Arkansas

1 Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards: Birth through 60 Months Shared expectations for what children typically know, understand, and are able to do at different ages of early childhood April 2016. April 2016. Dear Arkansas Early Childhood Education Professional, We are excited to present an important new resource for the state's early childhood community, the Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards: Birth through 60 Months. Arkansas is a state that believes in the unlimited potential of its children, and this document will help early child- hood professionals to support our youngest children in reaching their full potential in school and in life. Years of brain development research show that the quality of a child's early environments, including the quality of early care and education they experience, profoundly influences how the brain wires.

2 To provide either a strong or weak foundation for future learning and success. This document uses the most recent research to support early childhood professionals in promoting positive interactions and environments for our youngest children. As a result, the state will benefit for years to come. The document represents the work of many dedicated education professionals, parents, and national experts. It recognizes the groundbreaking work of early childhood education pioneers in Arkansas who developed standards for young children early on in the history of early learning standards, including the Arkansas Early Childhood Education Framework and the Arkansas Framework for Infant and Toddler Care. This new document brings together these previous standards that were divided by age into one birth-through-60-month continuum.

3 Many early care and education programs serve children across this age span. To see child development across a continuum presented in a developmentally and culturally appropriate way is helpful as young children transition from one developmental stage to another. These standards also vertically align with the kindergarten language arts and math standards to support the transition from early childhood into K 12 education. If you are working with children from birth-through-60-months of age, we encourage you to use these standards. The Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education will continue to provide funding for training on the new standards as well as other supports for programs and families as we move forward. We would like to thank the Kellogg Foundation for recognizing the early childhood work in our state and funding this effort, and all of you for the work you do each day to educate and support our youngest citizens!

4 Sincerely, Tonya Williams Jacqueline Govan Director Director Division of Child Care Arkansas Head Start State and Early Childhood Education Collaboration Office Table of Contents 2 Overview of the 4 Social and Emotional Development 4 Cognitive Definition of child development and early learning Physical Development and Guiding 6. Language Importance of Prenatal 9. Emergent 52. Organization of the Mathematical Age Science and Domains of development and Social 76. Domain Creativity and Learning Appendix: Overview of the Standards with Reading and using the How the standards should be How the standards fit into Arkansas 's system of early care and Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards 1. Acknowledgements The Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards: Start State Collaboration Director, led the development effort, ensuring that Birth through 60 Months was developed through a grant from the Kellogg the project stayed on track, that the input of the Arkansas Child Development Foundation.

5 It is important to recognize Joelle-Jude Fontaine, the state's Program and Early Learning Standards Committee was appropriately incorporated into Officer at the Foundation, who has been a supportive and encouraging partner the document, and that the opinions and perspectives of the broader early throughout the development of not only these standards, but also the state's family childhood stakeholder community in Arkansas were well represented. Tonya engagement and kindergarten entry screening initiatives. Williams, Director of the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education (DCCECE), and her staff provided valuable input from the state agency per- The standards were created through the hard work of a number of passionate spective throughout the process. and dedicated early childhood professionals.

6 Jackie Govan, the Arkansas Head Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards Committee The Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards Committee guided the development of the standards by providing substantive input, editorial advice, and historical context. The Committee members were: Kathi Bergman, Child Development Manager Pam Draper, Head Start Director Shelli Henehan, Assistant Professor and Director of Black River Area Development Corporation Cleveland County school District Head Start Early Childhood/Preschool Programs University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Dot Brown, President Angela Duran, Campaign Director Early Childhood Services, Inc. Arkansas Grade Level Reading Campaign Woodie Sue Herlein, school Age Program Coordinator Arkansas State University Childhood Services Janice Carter, Program Coordinator Jody Veit-Edrington, Coordinator of Early Childhood Arkansas State University Childhood Services North Little Rock school District Deniece Honeycutt, Assistant Director Early Care and Education Projects Anarella Cellitti, Associate Professor Jacqualine Govan, Director University of Arkansas University of Arkansas at Little Rock Arkansas Head Start State Collaboration Office Robin C.

7 Jones, Training Advisor Charlie Conklin, Executive Director Yvonne Greene, 619 Coordinator University of Arkansas Arkansas Kids Read of Central Arkansas Arkansas Department of Education Debbie Malone, Program Coordinator Diana Courson, Associate Director Joanna Grymes, Associate Professor of Early Child- Child Care Aware, River Valley Arkansas State University Childhood Services hood Education Arkansas State University Kathy Pillow Price, Director Paige Cox, Professional Development Administrator Arkansas Home Visiting Network Division of Child Care/Early Childhood Education Jackie Hale, State Parent Coordinator Arkansas Head Start State Collaboration Office Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards 2. Acknowledgements Brenda Reynolds, Welcome the Children Amy Routt, Early Childhood Education Specialist Beverly C.

8 Wright, Adjunct Instructor Project Director Arkansas Educational Television Network University of Arkansas at Little Rock Partners for Inclusive Communities, University of Arkansas Expert Reviewers Daryl Greenfield, , Professor psychology & Pediatrics The development of the standards included a review by national experts knowl- University of Miami edgeable in different areas of child development and learning and different pop- ulations of children. The expert review significantly improved the quality of the Kathleen Hebbeler, , Program Manager final standards. The expert reviewers were: Center for Education and Human Services Clancy Blair, , Professor of Cognitive psychology SRI International Department of Applied psychology , Steinhardt school of Culture, Education, and Human Development Marilou Hyson, , Consultant and Adjunct Professor New York University College of Education and Human Development University of Massachusetts-Boston Douglas Clements, , Executive Director and Professor Marsico Institute for Early Learning and Literacy Linda Platas, , Assistant Professor Kennedy Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Learning Department of Child and Adolescent Development Morgridge College of Education San Francisco State University University of Denver Steve Sanders, , Professor and Assistant Chair Nikki Darling-Kuria.

9 Program Manager Department of Teaching and Learning ZERO TO THREE University of South Florida The National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families Thomas Schultz, , Project Director Linda Espinosa, , Professor of Early Childhood Education (Ret.) Early Childhood Initiatives at the Council of Chief State school Officers University of Missouri, Columbia Consultant Partners Finally, Jeffrey Capizzano and Dr. Kelly Etter of the Policy Equity Group, LLC worked to develop and revise numerous drafts of the standards under the Committee's direction. Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards 3. Introduction The first five years of life is a period of rapid and intense develop- The Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards: Birth through 60. ment.

10 Research has found that during this time, children build critical founda- Months represents the next generation of Arkansas 's child development and early tional skills that profoundly influence their later health, ability to learn, social learning standards. The new document combines and expands the state's two relationships, and overall success. High-quality early childhood environments previous sets of standards to create a seamless birth-through-60 month progres- whether they be in a child's home; in the care of a family member, friend, or sion. This new format is designed to ensure a strong alignment between the stan- neighbor; with a family child care provider, or in an early learning program are dards for infants and toddlers and those for older children. Equally important, the critical to supporting child development and learning.