Illinois Early Learning Standards Domains: A Comprehensive Guide

Early learning standards are the backbone of initiatives designed to strengthen early childhood education and ensure greater accountability for child outcomes. These standards create a shared understanding of essential educational goals and approaches, set clear expectations, and guide curriculum development. In Illinois, the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards (IELDS) serve this crucial function, providing a framework for understanding what children should know and be able to do as they grow and develop during the preschool years (ages 3-5).

The Importance of Early Learning Standards

Early learning standards define children’s developmental goals at specific milestones. They are rooted in research about what children should understand and be able to do-their abilities and skills-in different areas of learning and development. These standards describe the desired results, outcomes, and learning expectations for children from birth to pre-kindergarten age.

While each state is responsible for defining its own early learning standards, the underlying principles remain consistent: to promote holistic growth in children and to guide teachers and caregivers in providing developmentally appropriate education.

Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards (IELDS): An Overview

The Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards (IELDS) are designed to provide teachers, caregivers, and policymakers with a framework for understanding children’s development. The IELDS provide reasonable expectations for children’s growth, development, and learning in the preschool years. They are designed to be used with children from ages 3 to 5 or those in the two years before their kindergarten year. The term preschool is used rather than prekindergarten to recognize the inclusion of these two years instead of only addressing the one year before kindergarten. When used as part of the curriculum, the IELDS provide guidance to teachers in early childhood programs to create and sustain developmentally appropriate experiences for young children that will strengthen their intellectual dispositions and support their continuing success as learners and students.

Development and Revision of the IELDS

The Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards (IELDS) (2013) are a revised version of the original Illinois Early Learning Standards published in 2002. The revised IELDS were reviewed and critiqued by early childhood professionals from public and private schools, Head Start, colleges, and community-based early care and learning programs. Recommendations from these stakeholders and users were considered and incorporated into the revisions.

The Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards (IELDS) were developed in collaboration with key Illinois stakeholders in the preschool education field. Early childhood leaders, educators, practitioners, and policy experts came together to ensure the creation of an accessible, user-friendly document, presenting evidence-based and up-to-date information on preschool development for parents and family members, teachers, early childhood professionals, and policy makers. The goal is to ensure a document that aligns with and integrates into the complex system of services for children in multiple preschool settings in the state and fulfills the ultimate goals of improving program quality and strengthening the current systems.

From January to May 2013, a statewide field test of the IELDS was conducted. More than 300 participants reviewed and implemented the standards in their preschool environments and provided feedback through focus group webinars. The field test participants included teachers and administrators from state funded Preschool for All programs, Head Start, center-based child care, family child care, special education, faith-based preschools, and park district programs. The comments and recommendations from the field test were reviewed by a work group and, when appropriate, incorporated into this final document.

Purposes of the IELDS

As with the Illinois Early Learning Guidelines for Children Birth to Age 3, there are multiple purposes for the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards. The Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards are designed to provide a cohesive analysis of children’s development with common expectations and common language. They are broad statements that provide teachers with useful information and direction that are needed as part of the daily early childhood environment.

The primary goal of the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards (IELDS) is to provide a comprehensive resource of reasonable expectations for the development of children in the preschool years (ages 3 to 5) for all teachers across the state of Illinois. Throughout the IELDS, terms are used to name the various components of the standards and to describe the ways that preschool children show what they know and can do related to specific benchmarks in each domain. It is important that teachers using the IELDS become familiar with this terminology so they can understand the standards and use them in ways that are best for children.

Structure and Components of the IELDS

The standards are organized to parallel content in the Illinois State Goals for Learning (see 23 Illinois Administrative Code 1. Appendix D (PDF)). The revised standards also demonstrate alignment to the Illinois Kindergarten Standards and the Common Core State Standards for Kindergarten. The Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards are broad statements that provide teachers with reasonable expectations for children’s development in the preschool years. Based on the broad Illinois State Goals and Standards (see Illinois Administrative Code, Section 235, Appendix A), this resource includes Preschool Benchmarks and Performance Descriptors for most Learning Standards.

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In the learning areas/domains of Language Arts and Mathematics, the IELDS Preschool Benchmarks have been aligned with the kindergarten standards in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Initiative for Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade. These standards were developed in 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, p. 2).

Key components of the IELDS include:

Learning Areas/Domains: These provide an overview or general statement about learning in a specific area. There are eight learning areas/domains in the IELDS. Most are consistent and aligned for all grade levels from preschool through high school.
Learning Standards: These define what students/children should know and be able to do. Like the state goals, many learning standards in the IELDS are aligned for all grade levels, preschool through high school.
Preschool Benchmarks: Provide teachers with specific ways that preschool children demonstrate learning standards. The benchmarks are unique to preschool children.
Performance Descriptors: Give examples that describe small steps of progress that children may demonstrate as they work toward preschool benchmarks. There are three levels of performance descriptors in the IELDS: Exploring (the first level where a child is just beginning to show some of the aspects of the benchmark), Developing (the second level where the child is beginning to show more understanding or related skills), and Building (the description of how a child demonstrates the benchmark as it is written). A child does not have to master or perform every descriptor to show mastery of the preschool benchmark.

Appropriate and Inappropriate Uses of the IELDS

There are cautions to consider when implementing the IELDS. They are meant to be used to enhance planning for preschool children, to enrich play-based curricular practices, and to support the growth of each child to his or her fullest potential. They are not meant to push down curriculum and expectations from higher grades.

The IELDS is not an assessment tool or a checklist for children’s development. It is a resource for preschool teachers in the state of Illinois to define reasonable, agreed-upon expectations for preschool children.

Guiding Principles of the IELDS

Several guiding principles underpin the IELDS, ensuring that the standards are used effectively and appropriately:

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Development in one domain influences development in other domains. The dynamic interaction of all areas of development must be considered. For example, a child’s language skills affect his or her ability to engage in social interactions. Therefore, developmental domains cannot be considered in isolation from each other.
All children are potentially capable of positive developmental outcomes. Regardless of children’s backgrounds and experiences, teachers are intentional in matching goals and experiences to children’s learning and development and in providing challenging experiences to promote each child’s progress and interest.
Each child is unique. Each grows and develops skills and competencies at his or her own pace. Teachers get to know each child well and differentiate their curricular planning to recognize the rate of development for each child in each domain. Some children may have an identified developmental delay or disability that may require teachers to adapt the expectations set out in the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards and to make accommodations in experiences.

All children within an age group should not be expected to arrive at each preschool benchmark at the same time or to show mastery to the same degree. Children may show strengths in some domains and be more challenged in others. Teachers recognize each child’s individuality and plan curricular strategies that support the child as a learner by building on his or her strengths and providing scaffolding and support in more challenging areas. There is no expectation that every child will master every preschool benchmark. Teachers work with children to meet them where they are and help them continue to make small steps of progress toward each preschool benchmark. There also is recognition that some children may go beyond mastery of the preschool expectations.

The Role of Play in Early Learning

Early childhood teachers recognize that children’s play is a highly supportive context for development and learning. The early childhood environment should provide opportunities for children to explore materials, engage in activities, and interact with peers and adults to construct understanding of the world around them. There should, therefore, be a balance of child-initiated and teacher-initiated activities to maximize learning. Teachers act as guides and facilitators most of the time, carefully planning the environment and helping children explore and play in productive, meaningful ways.

Opportunities for children to explore, investigate, and discover things about their world and themselves. Play requires an interesting, well-organized environment and ample time for children to get deeply engaged. Curricular practices that incorporate a significant portion of the day for children to play with materials and with other children while teachers facilitate and guide the play so it is beneficial and full of learning opportunities for the children.

Collaboration with Families

Families are the primary caregivers and educators of young children. Teachers communicate in a variety of ongoing ways with families to inform them of programmatic goals, experiences that are best provided for preschool children, and expectations for their performance by the end of the preschool years.

Broader Context: National Standards and Frameworks

While the IELDS are specific to Illinois, they exist within a broader context of national standards and frameworks that influence early childhood education. These include:

Common Core English Language Arts Standards: Illinois has adopted these standards, providing a framework for language arts instruction.
Next Generation Science Standards: Illinois has adopted these standards, guiding science education.
National Council for Social Studies Framework: This framework provides guidance for social studies standards.
CASEL Framework: This framework contains five dimensions of socio-emotional learning, promoting holistic development.
Learning for Justice Digital Literacy Framework: This framework offers seven key areas in which students need support developing digital and civic literacy skills.
Learning for Justice Anti-Bias Education Framework: This framework provides guidance for anti-bias education at every grade level.
The Standards for the English Language Arts: Published jointly by NCTE and the International Reading Association (IRA) in 1996, this is designed to complement other national, state, and local standards and contributes to ongoing discussion about English language arts classroom activities and curricula.

Early Learning Standards in Other States

It's important to recognize that early learning standards vary from state to state. Here are some examples of the standards used in other states:

Alabama: Alabama Developmental Standards for Preschool Children
Alaska: Alaska Early Learning Guidelines, Birth to Five
Arkansas: Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards: Birth through 60 Months
Connecticut: Connecticut’s Early Learning and Development Standards, Birth through Age 5
Delaware: Delaware Early Learning Foundations (Infant/Toddler) and (Ages 3-5)
District of Columbia: DC Common Core Aligned Early Learning Standards
Georgia: Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS)
Maine: Supporting Maine’s Infants and Toddlers: Guidelines for Learning and Development, and Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standards (MELDS)
Maryland: Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards and Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Birth to Kindergarten
Minnesota: Minnesota's Early Childhood Indicators of Progress
Nebraska: Nebraska’s Early Learning Guidelines (ELGs)
New Hampshire: New Hampshire Learning Standards: Birth through Five
New York: New York State Early Learning Guidelines
North Dakota: North Dakota Early Learning Standards Birth to Kindergarten
Rhode Island: Rhode Island Early Learning and Development Standards
South Dakota: South Dakota Early Learning Guidelines
Texas: Texas Infant, Toddler, and Three Year Old Early Learning Guidelines and Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines
Utah: Utah’s Early Learning Guidelines for Birth to Age Three and Utah’s Core State Standards for Early Learning for Ages 3 to 5
Vermont: Vermont Early Learning Standards
Wisconsin: Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards

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