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(Unit 8) Topic 1: The Whole Child 

4 Clock Hours of Early Childhood Education

Temperament and Development

​Topic 1 Page 29

Temperament can be described as the way a person approaches and reacts to the world around them. All children are born with a unique temperament that is rooted in their biology. Temperament is something that children are born with, and while it does not necessarily predict behavior, understanding a child’s temperament can help early childhood professionals assist children in expressing their feelings, preferences, and wants appropriately.    

If you are currently an early childhood professional or have worked around children, you already know that all children react differently to situations and events. Even young infants have different dispositions that can be noticed very early on. This “personality” can be scientifically explained as a child’s temperament. Temperament and development can intertwine to impact one or another in certain ways.

The term “Goodness of Fit” is the match between a child’s temperament and his or her environment.  A child is in a good fit when adult expectations and demands match the child’s temperamental characteristics.  For example, it can be troubling for a family to expect their shy child to enjoy noisy socializing, or for a care program to expect the child who is slow to adapt and/or has high persistence to switch activities all of a sudden. Educators need to model respect for and support of each child’s unique combination of genetics, culture, temperament and experience.    

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