The purposes of the present investigation are to evaluate a new, adaptive procedure for assessing multiple dimensions of self-concept for children younger than 8 years and to examine related theoretical issues. The multidimensional, hierarchical structure of self-concept is well established for older children, but there is a paucity of research and appropriate instruments for very young children. A limited amount of research suggests that self-concept is poorly differentiated and that a general self-concept may not even exist. A sample of 501 students in kindergarten and first and second grades in Sydney (Australia) completed a variation of the Self-Description Questionnaire I (SDQI) using a new individual interview technique. At each grade level, confirmatory factor analyses identified all eight SDQI scales, including the general self-concept scale. With increasing age, the fit of the eight-factor model improved, and the size of correlations among the eight SDQI scales decreased, implying that self-concept becomes more differentiated with age. The results demonstrate that appropriately measured self-concepts are much better differentiated for very young children than previously assumed. A 55-item list of references and seven data tables are included. (Author/TJH)