Reasoning - Infant/Toddler - ECE Resource Hub

THINK

Support Reasoning

Encourage infants and toddlers to puzzle, try, and repeat as they begin to make sense of their world

At A Glance

Young children use their reasoning skills when they play repetitive games, like peek-a-boo. Or when they see an umbrella and say, “rain.” They are observing and predicting outcomes! We can support young children to develop reasoning skills by providing lots of opportunities to explore cause and effect (e.g., roll a ball to knock over a tower) and prompting them to consider how things work, why things happen, and what will happen next.

What It Looks Like

A quick glance at ways you can support infants' and toddlers' reasoning skills

Encourage Exploration

Provide objects and materials that encourage young children to discover how things work on their own, like this educator does with the shape sorting toys.

Narrate Reasoning

Promote reasoning by talking about the impact of children’s actions. Notice how this educator explains what the child did and what happened as a result.

Wait and Watch

Allow time for children to puzzle, try out ideas, and repeat steps as they work to solve a problem. Notice how this child has time to try out several ways of stacking the blocks.

SUPPORTING THINKING SKILLS THROUGH BOOKS

Wind

Written and illustrated by Carol Thompson, this book is about children finding out what can happen when things get swept up on a windy day.

SUPPORTING THINKING SKILLS THROUGH BOOKS

Marta! Big and Small

Written by Jen Arena and illustrated by Angela Dominguez, Marta! is a book about “una niña” who thinks about how she is the same and different from the animals she encounters in the forest.

TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE

The Three R's

This infographic from Beacon House provides a simple but effective sequence – regulate, relate, reason – to support children’s reasoning skills in the midst of trauma.

FAMILY CONNECTION

Thinking and Play

This article from Raising Children Network (Australia) Limited shares strategies educators and families can use to facilitate children’s reasoning skills through play.

CONSIDERING EQUITY

Building With Blocks

This article from The National Association for the Education of Young Children describes how building with blocks supports math, science, and general reasoning skills across the first four years of life.