How to Use Learning Trajectories

Learning Trajectories in action

Children’s thinking follows a path or a developmental progression. Start with child’s current level of thinking (everyone is different) and build on that, guiding children to move toward next level of thinking.

Steps to Learning Trajectories

1. Consider what’s currently happening

Consider what’s currently happening. What are the child’s interests and strengths? What might be the child’s current level of thinking? When picking a topic, make sure you consider what your child can do right now and what goals you want to achieve.

2. What would you like to see happen?

What goals do you want the child to achieve? Are you working with the child’s learning and development? Or with engagement? Check out our STEM Experience Action Plan & Reflection for guidance.

3. Look up progressions

Whether you picked domains or cross-cutting concepts (CCC), activities are grouped by progressions that show levels of thinking you want to work on with your child.

4. Select experiences from the next level

Consider what’s currently happening. What are the child’s interests and strengths? What might be the child’s current level of thinking? When picking a topic, make sure you consider what your child can do right now, and what goals you want to achieve.

5. Try it out!

Are there adaptations to the environment, material, or instruction needed to ensure the child’s independence and full participation? Check out our Guide to Adaptations for ideas or for center-based settings, try out our Guide to Teaching Practices.

6. Check in

After trying things out, what is happening now? What worked well, what did not well? What could you try next?

STEMIE Learning Trajectories