Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards: A Comprehensive Guide

Early learning standards are the backbone of initiatives to strengthen early childhood education and support greater accountability for child outcomes. These standards build consensus about crucial educational outcomes and approaches, outline expectations, and help focus curriculum development. In Pennsylvania, the Learning Standards for Early Childhood delineate benchmarks along the birth to grade 2 continuum and serve as the foundation across all early childhood programs.

What are Early Learning Standards?

According to the Office of Early Childhood Development, early learning standards are frameworks for defining children’s developmental goals at specific milestones. These standards are based on research pertaining to what children should understand and do-their abilities and skills-in different areas of learning and development. They describe the desired results, outcomes, and learning expectations of children, from birth to pre-kindergarten age.

Early learning standards are crucial for holistic child development as they provide the framework for curriculum development. They also define how educators and families can support their child’s growth.

The Importance of Early Learning Standards

Early learning standards promote holistic growth in children. These standards focus on curriculum development to help teachers and caregivers provide a holistic, developmentally appropriate education for children. All children are unique and require a defined early education approach. Quality early learning environments are essential for preparing children to be successful learners as they go through elementary school. One means of attaining high-quality learning environments is to implement a curriculum that meets the needs of all children. A curriculum reflects the program's philosophy, goals, and objectives for children, as well as the guidelines to target children's development in areas such as cognitive, social-emotional, language, and fine and gross motor domains. The intent of a curriculum is to provide the framework for what happens within a planned environment to allow for learning and interactions with materials, peers, and adults.

Pennsylvania’s Learning Standards for Early Childhood are a critical piece for assisting teachers in designing classrooms that meet the developmental needs of children to help them succeed in school. In conjunction with the curriculum, a second equally important piece in an early childhood classroom is conducting ongoing assessments of children. Assessments that are implemented in the classroom and aligned with Pennsylvania's Learning Standards for Early Childhood (birth to 3rd grade) will help inform teachers about designing a curriculum that provides multiple learning opportunities that best suits how each child learns. There are many needs to be considered when planning a preschool curriculum. The physical environment should contribute to well-planned activities that can help young learners meet their goals, but it should also allow for spontaneous and unplanned learning to occur.

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Pennsylvania's Learning Standards for Early Childhood

Pennsylvania’s Learning Standards for Early Childhood delineate benchmarks along the birth to grade 2 continuum to promote readiness and early school success and are aligned with standards that span to the 12th grade. Pennsylvania’s standards are research-based according to age and development and form the foundation for curriculum, assessment, instruction, and intervention within early care and education programs. They also comprise the primary device for ensuring high-quality, consistent childcare across geographies and programs.

The standards delineate benchmarks along the birth to grade 2 continuum to promote readiness and early school success and are aligned with standards that span to the 12th-grade. Pennsylvania’s standards are research-based according to age and development and form the foundation for curriculum, assessment, instruction and intervention within early care and education programs. They also comprise the primary device for ensuring high quality, consistent childcare across geographies and programs. Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability (STEELS) Standards were adopted by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education in January 2022.

These standards provide children with skills needed for school, life, and career success.

Historical Context

Pennsylvania’s Learning Standards for Early Childhood were originally developed in 2004 through cross-sector collaboration from departments of Health, Education, and Public Welfare (now referred to as Human Services) and representatives from childcare, early intervention, school districts, Head Start, higher education, family support programs, and researchers. In 2010, Pennsylvania began integrating its early learning standards into the Standards Aligned System (SAS), the K-12 online resource portal designed to provide educators with a framework and integrated tools to enhance their teaching effectiveness.

Key Components

Pennsylvania’s Infant and Toddler Learning Standards are divided into three age levels: infant (birth-12 months), young toddler (9-27 months), and older toddler (24-36 months). The revised standards mirror the standards found on the SAS in the learning domains of English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science (including Environment and Ecology), Social Studies, and Social and Emotional Development. Refinements were also made to:

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Partnerships for Learning (Family Engagement)
Approaches to Learning Through Play
Creative Thinking and Expression
Health, Wellness, and Physical Development

Recent Updates

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) revised our Science Standards to ensure alignment to the STEELS Standards. The Social and Emotional Development domain was moved to the front of the book, after Approaches to Learning through Play. The Approaches to Learning Through Play and Social Emotional Development domains are found first in our standards because they are foundational skills. The Partnerships for Learning section was removed from the 2024 Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood.

Assessment in Early Childhood Programs

Assessment is a critical piece in high-quality standards-aligned programs. Parents, teachers, and caregivers are the most qualified to assess young children because they observe children in authentic environments and are most familiar with each child's development and learning expectations. Teachers observe children through all activities in the day that yield the necessary information to determine skill levels. They collect information through many different sources of evidence, such as regular family engagement, observations throughout a child's daily routines, collection of children's artwork or writing samples, and by talking with the child or other adults about the child's accomplishments.

The following resources from the Office of Child Development and Early Learning helps clarify the fundamentals of assessments in Early Childhood in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Assessing children's progress in early childhood programs.

Teaming and Collaboration

Teaming and collaboration practices are those that promote and sustain collaborative adult partnerships, relationships, and ongoing interactions to ensure that programs and services achieve desired child and family outcomes and goals. Families are essential members of the team.

Tools and Resources

Provides tools and resources to guide you through the process of making adaptations for individuals or groups of children who are experiencing challenges during every day routines and activities. This resource provides guidance for working with both toddlers and preschool-age children. This reflection tool is intended to help teams reflect on how they are fostering the 10 elements of belonging for all children, including children with disabilities within their communities.

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Early Learning Standards Across the US

Early learning standards vary from state to state, meaning that each state is responsible for defining them. It is often a collaborative effort of state agencies. While the state is responsible for setting the standards, educators, childcare staff, and families need to work together to ensure that children meet their goals.

Here are some examples of early learning standards used by different states:

Alabama: Alabama Developmental Standards for Preschool Children.
Alaska: Alaska Early Learning Guidelines, Birth to Five early learning standards.
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 Delaware Early Learning Foundations (Ages 3-5).
District of Columbia: DC Common Core Aligned Early Learning Standards.
Georgia: Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS).
Illinois: Illinois Early Learning Guidelines.
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: The New Hampshire Learning Standards: Birth through Five.
New York: The New York State Early Learning Guidelines.
North Dakota: North Dakota Early Learning Standards Birth to Kindergarten.
Rhode Island: The Rhode Island Early Learning and Development Standards.
South Dakota: The 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: The Vermont Early Learning Standards.
Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards.

A comprehensive tool like brightwheel's lesson plan feature comes pre-loaded with the learning standards of each state, making it easier for you to plan lessons.

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