry10 › Natural World Knowledge › Cause and Effect › Tools, Technology & Simple Machines8 › People, Culture & Community ›
People, Culture & Community

Understanding human relationships, community roles, cultural diversity, and basic historical and geographical concepts.

Examples & Achievements

  • Describes roles of community helpers (firefighter, doctor, teacher, mail carrier)
  • Knows own cultural traditions and can describe one or two
  • Understands that people live in different places and have different customs
  • Recognizes and discusses similarities and differences among people
  • Understands concepts of past, present, and future
  • Can identify own country on a map or globe

How to Measure

  • Names and describes 5+ community helper roles
  • Describes 2+ cultural traditions from own or others' families
  • Uses past/present/future correctly when describing events
  • Places 3 life events in chronological order (personal timeline)
  • Teaching Strategies GOLD Objective 29-32 (social studies)
Sources (5)
  • EYFS
  • Hirsch
  • HighScope
  • Polish Curriculum
  • Te Whariki

Childhood Map › Understanding the World & Scientific Thinking

People, Culture & Community

Understanding human relationships, community roles, cultural diversity, and basic historical and geographical concepts.

Examples & Achievements

How to Measure

Sources