4.2 Children Competencies Learning Goals

Adjusted LifeComp Framework for Preschool Education:
Learning Goals and Outcomes for the Three LifeComp Areas (Personal, Social, and Learning to Learn)
Area Competencies Descriptors Learning Goals
With the support of an adult, the child will:
Learning Outcomes
With the support of an adult, the child will be able to:
Suitable activities
Personal P1 Self-Regulation 1. Awareness of Myself
  • learn to recognize and respond to her/his own name,
  • learn to identify and name different body parts,
  • learn the functions of different body parts.
  • respond consistently to his/her name when called, by turning or responding verbally,
  • identify different body parts (e.g., head, arms, hands, feet),
  • name different body parts,
  • demonstrate recognition by pointing or using verbal identification in relevant contexts,
  • describe basic functions of various body parts (e.g., “We use hands to draw”) and relate them to everyday scenarios (e.g., during play or group activities),
  • describe which body parts are important for certain activities (e.g., jumping, clapping),
  • explain where a specific body part is located (e.g., above, below, in front, behind),
  • draw or complete a picture of the human body with different parts.

Basic
P1.1 That’s Me - That’s You!
P1.1 My Unique Me in Pictures

Advanced
P1.1 Body in Motion 3D/2D

2. Awareness of My Senses
  • learn to recognize her/his senses inside and outside of the body,
  • learn to describe her/his senses and name the feelings they evoke,
  • learn to recognize which sensory experiences suit her/him and which do not.
  • name the organs for each sense (nose, ear...),
  • name the senses he/she is already familiar with (smell, taste...),
  • explain the links between the organs and senses (ear–hearing, eye–seeing...),
  • identify and explain the senses he/she perceives,
  • express which sensory experiences suit her/him and which do not.
Basic
P1.2 Exploring Sounds in the Environment
P1.2 Memory of Smells - Exploring and Matching Scents
P1.2 Exploring Materials "Hands-on"
3. Awareness of Emotions
  • learn to recognize and name her/his emotions,
  • learn skills to express her/his emotions verbally and non-verbally,
  • learn to connect her/his emotions with bodily sensations.
  • recognise and describe his/her feelings and emotions (e.g., happy, sad, angry, scared) through facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language,
  • verbally and non-verbally express their feelings using simple verbal expressions (e.g., “I feel happy” or “I feel sad”),
  • compare different emotions and explain similarities and differences,
  • identify situations that evoke a particular emotion in himself/herself,
  • creatively express emotions and feelings in different situations.

Basic
P1.3 Making Faces: Exploring Emotions with a Puppet
P1.3 Faces of How We Feel
P1.3 The Dice of Emotions
P1.3 Listening to my Body: Where I Feel the Emotions

Advanced
P1.3 What the Music Tells Us - Exploring Emotions Through Music

4. Regulation of Emotions
  • learn strategies for regulating emotions,
  • practice using strategies for regulating emotions in different situations,
  • develop the ability to independently use these strategies to regulate his/her emotions and behaviour effectively.
  • name a few strategies for regulating emotions and behaviour,
  • explain the chosen strategy and relate it to emotion and behaviour regulation (e.g., “When I get angry, I…”, “When I get too excited, I…”),
  • develop a toolkit of strategies for regulating emotions and behaviour and use it in specific situations (e.g., use calming steps; ask for help or distancing oneself when feeling overwhelmed by emotions; use positive self-talk in challenging situations to manage feelings or frustrations, e.g., “I can try again” or “I will go on”),
  • use strategies to regulate emotions in real or simulated situations,
  • evaluate which strategy he/she used and how it helped him/her.

Basic
P1.4 The Sound of Joy
P1.4 Stop with Music
P1.4 Stop Game

Advanced
P1.4 My Soothing Sensory Box
P1.4 Me, My Breath, and the World Around Me

P2 Flexibility 1. Awareness of Changes
  • learn to recognize changes in her/his environment,
  • learn to describe a situation that has changed or is different,
  • learn to recognize her/his emotions and needs during a challenging situation.
  • actively observe and comment on changes in his/her immediate environment (e.g., weather, playground set-up, or new objects/people),
  • share his/her observations with the group or an adult,
  • describe the differences between the previous situation and the present situation, focusing on a few details,
  • recognise a change in a familiar story or event,
  • identify his/her feelings and needs in a challenging situation.

Advanced
P2.1 Exploring Changes
P2.1 Values in our Group - Friendship

2. Adjustment in/during Changes
  • learn skills to use adaptive strategies in a challenging situation,
  • learn to participate in the creation of rules in the kindergarten group,
  • learn to apply new rules in kindergarten and behave accordingly,
  • learn to change behaviour regarding others’ emotions and needs in the kindergarten group.
  • stop and try to name his/her emotions when faced with a challenging situation,
  • articulate a need (e.g., “I need help”) when faced with a challenging or changing situation,
  • try to use a self-management strategy in a challenging situation (e.g., take a deep breath, ask for help, or use positive self-talk),
  • choose different coping strategies depending on the type of challenge,
  • contribute ideas for the creation of new rules within the group setting,
  • demonstrate understanding of a new rule by explaining it in their own words and giving an example of how to follow it (e.g., washing hands before lunch),
  • follow the new rule in daily activities, with occasional reminders, if necessary,
  • observe and recognise the emotional states of peers (e.g., noticing when someone looks sad or disappointed) and respond with empathy,
  • adjust his/her behaviour according to the needs of others, showing consideration for group activities.
P3 Wellbeing 1. How to Be Well (Awareness of Biological and Psychological Needs)
  • learn to recognise his/her own biological and psychological needs,
  • learn to express his/her own needs,
  • understand that others have similar needs,
  • learn to use strategies for fulfilling and regulating needs,
  • learn when and how to ask for help from adults or peers,
  • learn about the factors that impact health and well-being (acknowledging that what is good and pleasant is not always the same thing).
  • name basic biological and psychological needs (food, water, rest, exercise, hygiene, friendship, safety...),
  • identify and name pictures showing basic biological and psychological needs,
  • explain why biological and psychological needs are important for his/her well-being,
  • explain how she/he meets her/his biological and psychological needs (e.g., when she/he is hungry, she/he needs food ; when she/he is tired, she/he needs rest...),
  • draw up a simple daily schedule including time for food, drink, rest, care, and play,
  • create a simple story or drawing to show how he/she takes care of his/her needs throughout the day,
  • identify activities that are pleasurable (e.g., sweets, playing, watching cartoons) and activities that are good for health (e.g., fruit, exercise, rest),
  • explain why some things are enjoyable but not always good for health,
  • explain how certain factors contribute to well-being.

Basic
P3.1 What Do I Need Now?
P3.1 A Gift for You

Advanced
P3.1 Our Day at Kindergarten - Activity and Needs Timeline P3.1 Exploring the Orange

2. Respect for the Environment
  • develop awareness of other living beings,
  • learn to recognise and name the needs of other living beings,
  • learn about strategies and practices that promote respect for the environment (e.g., recycling, using eco-friendly materials in arts and crafts...).
  • identify different living beings (animals, plants, people) and name them,
  • show and name pictures or toys of different living beings,
  • explain that all living things need food, water, light, and space to live,
  • show how to help look after a living being (e.g., caring for a flower),
  • recognise when a particular living being needs help,
  • compare the needs of different living beings (e.g. how the needs of plants may be different from the needs of animals...),
  • recognise how living beings react to unmet needs (e.g., plants wilt),
  • create a story, picture, game, or plan to care for different living beings.
Advanced
P3.2 Me and Recycling
P3.2 Little Gardeners Grow
P3.2 Eco Treasure Hunt: Fun Recycling and Green Living Activities
Social S1 Empathy
  • learn to recognise and name basic emotions (e.g., happy, scared, sad, angry) in themselves and others,
  • learn strategies to understand and appropriately respond to others’ feelings,
  • practice seeing things from someone else’s perspective to understand how others feel.
  • recognise the basic emotions in others by observing facial expressions, body language, and behaviour,
  • respond to a peer’s feelings with appropriate response/action or question that shows concern or empathy (e.g. offer a toy; leave a space; ask if the peer wants to play with him/her, offer support to others...),
  • explain how a character in the story or another child might feel or think or what they might need in a particular situation,
  • compare his/her own feelings and behaviours with those he/she observes in others.

Basic


Advanced

S2 Communication 1. Communication Strategies
  • learn what communication is and why it is used,
  • learn about verbal and non-verbal communication,
  • learn about communication channels and tools.
  • communicate through words, tone, facial expressions, and body language,
  • use simple tools like picture cards or storyboards,
  • communicate through various methods such as speaking, drawing, gestures, and simple technology (e.g., pictures, camera).
Basic
2. Conversation Skills
  • practice sharing thoughts, feelings, needs, ideas, and emotions,
  • develop questioning skills,
  • expand SEL vocabulary.
  • respectfully share her/his ideas, feelings and needs with others,
  • ask closed and open questions during the game,
  • give his/her interpretation of a word from the social-emotional vocabulary,
  • use a social-emotional vocabulary word in a context.
Basic
3. Listening Skills
  • develop the ability of attentive listening to others,
  • learn to listen actively and respond appropriately (e.g. follow directions…),
  • practice turn-taking in conversation.
  • focus his/her attention on the speaker,
  • understand and follow simple one-step verbal instructions,
  • understand and follow multi-step verbal instructions from adults or peers,
  • answer the questions (e.g. about the story),
  • listen to others without interrupting them,
  • wait for his/her turn to speak.

Basic

Advanced

S3 Collaboration
  • develop a sense of group identity and awareness of diversity in a group,
  • learn to include and respect friends who may have different backgrounds, values and beliefs during play and social interactions,
  • participate in group activities (e.g. taking turns, sharing, toys…),
  • develop skills on how to resolve joint problems or challenges.
  • describe when they feel comfortable in a group and in his/her environment,
  • include friends who may have different ideas in group activities and play,
  • match their own needs, interests and preferences with those of others,
  • identify a problem or a challenge,
  • suggest possible solutions to solve challenges,
  • check possible solutions and choose effective solutions,
  • resolve conflict situations using selected strategies,
  • evaluate the effectiveness of the solution.

Basic

Advanced

Learning to Learn L1 Growth mindset
L3 Managing learning
  • develop personal strengths,
  • learn to recognise strengths in others,
  • learn to understand that we improve with practice/learning/growing,
  • embrace mistakes as opportunities for social and emotional growth,
  • participate in collective achievement.
  • identify and name at least two areas of strength or skill development (e.g. what I know and can do),
  • during group work, identify and name at least one personal strength in his/her peers,
  • give positive feedback to peers based on their recognised areas of strength (e.g. giving a compliment to another child),
  • participate in and evaluate activities that require practice, showing persistence and a positive attitude to improvements,
  • share experiences in a supportive environment where he/she has made mistakes and shared what he/she has learnt from them,
  • support peers in understanding mistakes as learning opportunities, showing empathy and understanding,
  • participate in group projects and recognise how individual contributions lead to collective success,
  • recognise and value the contributions of others to shared achievements.
Advanced
L1 My Superpowers
L1 The Superpower Bag
L1 My Special Day in Kindergarten: From Planning to Celebrating
L1 My Timeline: Growing and Learning
L3 My Learning Journey
L2 Critical thinking
  • engage in collaborative teamwork with emotional reflection,
  • learn to ask questions about her/his environment,
  • learn to articulate simple problems they encounter in everyday situations,
  • learn to observe her/his environment and notice details,
  • learn to distinguish facts from opinions,
  • learn to compare objects and ideas to recognise differences and similarities.
  • define the problem/challenge/goal of the game...,
  • plan possible solutions to the problem/challenge/game objective...,
  • explain what is needed to solve the problem/challenge/game objective...,
  • use different ways of solving the problem/challenge/game objective...,
  • use the resources needed to solve the problem/challenge/game objective...,
  • follow the planned steps to solve the problem/challenge/game objective...,
  • express his/her opinion on the success of the solution,
  • compare different solutions to the same problem,
  • evaluate different solutions to the same problem and tell how he/she feels about it,
  • set the next goal based on the learning from the experience.

Basic
L2 Kira and Miro: Stories from Kindergarten

Advanced
L2 You look different! But why?
L2 Similarities and Differences
L2 What If?