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All 50 States Early Learning Standards and Guidelines

All 50 states have developed Early Learning Guidelines (ELGs) and resources related to early childhood education learning and development standards. This resource hub gathers each state’s early learning guidelines (ELGs) and links to their standards.

What are Early Learning and Development Standards?

Early Learning and Development Standards are defined as a set of expectations, guidelines, or developmental milestones that:

  • Describe what all children from birth to kindergarten entry should know and be able to do and their disposition toward learning;

  • Are appropriate for each age group (e.g., infants, toddlers, and preschoolers); for English learners; and for children with disabilities or developmental delays;

  • Cover all Essential Domains of School Readiness; and

  • Are universally designed and developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate.

What domains are covered?

Cover a range of domains across physical, cognitive, and social and emotional development, are incorporated into other parts of the child care system, and align with the standards for other sectors (such as Head Start, prekindergarten, and K-12).

All 50 States' Early Learning and Development Standards

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