7.1 Early Learning and Academic Standards
Most states now have two types of standards for children in the early childhood period. Standards for children from birth to age 5 are provided as guidelines for infants and toddlers, and early learning standards for 3- to 5-year-old preschoolers. These standards emphasize child development. Standards that apply to children in the primary grades are part of the academic standards for children from kindergarten through grade 12. Each set of academic standards articulates what children should know and be able to do in the content (subject) area (e.g., math, literacy, science, social studies, physical education and health, and the arts).
The fifty states diverge on implementation time lines, but in general the country is moving on a steady path toward both early learning and academic standards (Kauerz, 2006; Petersen, Jones, & McGinley, 2008; NAECY, 2016; Scott-Little, Kagan, Frelow, & Reid, 2008). Some curricula used in early childhood classrooms provide teachers with alignments, or mapping of the elements of the curriculum to early learning or academic standards. In other instances, teachers do that themselves as they interpret curricular goals, planning and adapting activities to be consistent with learning standards.