Temperament

When learning about children, we are watching for specific patterns of behavior. By carefully observing over time, you can anticipate how children might behave or react in certain situations and be responsive.

These consistent behaviors or reactions can tell us something about where a child falls on a continuum of traits, such as high vs low activity level. But, we should always remember that even though we can find patterns in how children behave, these patterns can change, and they are complex—they may not always show up in the same way in every scenario or remain consistent over time.

To leave you thinking more about observation and children’s patterns of traits and patterns of responding, Handout 4, gives you some traits to think about with regard to individual children.

• Think about a couple of children from your classroom as you fill out this handout for each of them.
• Think about patterns you see over time, and how you might tailor your interactions to particular children.
• If you’re interested in more information about traits and temperament, you can check out Handout 5, which is an article about temperament, and a good resource for staff and families.