Description:
Policymakers and educators increasingly recognize that the experiences and environment children are exposed to from the very first day of life have tremendous implications for their capacities to relate to others, to learn, and to be successful for many years to come. It is critical that the content of early learning guidelines (ELGs) is appropriate for the first three years of life. The potential benefits of ELGs that are age appropriate and cover significant elements of infant-toddler development are immense. ELGs that identify key knowledge, skills, and dispositions can guide educators toward more intentional and appropriate ways to support infant-toddler development and serve as resources for policymakers who want to foster high-quality programs. However, the potential pitfalls of ELGs that are inappropriate or "off-base" are equally as significant, as educators can be misguided as to how they nurture infant-toddler development and policymakers can be misdirected in their efforts to support quality programs.
The purpose of this report was to review the content of state infant-toddler ELGs; to provide commentary on the authors' content based knowledge of the field; and to provide recommendations that could be used to support the development of high-quality, infant-toddler ELGs. The authors have conducted several types of analyses to provide information about the content of infant-toddler ELGs.
The specific questions addressed in the report are:
• How have states organized their infant-toddler ELGs?
- What age periods have they used to organize the ELGs?
- What subareas or headings for subsections have states used?
• What content have states addressed in their infant-toddler ELGs?
- What areas of children's learning and development have they addressed?
- What areas of children's learning and development have states not addressed?
- What is the relative emphasis states have placed on the various areas of children's learning and development within their ELGs?