1 All the domains of development and learning physical, social and emotional, and cognitive-are important, and they are closely interrelated. Children's development and learning in one domain influence and are influenced by what takes place in other domains.
Children are thinking, moving, feeling, and interacting human beings. To teach them well involves considering and fostering their development and learning in all domains. 77 Because this full spectrum of development and learning is fundamental to children's lives and to their future participation as members of society, early care and education must address all the domains.
Further, changes in one domain often facilitate or limit development in other areas.78 For example, when children begin to crawl or walk, they gain new possibilities for exploring the world, and their mobility affects both their cognitive development and sense of autonomy. Likewise, children's language development influences their ability to participate in social interaction with adults and other children; such interactions, in turn, support their further language development.79 A growing body of work demonstrates the relationship between emotional and social factors and children's academic competence 80 and thus the importance of all these areas in educating young children. In brief, the knowledge base documents the importance of a comprehensive curriculum and the interrelated-ness of the developmental domains in children's wel-being and success.