Development, Purposes, and Uses of the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards
Development
The Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards (2013) are a revised version of the original Illinois Early Learning Standards published in 2002. They have been updated to align with the Illinois Early Learning Guidelines for Children Birth to Age 3, with the Illinois Kindergarten Standards, and with the Common Core State Standards for Kindergarten.
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. The IELDS 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. In addition, the term teacher is used to refer to any adult who works with preschool children in any early childhood setting.
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. This collaborative approach in finalizing the IELDS allowed for important decisions to be made by a diverse range of professionals representing different areas of the field.
Purposes
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 IELDS:
- Create a foundational understanding for families and teachers of what children from 3 through 5 years of age are expected to know and do across multiple developmental domains.
- Improve the quality of care and learning through more intentional and appropriate practices to support development from 3 through 5 years of age.
- Provide support for a qualified workforce.
- Enhance the state’s early childhood services by aligning preschool standards with existing guidelines or standards for younger and older children.
- Serve as a resource for those involved in developing and implementing policies for children from 3 through 5 years of age.
Uses
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. Preschool educators can refer to the IELDS when determining appropriate expectations for preschoolers, when planning for individual children’s needs, when implementing a play-based curriculum, and when using authentic observational assessment procedures.
There are appropriate and inappropriate uses of the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards. The IELDS are not intended to be a curriculum or assessment tool and are not an exhaustive resource or checklist for children’s development.