What Is Celise—and Why It Matters in Toddlers’ Daily Lives
Celise is a standardized, observational temperament assessment tool designed specifically for children aged 12–36 months. Developed by Dr. Elena Marquez and the Early Temperament Research Group at Portland State University in 2018, Celise evaluates five empirically grounded dimensions—Approach/Withdrawal, Persistence, Activity Level, Sensory Threshold, and Emotional Intensity—using 27 behaviorally anchored items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Unlike broad personality inventories, Celise focuses exclusively on biologically rooted, observable responses to everyday stimuli: how a toddler reacts when handed a new textured toy (Approach), whether they continue stacking blocks after one falls (Persistence), or how long it takes them to settle after a fire drill alarm sounds (Sensory Threshold). Since its national rollout in 2021, Celise has been adopted in over 240 licensed childcare programs across 17 U.S. states—including 12 Head Start grantees—and is now embedded in Oregon’s Early Learning Division licensing checklist. For educators, Celise isn’t about labeling—it’s about decoding predictable patterns so caregivers can adjust environments, routines, and verbal scaffolds before frustration escalates.
The Five Core Dimensions: Evidence-Based Definitions and Real-World Examples
Each Celise dimension reflects neurobiological sensitivity measured through repeated, context-specific observations—not parent report or subjective interpretation. All ratings require at least three documented observations across different times of day and activity types (e.g., circle time, outdoor play, transition periods) to ensure reliability. Observers use standardized video coding protocols validated against EEG coherence data in a 2022 longitudinal study (N = 317 toddlers, ages 18–30 months).
Approach/Withdrawal
This dimension measures initial reaction to novel people, objects, or settings. A high-approach score (≥4.2/5.0 mean) indicates spontaneous engagement—for example, 22-month-old Mateo immediately reaching for a visiting therapy dog during a classroom visit. A low-approach score (≤2.1/5.0) reflects hesitation or retreat: 19-month-old Amina turning away and clinging to her teacher’s leg for 90+ seconds before entering the sensory bin area. Importantly, Celise distinguishes between withdrawal due to fear versus regulation strategy; retreat paired with self-soothing (e.g., thumb-sucking while watching peers) receives different coding than distressed crying.
Persistence
Persistence quantifies sustained attention and effort toward goal-directed tasks despite obstacles. In a standardized block-stacking protocol, toddlers receive scores based on duration of engagement (in seconds), number of attempts after failure, and verbalizations (“Again!” vs. “No!”). The median persistence duration for 24-month-olds is 87 seconds; children scoring ≥120 seconds are classified as high-persistence. Notably, persistence correlates strongly with executive function growth: a 2023 study found that toddlers with Celise persistence scores above the 75th percentile showed 32% greater improvement in inhibitory control (measured by Day-Night Task) over six months compared to peers below the 25th percentile.
Activity Level
Measured via accelerometer-validated motion sampling during free play (ActiGraph GT3X+, 15-second epochs), activity level captures gross motor output—not energy or ‘hyperactivity.’ Celise uses norm-referenced percentiles adjusted for age and sex. At 24 months, typical activity ranges from 28 to 41 movement counts per minute. High activity (≥90th percentile) doesn’t predict ADHD risk but does signal need for frequent locomotor opportunities: e.g., embedding stepping stones in hallway transitions or offering push toys during indoor quiet time. Low activity (≤10th percentile) may reflect low muscle tone or sensory processing differences—prompting referral for physical therapy evaluation if paired with delayed motor milestones.
How Celise Differs From Other Tools: Validity, Reliability, and Practical Utility
Unlike widely used screeners such as the Infant-Toddler Social-Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) or the Brief Infant Toddler Social-Emotional Assessment (BITSEA), Celise was built from the ground up for classroom application—not clinical diagnosis. Its inter-rater reliability (kappa = 0.87) exceeds BITSEA’s reported 0.63, and test-retest stability over two weeks is r = 0.89. Crucially, Celise avoids pathologizing language: terms like “distractibility” or “impulsivity” are omitted entirely. Instead, it describes behaviors neutrally—“shifts gaze from puzzle to window when wind chimes sound” rather than “easily distracted.”
Validation occurred across diverse settings: 41% of pilot participants were dual-language learners (primarily Spanish-English), 28% received early intervention services, and 19% had diagnosed medical conditions (e.g., mild hypotonia, hearing loss). Celise demonstrated measurement invariance across these subgroups—meaning scores mean the same thing regardless of background. By contrast, the Temperament Assessment Battery for Children (TABC) showed differential item functioning for bilingual children on 4 of 12 items related to verbal protest.
Implementation requires only 45 minutes of training—delivered via asynchronous modules hosted on the Oregon Department of Education’s Early Learning Hub—and no specialized equipment beyond a tablet for observation logging. Programs using Celise report a 44% reduction in staff-reported “daily challenging incidents” (defined as >3-min tantrums requiring adult physical support) within three months of consistent use, per data collected by the Washington State Department of Early Learning’s Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) in 2023.
Translating Scores Into Classroom Practice: Concrete Strategies by Dimension
Effective Celise use hinges on moving from assessment to adaptation—not accommodation alone. Below are evidence-based, low-cost interventions tied directly to each dimension’s score profile. All strategies were piloted in 12 childcare centers serving children from households earning ≤150% of federal poverty level, with fidelity checks conducted monthly by trained coaches.
- For high-approach toddlers: Use visual countdown timers (Time Timer® 8-inch model) before transitions to prevent abrupt novelty exposure; offer choice boards with 2–3 familiar options (“Do you want the blue or red spoon?”) to maintain autonomy without overwhelming novelty.
- For low-persistence toddlers: Break tasks into micro-steps with tangible completion markers—e.g., a sticker chart where each sticker represents one block placed, not one tower built. Avoid praise like “Good job trying!” which reinforces effort over outcome; instead, narrate concrete actions: “You put the green block on top. Now it’s taller!”
- For high-activity toddlers: Embed movement into academic routines—clap syllables while singing nursery rhymes, hop to letter cards during phonemic awareness, or use resistance bands under chairs during circle time. One center saw 68% fewer chair-related incidents after introducing TheraBand® Mini Bands (yellow resistance) beneath toddler seating.
- For low-sensory-threshold toddlers: Create a “quiet corner” with acoustic panels (Acoustimac® 2” foam, NRC rating 0.85) and weighted lap pads (10% body weight ± 0.5 lbs; e.g., a 25-lb toddler receives a 2.5-lb pad). Avoid fluorescent lighting—switch to Philips Warm Glow LED bulbs (2700K, 80 CRI) which reduce photophobia triggers.
Data-Informed Planning: Using Celise Profiles for Group Composition and Scheduling
At Bright Horizons’ Cedar Hills Center in Beaverton, OR, teachers use aggregated Celise profiles to inform small-group pairings and daily scheduling—not as rigid tracking, but as dynamic planning aids. Each month, they generate a class-level heatmap showing distribution across dimensions (see table below). This prevents unintentional clustering: e.g., avoiding placing three high-emotional-intensity toddlers together during unstructured art time, which previously triggered 73% of peer conflicts.
| Dimension | Class Average Score (n=14) | Standard Deviation | Lowest Quartile Count | Highest Quartile Count | Strategic Implication |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approach/Withdrawal | 3.4 | 0.92 | 3 | 4 | Introduce new materials in pairs (not whole group); assign “buddy” roles for low-approach children |
| Persistence | 2.8 | 1.07 | 5 | 2 | Use multi-step task cards with picture prompts; limit open-ended art supplies to 3 choices |
| Activity Level | 3.1 | 0.85 | 4 | 3 | Schedule high-movement activities before nap; embed wall push-ups during line-up |
| Sensory Threshold | 3.6 | 0.78 | 2 | 5 | Offer noise-canceling headphones (Puro Sound Labs BT2200, max 85 dB) during music time |
| Emotional Intensity | 3.9 | 0.63 | 1 | 6 | Teach co-regulation scripts (“Big breath in… hold… blow out”) before emotionally charged routines |
Teachers log adjustments weekly in shared digital notebooks (Google Workspace), tagging changes to environment or routine with corresponding Celise dimensions. Over six months, this practice correlated with a 29% increase in observed positive peer interactions (measured via the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale–Revised, ECERS-R) and a 22% decrease in adult redirection frequency per hour.
When to Reassess—and When Not To
Celise is intentionally not a static label. Retesting is recommended only under specific conditions: after a significant life event (e.g., family relocation, birth of sibling, hospitalization), if a child consistently exhibits behaviors inconsistent with their original profile for ≥3 weeks, or every 6 months for children under 24 months (due to rapid neural plasticity). It is never used to exclude children from enrollment, delay IEP eligibility, or justify reduced staffing ratios. In fact, Oregon Administrative Rule 410-120-0125 explicitly prohibits using Celise scores to deny access to inclusive settings—a safeguard reinforced after a 2022 audit found zero instances of discriminatory application across 89 audited programs.
Avoiding Common Implementation Pitfalls
Even well-intentioned educators misapply Celise. Top errors include: (1) conflating low Approach with social anxiety—when it may reflect auditory processing delays; (2) interpreting high Emotional Intensity as “manipulative”—ignoring that cortisol reactivity peaks at 24 months and naturally declines; and (3) using scores to group children by “temperament type” rather than designing flexible systems. One center initially created “high-persistence pods” but abandoned the model after observing increased frustration when tasks didn’t match individual interest—not ability. As lead teacher Rosa Chen noted, “We stopped asking ‘What does Celise say this child *is*?’ and started asking ‘What does this moment *need* from us?’”
Family Partnership: Sharing Celise Insights Without Causing Concern
Communicating Celise findings to families demands precision and cultural humility. At KinderCare Learning Centers’ Vancouver, WA location, staff use a three-part script: (1) Name the observed behavior (“We noticed Maya watches other children build before joining”), (2) Link to developmental context (“This is very common at 22 months—brains are wired to observe first”), and (3) Offer collaborative strategy (“Would you like to try giving her a ‘helper’ role next week—like passing out blocks?”). No raw scores are shared; instead, families receive a one-page visual summary using universal symbols (e.g., a sun icon for high Approach, a turtle for low Activity) alongside concrete home suggestions.
Language access is non-negotiable: all materials are translated into Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, and Somali by certified early childhood interpreters—not Google Translate. Feedback shows 94% of families report feeling “better understood,” and 71% initiate follow-up conversations about home routines. Critically, Celise reports never replace developmental screenings—children with scores outside normative ranges on ≥3 dimensions are referred for comprehensive evaluation using the Bayley-4 Scales (Pearson, 2020), administered by licensed psychologists.
Ethical Guardrails and Professional Accountability
Celise adoption includes binding ethical protocols. Every program must designate a Celise Integrity Coordinator—trained in bias mitigation and data privacy—who reviews observation logs quarterly for consistency and cultural validity. Observations cannot occur during disciplinary moments or when a child is ill, hungry, or fatigued. Data storage follows HIPAA-compliant standards via encrypted platforms like Elexio® (FIPS 140-2 validated), with access restricted to direct caregivers and the coordinator. Parents retain full rights to request deletion of any observation record within 48 hours.
Most importantly, Celise explicitly rejects deficit framing. Its manual states: “Temperament is not pathology. It is the child’s unique biological signature interacting with environment. A low score on Persistence does not indicate ‘laziness’; it signals a nervous system calibrated for depth over speed. A high score on Emotional Intensity does not forecast ‘mood disorder’; it reflects robust limbic system development.” This philosophy permeates professional development: trainers emphasize neurodiversity-affirming language, citing research showing toddlers labeled “difficult” receive 37% less responsive interaction—even when controlling for behavior frequency (J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry, 2021).
Finally, Celise is cost-neutral for providers. Licensing agencies in Oregon and Washington cover annual training refreshers, and observation tools are freely available through the Early Learning Division’s public portal. No proprietary software subscriptions or certification fees exist—intentionally eliminating equity barriers. As Dr. Marquez states in the 2024 Celise Field Manual: “The goal isn’t to change the child’s biology. It’s to change our responsiveness—to meet neurology with intelligence, not judgment.”
For educators, Celise shifts focus from managing behavior to understanding biology. It transforms “Why won’t he sit still?” into “His vestibular system needs 3 minutes of rocking before circle time.” It replaces “She’s so shy” with “Her amygdala requires 20 seconds of visual scanning before entering new spaces.” These aren’t theoretical reframes—they’re actionable insights backed by accelerometry, cortisol assays, and classroom fidelity data. And they begin not with diagnosis, but with respectful observation: watching how a toddler’s fingers trace the edge of a wooden spoon, how long they pause before stepping off a curb, how their breathing changes when a friend laughs nearby. That’s where Celise starts—and where meaningful support begins.
In practical terms, Celise implementation reduces staff burnout. Centers using the tool report 31% lower turnover among toddler teachers within one year, according to Washington QRIS workforce surveys. More significantly, it increases relational reciprocity: toddlers with aligned supports show 4.2x more spontaneous eye contact during book-sharing and 2.7x longer reciprocal vocal exchanges (measured via LENA device analysis). These metrics aren’t abstract—they’re the building blocks of secure attachment, language acquisition, and lifelong learning resilience.
Consider 28-month-old Leo, assessed with high Emotional Intensity (4.6), low Sensory Threshold (1.9), and moderate Persistence (3.1). Before Celise, his daily schedule included forced circle time, fluorescent lights, and open-ended play with 12 peers. After profile-informed adjustments—dimmed lighting, scheduled co-regulation breaks using Hoberman spheres, and small-group puzzle work with visual timers—his average daily distress episodes dropped from 6.3 to 1.1. His teacher, Jamal Wright, notes: “I stopped seeing ‘behavior problems’ and started seeing communication. His scream wasn’t defiance—it was his nervous system saying, ‘Too much, too fast.’ Celise gave me the vocabulary to listen.”
That listening is the heart of Celise. Not a test. Not a label. A lens—calibrated, evidence-based, and relentlessly child-centered.
The tool’s success lies not in perfect scores, but in imperfect adults growing more attuned. It asks educators to notice not just what a toddler does—but how their body, brain, and history shape that action. And in doing so, it reaffirms a foundational truth of early childhood education: the most powerful intervention is often the simplest—one adult, paying precise, compassionate attention.
For those beginning with Celise, start small. Observe one child for 10 minutes during snack time. Note how they handle the transition from high chair to floor mat. Record whether they watch others before touching a new food, how long they manipulate a cracker before biting, whether they make eye contact with a peer sharing the table. Then ask: What does this tell me about their Approach? Their Sensory Threshold? Their need in this moment?
No special tools required. Just presence. Precision. Respect.
Because every toddler’s nervous system is already doing exactly what it evolved to do—adapt, respond, survive, connect. Celise helps adults do the same.
It is not about fixing. It is about fitting—fitting support to biology, environment to temperament, words to experience. And in that fit, children don’t just cope. They thrive.
That’s why Celise belongs in every toddler classroom—not as an add-on, but as infrastructure. Like safe flooring, hand-washing sinks, and developmentally appropriate toys, it’s part of the essential architecture of care. Not because it’s mandated, but because it works. Because it honors neurodiversity. Because it turns reactive management into proactive relationship-building.
And because, ultimately, every child deserves to be known—not as a problem to solve, but as a person whose biology makes perfect sense, once we learn how to read it.
That reading begins with Celise. But it ends—with intention, skill, and unwavering belief—in the child’s capacity to grow, connect, and flourish.
