40 Developmental Assets

Developmental Assets - Whether they’re your own children, your students, or members of your community, all kids need some of the same things. Search Institute’s research has identified four important areas of positive youth development.  Go to the Search Institute for more information http://www.search-institute.org/developmental-assets


40 Developmental Assets for Children Grades K–3

Search Institute has identified the following building blocks of healthy development—known as Developmental Assets—that help young children grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.
This particular list is intended for children in grades K-3 (age 5-9). If you'd like to see the lists for other age groups, you can find them on the Developmental Assets Lists lists page.
For more information on the assets and the research behind them, see the Developmental Assets or Developmental Assets Research page.
For a printer-friendly version of this page, download this list.

EXTERNAL ASSETS
SUPPORT
  1. Family Support | Family continues to be a consistent provider of love and support for the child’s unique physical and emotional needs.
  2. Positive Family Communication | Parent(s) and child communicate openly, respectfully, and frequently, with child receiving praise for her or his efforts and accomplishments.
  3. Other Adult Relationships | Child receives support from adults other than her or his parent(s), with the child sometimes experiencing relationships with a nonparent adult.
  4. Caring Neighborhood | Parent(s) and child experience friendly neighbors who affirm and support the child’s growth and sense of belonging.
  5. Caring School Climate | Child experiences warm, welcoming relationships with teachers, caregivers, and peers at school.
  6. Parent Involvement in Schooling | Parent(s) talk about the importance of education and are actively involved in the child’s school success.

    7. EMPOWERMENT
  7. Community Values Children | Children are welcomed and included throughout community life.
  8. Children as Resources | Child contributes to family decisions and has opportunities to participate in positive community events.
  9. Service to Others | Child has opportunities to serve in the community with adult support and approval.
  10. Safety | Parents and community adults ensure the child’s safety while keeping in mind her or his increasing independence.

    11. BOUNDARIES AND EXPECTATIONS
  11. Family Boundaries | The family maintains supervision of the child, has reasonable guidelines for behavior, and always knows where the child is.
  12. School Boundaries | Schools have clear, consistent rules and consequences and use a positive approach to discipline.
  13. Neighborhood Boundaries | Neighbors and friends’ parents help monitor the child’s behavior and provide feedback to the parent(s).
  14. Adult Role Models | Parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible behavior and encourage the child to follow these examples.
  15. Positive Peer Influence | Parent(s) monitor the child’s friends and encourage spending time with those who set good examples.
  16. High Expectations | Parent(s), teachers, and other influential adults encourage the child to do her or his best in all tasks and celebrate their successes.

    17. CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME
  17. Creative Activities | Child participates weekly in music, dance, or other form of artistic expression outside of school.
  18. Child Programs | Child participates weekly in at least one sport, club, or organization within the school or community.
  19. Religious Community | Child participates in age-appropriate religious activities and caring relationships that nurture her or his spiritual development.
  20. Time at Home | Child spends time at home playing and doing positive activities with the family.

    21. INTERNAL ASSETS
      COMMITMENT TO LEARNING
    1. Achievement Motivation | Child is encouraged to remain curious and demonstrates an interest in doing well at school.
    2. Learning Engagement | Child is enthused about learning and enjoys going to school.
    3. Homework | With appropriate parental support, child completes assigned homework.
    4. Bonding to School | Child is encouraged to have and feels a sense of belonging at school.
    5. Reading for Pleasure | Child listens to and/or reads books outside of school daily.

      6. POSITIVE VALUES
    6. Caring | Parent(s) help child grow in empathy, understanding, and helping others.
    7. Equality and Social Justice | Parent(s) encourage child to be concerned about rules and being fair to everyone.
    8. Integrity | Parent(s) help child develop her or his own sense of right and wrong behavior.
    9. Honesty | Parent(s) encourage child’s development in recognizing and telling the truth
    10. Responsibility | Parent(s) encourage child to accept and take responsibility for her or his actions at school and at home.
    11. Self-Regulation | Parents encourage child’s growth in regulating her or his own emotions and behaviors and in understanding the importance of healthy habits and choices.

      12. SOCIAL COMPETENCIES
    12. Planning and Decision Making | arent(s) help child think through and plan school and play activities.
    13. Interpersonal Competence | Child seeks to build friendships and is learning about self-control.
    14. Cultural Competence | Child continues to learn about her or his own cultural identity and is encouraged to interact positively with children of different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.
    15. Resistance Skills | Child is learning to recognize risky or dangerous situations and is able to seek help from trusted adults.
    16. Peaceful Conflict Resolution | Child continues learning to resolve conflicts without hitting, throwing a tantrum, or using hurtful language.

      17. POSITIVE IDENTITY
    17. Personal Power | Child has a growing sense of having influence over some of the things that happen in her or his life.
    18. Self-Esteem | Child likes herself or himself and feels valued by others.
    19. Sense of Purpose | Child welcomes new experiences and imagines what he or she might do or be in the future.
    20. Positive View of Personal Future | Child has a growing curiosity about the world and finding her or his place in it.

      21. This list is an educational tool. It is not intended to be nor is it appropriate as a scientific measure of the developmental assets of individuals.
      Copyright © 1997, 2007 by Search Institute. All rights reserved. This chart may be reproduced for educational, noncommercial use only (with this copyright line). No other use is permitted without prior permission from Search Institute, 615 First Avenue N.E., Suite 125, Minneapolis, MN 55413; 800-888-7828. See Search Institute's Permissions Guidelines and Request Form. The following are registered trademarks of Search Institute: Search Institute®, Developmental Assets® and Healthy Communities • Healthy Youth®.


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