Kindergarten has changed significantly in the last two decades: children now spend more time being taught and tested on literacy and math skills than they do learning through play and exploration, exercising their bodies, and using their imaginations. Many kindergartens use highly prescriptive curricula geared to new state standards and linked to…

The Building Blocks to Colorado's Content Standards were developed to connect early childhood education to the K-12 content standards, to advocate for appropriate teaching strategies for preschool children, and to support awareness and understanding of early childhood foundational skills among parents and teachers. Five sets of building blocks are…

This report is intended to inform policymakers, administrators, and teachers regarding the development of standards or benchmarks addressing language and literacy skills in prekindergarten programs. The report notes that although standards and benchmarks can bring clarity to what should be expected of young children, there are challenges in…

In an effort to provide a sound basis for educational accountability for preschool programs, the Arizona Early Childhood Education (ECE) Standards were developed as a framework for literacy-based programs for 3- and 4-year-olds and to provide parents with a basic understanding of indicators of early learning. These standards, to be adopted by…

As part of Louisiana's efforts to expand and improve the quality of its early childhood programs, a committee of educators from across the state collaborated to develop standards for programs serving 4-year-olds. This guide presents program standards to assist the ongoing development, evaluation, and improvement of early childhood center-based…

This document is comprised of three publications of the early childhood section of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: (1) prekindergarten mathematics standards; (2) a teacher's guide for early mathematics; and (3) a parent's handbook for early mathematics. The standards, developed by a broad-based group of individuals…

The New York State Education Department has adopted the national reading goal that all children will be able to read independently and well by the end of Grade 3. Building on previous English language arts documents of the Department, this document provides teachers with additional specificity regarding the early literacy skills that students…

Stressing the importance of collective efforts among families, early childhood care and education programs, communities, and policymakers in supporting the learning and development of children, this resource guide provides a framework for understanding and communicating a common set of developmentally appropriate expectations for young children…

This document presents curriculum guidelines intended for use as a recommended curriculum for children attending early childhood programs in Oklahoma. The introductory section describes critical characteristics of quality early childhood programs, noting that early childhood programs should be appropriate for the age, developmental level, and…

Recognizing the value and need for quality early childhood education programs for children ages four through eight years, the Michigan State Board of Education appointed an ad hoc committee to develop standards of quality. Based on the draft developed by this committee, this standards guide is designed to assist administrators, teachers, and…

In 1999, a task force was appointed to develop early childhood education (ECE) program expectations or standards for New Jersey's ECE programs. The standards were based on the task force's review of research, curricula, standards, and guidelines developed by local boards of education, other states, and professional organizations; feedback on draft…

This document is comprised of five publications of the early childhood section of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: (1) prekindergarten literacy standards; (2) a teacher's guide to prekindergarten literacy standards; (3) a parent handbook regarding early literacy; (4) a Spanish-language version of the parent handbook;…

This document is comprised of four publications of the early childhood section of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: (1) prekindergarten standards related to social and emotional development and approaches to learning; (2) a teacher's guide to early social and emotional development and approaches to learning; (3) a…

Noting that young children need early childhood settings supporting the development of the full range of capacities that will serve as a foundation for future school learning, and that adults have an opportunity and an obligation to assist children in becoming active participants in the learning process, this document details foundations to…

This guide is a compilation of stories from early childhood educators throughout the state of Indiana and selected articles from research and experts in the field to assist Indiana educators in designing effective curricula, instruction, and assessment for children from preschool through third grade. The focus of the guide is developmentally…