Make Early Learning Standards Come Alive: Connecting Your Practice and Curriculum to State Guidelines

The What and Why of Early Learning Standards

Standards, standards everywhere! For several years now, standards have been the buzz in the field of early childhood education. There are standards that determine the number of children recommended for each teacher in a room. There are standards for the types of learning preschool children should experience. And there are child outcome standards, which are standards that define what young children should be learning. This book will focus on the latter: What are the reasonable expectations that guide early educators in planning curriculum for preschool children and in assessing their progress in achieving those expectations?

The call for accountability in education, including early childhood education, is evident in the media, in the federal and state governments, and from the parents and family members that early educators work with on a daily basis. Preschool education has gotten much more attention in the last few years with many states offering prekindergarten (pre-K) programs and federal efforts being introduced to offer pre-K nationwide. With this increased attention, pressures can result from misunderstanding of learning in the early years with questions such as: When is it best for young children to know all of their alphabet letters or to learn to count? Preschool teachers may feel defensive in explaining the importance of playful learning and unsure of how best to justify what they have considered best practices for young children. Early learning standards can be a way to address accountability and provide more information about appropriate expectations in the early years.

Early learning standards for young children are all around us. As of 2013, all fifty states have identified standards for preschool children ages three to five. In addition, a majority of states have developed or are in the process of developing standards or guidelines for infants and toddlers ages birth to thirty-six months. In its report titled The Research Base for a Birth through Age Eight State Policy Framework, the Alliance for Early Success cites the importance of early learning standards as a part of policies that support the healthy development of young children. Here is how the Alliance defines and explains standards:

Learning standards or guidelines articulate what children should know and do at all stages of development. In early childhood, these standards and guidelines typically address cognitive skills (language, reading, math, science) and foundational skills (social skills, behavioral control, motivation, problem solving) because both are essential for success in school and in life. (Tout et al. 2013, 36)

With such emphasis in the field of early childhood education, how can you, as an educator, use standards in ways that are beneficial to the children? How can you

implement standards in a way that is developmentally appropriate and good for the children?

figure out reasonable and efficient ways to assess the children’s progress toward the standards?

be accountable—without testing, without feeling like you are failing children, without feeling overwhelmed by the pressures and expectations of state agencies, political and funding bodies, and the public at large—to produce outcomes, to track children’s progress, and to increase their success in school?

do what’s in your heart—taking good care of young children and helping them to grow and learn and flourish?

This book focuses on preschool early learning standards. It offers help and hints, support and clarification, and clear explanations of how to make preschool early learning standards come alive in early childhood classrooms and programs. I hope you will find reassurance and direction and feel validated in the work you are already doing with young children. This book provides language and tools to more clearly explain to others exactly how you are addressing children’s learning as you plan for play and exploration, singing and dancing, socialization, and the development of self-help skills.

Ways to assess children’s capabilities and progress without testing or pressuring them inappropriately is also included. Plans for activities and interactions that meet children where they are and help them to move ahead in their development are outlined. Suggestions are shared for documenting the learning that happens for preschool children as they play, interact, and solve problems both cognitively and socially in active learning situations and in daily events in the preschool classroom. And methods to embrace accountability in a manner that is helpful to you as an early educator and, most important, that is appropriate for young children, will be shared. Outcomes for children that are reasonable and attainable can be identified—outcomes that do indeed track their learning and growth.

FACTS ABOUT EARLY LEARNING STANDARDS

Just what are early learning standards for preschool children? Some states call them standards, some foundations or guidelines. Some identify benchmarks and indicators that fall under a broader outcome. It is now commonly accepted that early learning standards describe expectations for the learning and development of young children. Therefore, any of the following terms can be used to label those expectations: standards, guidelines, milestones, or outcomes.

As I stated earlier, all of the states in the United States have developed some form of standards or identified expectations for preschool children. And many state standard documents have been revised at least once since their original publication. That is why this book has been updated—to make sure that you have the most recent information about early learning standards from across the country.

In many states, the early learning standards have been correlated in some way with elementary and high school educational standards. And a new development has influenced the way all educators are looking at this correlation: the Common Core State Standards Initiative for Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade. These standards are the result of a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) in partnership with Achieve (NAEYC 2012, 2). They are referred to as the Common Core and have been adopted by forty-six states as of September 25, 2012 (NAEYC 2012). Later in this chapter, we will investigate more closely the Common Core State Standards for Kindergarten and their relationship to early learning standards for preschoolers.

Across the states, preschool standards have many features in common and are based on generally accepted knowledge of child development. The differences lie in the formatting or the inclusion of specific content or developmental areas. On the federal level, Head Start issued a revised framework in 2010 called The Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework: Promoting Positive Outcomes in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children 3–5 Years Old. This framework defines outcomes for children in Head Start programs and is an important part of the evaluation of the effectiveness of those programs across the country.

WHAT’S UNIQUE ABOUT EARLY LEARNING STANDARDS?

Standards for children younger than kindergarten age differ from those for older children because the primary tasks of young children are to acquire and refine foundational skills—skills that will help them successfully learn the content and information in the later grades. Young children are learning to listen, to work with others, to use their language to express themselves, and to dedicate their attention and energies to specific activities. In early childhood, the development of these foundational skills (skills that lay the foundation for later learning) is just as important as mastery of content matter (Bodrova, Leong, and Shore 2004, 5). Therefore, it is recommended that early learning standards include social-emotional development, physical development, and approaches to learning in addition to traditional content areas associated with schooling (Scott-Little, Kagan, and Frelow 2005).

In each state, early learning standards are often given different names. For example, in the state of Washington early learning standards are called Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines. Those of Indiana are called Foundations to the Indiana Academic Standards for Young Children from Birth to Age 5. Montana’s are titled Montana’s Early Learning Guidelines: What Children Ages Three to Five Need to Know, Understand, and Be Able to Do, and Connecticut’s are called Connecticut’s Preschool Curriculum Framework. But these standards all describe the same thing—the kinds of development and learning that should be taking place (Bodrova, Leong, and Shore 2004, 1).

BENEFITS AND POTENTIAL PROBLEMS OF EARLY LEARNING STANDARDS

There are benefits and potential problems with early learning standards. There is nothing wrong with the standards themselves. It’s how they are used that can become troublesome. When they are not incorporated in developmentally appropriate ways, standards can do more harm to children than good. This book will show ways to make the best use of early learning standards for the benefit of young children.

In its position statement titled "Early Learning Standards: Creating the Conditions for Success, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE) note, By defining the desired content and outcomes of young children’s education, early learning standards can lead to greater opportunities for positive development and learning in these early years" (NAEYC and NAECS/SDE 2002, 2). And who would not agree that as a society we indeed want greater opportunities for young children? If early learning standards can help us do more to reach this goal, then bring them on!

Let’s consider the following benefits when standards are used appropriately:

They reinforce the fact that there is an incredible potential for learning and growth in the infant, toddler, and preschool years, and that there is value and importance in providing quality early childhood programs for children’s long-term success in school and in life.

They help establish expectations for children at different ages and create a commonality for communication about children’s accomplishments and capabilities. Early educators can have rich conversations about children’s growth and learning and can better communicate with colleagues who teach kindergarten and primary grades.

They provide a framework for accountability—a way for early educators to show families, the community at large, policy makers, and themselves just what children are learning in early childhood programs. This accountability can enhance professionalism in the field of early education.

Learning standards and developmentally appropriate practices can indeed go together! No change in practices is necessary. Learning standards can be incorporated into play, into daily classroom routines, into emergent curriculum and projects, and into small- and large-group times. Much of this book will show how to do just that.

Throughout the field of education, however, there is cause for concern about how early learning standards are used. The NAEYC and NAECS/SDE position statement warns that there are

educational and developmental risks for vulnerable young children if standards are not well developed and implemented. . . . Thus, a test of the value of any standards effort is whether it promotes positive educational and developmental outcomes and whether it avoids penalizing or excluding children from needed services and supports. (NAEYC and NAECS/SDE 2002, 2)

Let’s consider some potential problems that can arise when early learning standards are misused:

Push-down curriculum and inappropriate expectations are justified in the name of higher expectations and standards.

Teachers embrace a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach to curriculum, and the uniqueness of early childhood education is lost.

Children’s learning through self-directed, exploratory, and playful ways is not trusted and is replaced with teacher-led activities and direct instruction.

There is not time for early educators to learn and work through their state’s early learning standards. Teachers need time for reflection and interaction among colleagues to implement them effectively.

Inappropriate assessment methods such as testing and on-demand tasks are the only ways used to determine child progress related to the standards.

MAKING THE BEST USE OF STANDARDS

How do early educators make the best use of standards and still remain true to best practices, to the needs of young children, to the philosophy of Developmentally Appropriate Practice, and to doing what’s right for children? There are several important questions to ask when implementing curriculum and assessment related to early learning standards.

1.Are the sources for the expectations of the children age appropriate, reflective of cultural differences, and flexible in the rate of acquisition of skills and knowledge?

2.How will the children’s progress toward the standards and expectations be assessed? Are the methods used based on naturalistic and authentic methods such as observation and portfolio collection rather than on one-time testing?

3.How are early educators trained to learn and understand the standards, to reflect and discuss their depth and breadth, and to plan for learning experiences that are right for young children and still integrate the content of the standards? How are they trained to assess the children’s progress toward those standards?

4.How is the information gained in the assessment of progress toward standards used? Is it used to better teach the children and to support their continued growth and develop their potential as learners and constructive members of society? Or is it used to fail children, to deny placements or advancement, to limit their opportunities, or to label them in some way?

CORRELATING EARLY LEARNING STANDARDS AND THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR KINDERGARTEN

As I travel the country and work with various early educators in programs, agencies, and state departments, I hear much consternation among the early childhood field about the expectations for kindergartners in the Common Core State Standards. Misunderstandings abound and assumptions prevail that the Common Core expectations will negatively influence the expectations for preschoolers. Two misunderstandings are expressed most often:

1.The expectations in the Common Core State Standards are defining expectations for entering kindergartners. In other words, children must be accomplishing those expectations in their preschool years and demonstrate them as they enter the kindergarten program. This is not the case. The Common Core State Standards identify expectations for the end of the kindergarten year. Therefore it is not the preschool teacher’s responsibility to make sure that each four-year-old is demonstrating the Common Core expectations.

2.Every child from kindergarten on will be expected to achieve every standard at his or her grade level. This is not the case. Standards identify reasonable expectations. The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them.

Teachers work with children toward the standards, assessing where each child is in relationship to the expectation. Some children will be on target, some ahead, and some not there yet. In this book, I look at ways to consider early learning standards with