Early Learning Standards: Birth to Kindergarten

The North Dakota Early Learning Standards: Birth to Kindergarten (Standards) describes the skills, behaviors, and knowledge that families and caregivers can foster in all children. 

The Standards are grounded in a comprehensive body of research including the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF) as well as National Arts Standards, Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines, and Kansas Early Learning Creative Arts Standards. It describes how children progress across key areas of learning and development and specifies learning outcomes in these areas.

Programs use the Standards to guide their choices in curriculum and learning materials, to plan daily activities, and to inform intentional teaching practices. Aligning instruction and opportunities for play, exploration, discovery, and problem-solving with the early learning outcomes described in the Standards will promote successful learning in all children.

The first five years of life is a time of wondrous development and learning. Children grow from infants communicating through babbling and crawling on all fours—to toddlers speaking short sentences and beginning to run—to preschoolers telling detailed stories and kicking a ball to a friend. All young children learn in the context of caring, responsive, and stimulating relationships as they explore the world around them.

Yet, the quality of their early experiences can vary dramatically, and this can influence their learning and development. For example, by three years of age, some children have large vocabularies and others have much smaller ones. These differences usually reflect the everyday language experiences that children have with adults as well as other experiential and developmental factors. Such differences can have a lasting impact on later school success. Early childhood programs must create stimulating learning environments and implement intentional teaching strategies that ensure all children are ready to succeed in school.

The guiding principles underlie the program policies and practices that prepare young children for success.

Each child is unique and can succeed.

Children are individuals with different rates and paths of development. Each child is uniquely influenced by their prenatal environment, temperament, physiology, and life experiences. With the appropriate support, all children can be successful learners and achieve the skills, behaviors, and knowledge described in the Standards.Families are children's first and most important caregivers, teachers, and advocates. Families are valued and supported as the primary influence in their child's early learning and education. Their knowledge, skills, and cultural backgrounds contribute to children's school readiness.

Learning occurs within the context of relationships.

Caring families, teachers, and other adults matter in a young child's life. Responsive and supportive interactions with adults are essential to children's learning.

Families are children's first and most important caregivers, teachers, and advocates.

Families are valued and supported as the primary influence in their child's early learning and education. Their knowledge, skills, and cultural backgrounds contribute to children's school readiness.

Children learn best when they are emotionally and physically safe and secure.

Nurturing, responsive, and consistent care helps create safe environments where children feel secure and valued. In these settings, children are able to engage fully in learning experiences.

Areas of development are integrated, and children learn many concepts and skills at the same time.

Any single skill, behavior, or ability may involve multiple areas of development. For example, as infants gain fine motor skills, they can manipulate objects in new ways and deepen their understanding of cause and effect. As preschoolers gain new verbal skills, they can better manage their emotions and form more complex friendships.

Teaching is intentional and focused on how children learn and grow.

Children are active, engaged, and eager learners. Good teaching practices build on these intrinsic strengths by providing developmentally appropriate instruction and opportunities for exploration and meaningful play.

Every child has diverse strengths rooted in their family's culture, background, language, and beliefs.

Responsive and respectful learning environments welcome children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Effective teaching practices and learning experiences build on the unique backgrounds and prior experiences of each child.

Children with Varying Abilities

It is essential that programs identify the strengths and abilities of all children to ensure that learning opportunities are maximized and that all children are fully included in every educational experience and activity. Children with disabilities may need more individualized or intensive instruction to develop and learn the skills, behaviors, and concepts described in the Standards. The same applies to children that are developing skills faster than their peers. Children with special needs may require accommodations in the environment or in instructional strategies. Some may require adaptive materials or assistive technology, while others may need to be challenged. Programs need to use the Standards in close collaboration with specialists identified on a child’s Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP), or Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Dual Language Learners/English Learners

Children who are dual language learners (DLLs) are growing up with more than one language. The foundation for language development is set in utero as babies process and store the sounds of the languages in their environment. The continued development of a child’s home language in the family and early childhood program is an asset and will support the child’s progress in all areas of learning. For example, there are cognitive benefits, particularly in the area of executive functioning, to children’s dual language learning. Young children who speak multiple languages also benefit socially as they can create relationships in their languages while also maintaining strong ties with their family, community, and culture. Children’s progress in learning English will vary depending on their past and current exposure to English, their age, temperament, and other factors. Intentional planning at the program and classroom level is necessary. Teaching practices are designed to create learning environments that support children’s diversity and use proven strategies that promote home language(s) and English acquisition. The learning outcomes of children who are DLLs are best supported with opportunities to interact and learn in each of their developing languages. Programs must ensure that children who are DLLs progress in each area of learning and development in the Standards while also promoting English acquisition. Children who are DLLs must be allowed to demonstrate the skills, behaviors, and knowledge in the Standards in their home languages, English, or each language.

Infants and Toddlers

Experiences in the first three years of life have a strong impact on brain development and learning. They are the foundation for healthy development and strong child outcomes in the preschool years and beyond. In the Standards, developmental progress in key learning areas for infants and toddlers is presented in three age groups: birth to 9 months, 8 to 18 months, and 16 to 36 months. These age groups reflect common shifts or transitions in development. The overlapping months recognize that infants and toddlers grow and develop at different rates. The Standards also provide specific skills, behaviors, and concepts that children should demonstrate by 36 months.

Preschoolers

From 3 to 5 years of age, experiences continue to have a strong impact on brain development and learning. Children build on their earlier experiences to learn even more complex ways of communicating, relating, exploring, and understanding the world around them. Areas of learning during this age period become more specific and differentiated. This depth is reflected in the Standards. Preschoolers’ developmental progression is described across two age groups: 36 to 48 months (3 to 4 years) and 48 to 60 months (4 to 5 years). The Standards also identify specific skills, behaviors, and concepts that children at 60 months of age should know and be able to do.

The Standards are organized into the following elements: Domains, Sub-Domains, Goals, Developmental Progressions, and Indicators

• Evidence-Based: Informed by research as being reasonably achievable, age appropriate, and aligned with kindergarten expectations.
• Comprehensive: Cover the central domains of early learning and skills children need to succeed in school and provide sufficient breadth and depth in each area.
• Inclusive: Relevant for children with disabilities, from diverse linguistic, economic, and cultural backgrounds.
• Manageable: Include a reasonable number of domains, sub-domains, goals, and indicators that programs can effectively implement.
• Measurable: Reflect observable skills, behaviors, and concepts.

Domains

The domains are broad areas of early learning and development from birth to 5 years that are essential for school and long-term success. The central domains are:

• Approaches to Play and Learning
• Social and Emotional Development
• Language, Communication, and Literacy
• Cognition
• Social Studies
• Creative Arts
• Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development

Each domain is related to and influences the others. For example, as preschoolers’ working memory develops (a component of Approaches to Play and Learning), their ability to follow multiple-step instructions improves, and their ability to learn complex math concepts increases.

Sub-Domains

The Sub-Domains are categories or components of development within a domain. For example, for the Social and Emotional Development domain, sub-domains include relationships with adults, relationships with other children, emotional functioning, and belonging.

Goals

The Goals are broad statements of expectations for children’s learning and development. The goals describe broad skills, behaviors, and concepts within a sub-domain that are important for success in school.

Developmental Progressions

The Developmental Progressions describe the skills, behaviors, and concepts that children will demonstrate as they progress towards a given goal within an age period. The term “emerging skills” is used for the youngest infant age group when specific skills, behaviors, or concepts have not yet emerged or are not yet observable.

Indicators

Indicators are identified for each goal for children 36 months and 60 months of age. They describe specific, observable skills, behaviors, and concepts that children should know and be able to do at the end of 36 months or at the end of 60 months. Given children’s individual differences, some children may demonstrate these indicators before the designated age period and some may demonstrate them later. The indicators listed for each age are not exhaustive -other indicators related to the goal may be observed.

The Standards are not designed to be used as a curriculum, assessment, or checklist. They are never to be used to conclude a child has failed in any way or that a child is not ready to transition into kindergarten.

The Standards outline the key areas and expectations for child development and learning that programs must use to:

• Plan teaching strategies and learning environments
• Establish school readiness goals
• Select curricula
• Select assessments
• Tailor professional development
• Inform program planning, improvement, and implementation

The Standards are a guide to foster implementation of effective teaching and program practices in family, friend and neighbor homes; family child care homes; child care centers; and Early Head Start/Head Start, and preschool programs. It includes domains of learning most central to school success and presents a common set of expectations in these key learning areas.

This targeted focus is designed to ensure that learning experiences and environments are delivered with utmost intentionality to promote strong child outcomes.

The Standards also can be a helpful tool for effective engagement with families. Programs can use the Standards to convey the importance of adults talking with infants starting at birth, using turn taking and two-way communication. Teachers and parents can use the Standards to discuss skills children are developing and to identify strategies that support and reinforce children’s learning and development in the home and community. Programs that use the Standards in partnership with families will benefit from the family’s knowledge of the child’s development, interests, and prior communication. Teachers and parents can use the Standards to discuss skills children are developing and to identify strategies that support and reinforce experiences. Programs then can implement more individualized learning opportunities that promote strong child outcomes.

The Standards, in combination with teachers’ and caregivers’ knowledge and understanding of each child’s cultural background, ensures that children’s unique ways of learning are recognized.

Children are engaged and eager learners from birth. Effective early childhood programs build on children’s readiness to learn by creating stimulating and safe environments and supporting positive adult-child relationships. Aligning teaching and program practices with the learning outcomes in the Standards will promote more effective educational experiences and stronger child outcomes. Thoughtfully designed practices motivate and excite children and foster their internal desire to learn. Implementing the Standards will assist programs in their efforts to ensure all children become successful learners.

Emerging Skills

Emerging skills is a term used when specific skills, behaviors, or concepts have not yet developed or are not yet observable. This term appears in the Developmental Progressions.

Continued Growth

Continued growth is a term used to describe a stage of ongoing development. This term appears in the Developmental Progressions.

Case Studies 

Case studies are examples that show how a child may demonstrate skills or behaviors in everyday situations. They help parents, caregivers, teachers, and home visitors understand what the indicators may look like in practice. Case studies are examples only and are not a complete list of all the ways children may demonstrate a skill or behavior.