The Preschooler

Preschool Foundations and Standards

Out in California, , they are called “Preschool Learning Foundations”.  Way out here in Pennsylvania, they are called “Early Learning Standards”.  No matter what name you give them, these lists of learning benchmarks can be a wonderful resource for teachers and parents when preparing children for the long educational journey ahead.

The California Department of Education and the Pennsylvania Department of Education developed these guidelines so that parents and educators would have a guide to look at when evaluating the educational development of a child.  They were not meant to serve as program evaluators or all-encompassing curriculum objectives.  Instead, parents and educators are encouraged to use the foundations in order to determine which areas of development are on track with age appropriate development and which areas could use a bit more focus.

The California Preschool Learning Foundations Volume 1 is a bit tedious to read through.  However, if you skip to the index, you will find a summary of the guides.  The Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards are quite a bit more user friendly, and you can also find separate standards for infant-toddler, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first grade, and second grade.

When reading through either document, keep in mind that the objectives listed are goals to be working toward.  They do not imply that any child will have mastered all of these standards by a specific day in his life.  Each child has strengths and weaknesses and learns at their own pace.  However, these guides can serve as a resource when trying to determine which areas may need more focus and development.

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Written by Laura on January 3, 2011