Alinhando Habilidades Criancas Competencias Educador

Early Childhood Essentials
A Framework for Aligning Child Skills

and Educator Competencies
Beth Meloy and Abby Schachner
OCTOBER 2019
Early Childhood Essentials:
A Framework for Aligning Child
Skills and Educator Competencies
Beth Meloy and Abby Schachner
Acknowledgments
The authors thank our Learning Policy Institute (LPI) colleagues Maya Kaul and Charlie Thompson
for their research contributions, and Madelyn Gardner and Hanna Melnick for their review and
thought partnership. In addition, we thank Erin Chase and Aaron Reeves for their editing and design
contributions to this project, along with Gretchen Wright and the entire LPI communications team
for their invaluable support in developing and disseminating this report. Without their generosity
of time and spirit, this work would not have been possible.
This work was supported by a grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Core operating
support for LPI is provided by the Sandler Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation,
and the Ford Foundation. We are grateful to them for their generous support. The ideas voiced here
are those of the authors and not those of our funders.
Expert Workgroup
This work was prepared in consultation with and benefited from the insights and expertise of Ranae
Amezquita, Krischa Esquivel, Nancy Hurlbut, Sydney Fisher Larson, Peter Mangione, Scott Moore,
Mary Vixie Sandy, Vilma Serrano, Deborah Stipek, Erin Sullivan, Ross A. Thompson, and Marlene
Zepeda. We thank them for the care and attention they gave this report.
The appropriate citation for this report is: Meloy, B., & Schachner, A. (2019). Early childhood
essentials: A framework for aligning child skills and educator competencies. Palo Alto, CA: Learning
Policy Institute.
This report can be found online at

https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/early-childhood-essentials-framework.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.
Report originally published October 15, 2019 | Document last revised November 20, 2019
Revisions are noted here: https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/ecefacsec-update.
ii LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS

Table of Contents
Executive Summary.................................................................................................................................. v
Background................................................................................................................................................1
The Framework..........................................................................................................................................2
Foundational Conditions for Children to Learn.....................................................................................3
Essential Child Skills.................................................................................................................................4

Social-Emotional Development.......................................................................................................6
Cognitive Development...................................................................................................................8
Language and Literacy Development.......................................................................................... 10
Mathematical and Scientific Reasoning...................................................................................... 12
Physical Development.................................................................................................................. 14
Foundational Conditions for Educators............................................................................................... 16
Essential Educator Competencies....................................................................................................... 17

Developmentally Appropriate Practice and Environments .......................................................... 17
Observation and Assessment of Development and Learning..................................................... 22
Individualized Supports and Inclusion-Based Practices ............................................................. 24
Family Support and Partnership.................................................................................................. 26
Continuous Improvement and Professionalism........................................................................... 27
Conclusion............................................................................................................................................... 29
Appendix A: Resources.......................................................................................................................... 30
Endnotes.................................................................................................................................................. 33
About the Authors.................................................................................................................................. 38
List of Figures
Figure 1 Early Childhood Essentials Framework............................................................................5
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iv LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS
Executive Summary
Researchers across a wide range of disciplines agree that early childhood education has the
potential to help support optimal development and contribute to ensuring that all children enter
school ready to succeed. Well-designed and well-implemented early childhood programs can foster
meaningful gains in school readiness, as well as long-term benefits such as lower rates of special
education placement, reduced grade retention, and higher graduation rates. High-quality early
education also has the potential to narrow achievement gaps when young children gain the most
from the experience.
Central to high-quality early childhood experiences is the ability of early childhood educators (early
educators) to offer instruction that fosters the skills children need to succeed in school and in life.
Further, children’s development is supported by a thoughtful progression from early learning goals
and objectives to instruction in the elementary grades. In order to ensure continuity and improve
child outcomes, educators and education leaders from birth through age 8 must maintain a clear,
concise, and developmentally appropriate delineation of the goals, objectives, and approaches to
teaching and learning.
The purpose of the Early Childhood Essentials Framework is to synthesize and communicate the
essential skills and competencies children should be acquiring before they enter kindergarten and
the related skills and competencies early childhood educators must cultivate in order to provide
high-quality early learning experiences that will set all children on the path to success in school
and in life. The unique goals of this framework are to clearly convey the link between early educator
competencies, early education practice, and the school readiness and success of all children and
to acknowledge the foundational conditions necessary for children and educators to achieve
these essential skills and competencies. This framework provides a baseline of knowledge to help
decision-makers think critically about how to improve the early learning programs they oversee.
The Essential Child Skills

Throughout this framework, essential child skills are defined as those skills that predict later school
success or are foundational to predictive skills. We analyzed the body of research and guidance that
describes developmental trajectories of essential skills for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers that
can be influenced and scaffolded by educator practice. From our analysis, we identified five key
developmental areas:
1. Social-emotional development refers to children’s abilities to engage in meaningful

relationships with adults and peers; recognize, express, and regulate their own
emotions and respond appropriately to the emotions of others; and develop social skills
and understanding.
2. Cognitive development includes children’s abilities to engage in imitation and symbolic
play as well as their early cognitive skills of executive function, such as holding and
manipulating information in their minds, sustaining their attention on a task, shifting their
attention when appropriate, and controlling their impulses.
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3. Language and literacy development captures the ability of children to communicate
effectively along a continuum that includes gestures, facial expressions, and eventually
language to communicate needs, emotions, and thoughts, as well as early literacy skills that
lay the foundation for children to become successful readers and writers as they enter school.
4. Mathematical and scientific reasoning encompasses the development of skills such as
number sense, algebraic and geometric thinking, and spatial awareness and measurement,
as well as young children’s emerging exploration and discovery skills that develop into
intentional scientific inquiry skills as they master their worlds.
5. Physical development refers to a range of skills, most commonly motor development,
that support children’s abilities to explore their environments fully and interact with
people and things.
Research shows that children develop these discrete skills in a highly integrated progression. A
child’s progress in developing one skill set can accelerate or impede progress in another area.
The Essential Early Educator Competencies

Throughout this framework, we define essential educator competencies as those identified by
researchers and practitioners as critical for providing children with learning and play experiences
that promote development of the essential child skills. Based on an analysis of the research and
guidance on the essential skills for educators of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers across settings,
we identified five key competency areas:
1. Developmentally appropriate practice and environments refer to an educator’s

knowledge and use of developmentally appropriate practices to support and guide
children’s learning across and within each essential child skill area, as well as his or her
ability to effectively construct and manage physically and emotionally supportive learning
environments and activities to match the age, cultural, and individual needs of children.
2. Observation and assessment of development and learning encompass an educator’s
ability to regularly identify, select, and use observation techniques and assessments to
understand the learning progression and trajectory of each child to individualize learning,
including techniques that are sensitive to and appropriate for children from non-English-
speaking homes and who may have experienced trauma and adverse childhood experiences.
3. Individualized supports and inclusion-based practices capture an educator’s ability to
provide safe and inclusive learning environments and activities; to individualize learning
experiences to support all learners, including dual language learners, children with special
needs, children who exceed developmental expectations for their age, and children who
experience trauma and adverse childhood experiences; and to work collaboratively with a
multidisciplinary team and the family to provide individualized supports.
4. Family support and partnership include an educator’s ability to initiate and engage in
regular and responsive communication with families, collaborate with families to ensure
consistency between home and the learning environment, and support culturally and
linguistically diverse families.
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5. Continuous improvement and professionalism recognize that early educators are
professionals and should have the ability and opportunity to engage in reflection, develop
and use professional development plans, participate in professional learning, develop
collaborative leadership skills, and maintain professional and ethical standards to excel.
Early educators need to acquire and refine each of these competencies, which work holistically.
Effective educators must be able to utilize developmentally appropriate practices and environments
to observe and assess children’s development and learning, and ultimately provide individualized
supports and inclusion-based practices. Likewise, educators’ competencies in continuous
improvement and professionalism and their abilities to engage in family support and partnership
will support their capacity to provide high-quality learning experiences that fulfill the promise of
early education for every child.
Foundational Conditions
To thrive, young children need to be healthy and feel safe and secure at home and in their early
learning setting. Early childhood programs have a role to play in helping to ensure all children
have their basic needs met by participating in the comprehensive system of services for children
and families, referring families to community resources, or, in some cases, providing direct
services that children need to thrive. This includes adequate nutrition; continuity of care; access
to physical, dental, and mental health services; stable and safe housing; and access to specialized
educational supports.
Similarly, for early learning programs to prepare children for academic success, early educators
need to be prepared, compensated, and supported to excel in the complex work of providing high-
quality early learning experiences. Early educators need extensive support, through college-level
preparation and ongoing job-embedded professional development, and a supportive environment
to be able to consistently provide intentional, individualized learning activities that scaffold
each child’s acquisition of essential skills. Currently, the odds are stacked against early educators
achieving the competencies outlined in the framework because of poor compensation, relatively
low standards for preparation, and lack of investment in professional supports, including little or no
paid time for professional learning, planning, and collaboration.
Conclusion
Child development is multifaceted, and providing high-quality early learning experiences is
complex work. Although not every decision-maker with influence over early childhood programs
needs to understand every nuance of these complex concepts, it is critical that decision-makers
develop and maintain a basic understanding of the essential child skills and the essential educator
competencies and acknowledge the foundational conditions necessary for children’s readiness to
learn and educators’ abilities to succeed. This fundamental understanding will support leaders in
making informed decisions to ensure educators have the resources they need to provide every child
with the opportunity to enter school ready to thrive.
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viii LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS
Background
There is overwhelming evidence that children’s early years are a crucial time for their development.1
Researchers across a wide range of disciplines—program evaluators, neuroscientists, geneticists,
and economists—agree that early childhood education has the potential to support optimal
development and ensure all children start kindergarten ready to succeed. And when it comes to
early childhood education programs, quality is critical. Well-designed and well-implemented
programs can foster meaningful gains in school readiness, as well as long-term benefits such as
lower rates of special education placement, reduced grade retention, and higher graduation rates.2
High-quality early education also has the potential to narrow achievement gaps when vulnerable
populations of young children, including children from low-income families and dual language
learners (DLLs), gain the most from the experience.3
Lasting benefits for children depend upon high-quality learning experiences from birth through
the elementary grades.4 The early learning continuum is enhanced throughout childhood when
there is a thoughtful progression from early learning goals and objectives to instruction in the
elementary grades. Aligning goals, objectives, and approaches to teaching and learning from birth
through age 8 requires educators and education leaders to maintain a clear and concise delineation
of what children need to know and be able to do. This information is a fundamental resource for
all early childhood educators (early educators) across diverse settings, including family child care
homes, child care centers, preschools, and public school systems, because it is critical to every early
educator’s ability to craft individualized high-quality early learning opportunities for all children.
Furthermore, education leaders must understand the knowledge and skills that early educators
need to consistently cultivate as professionals in order to implement the practices necessary to
support children’s development. Effective educators are able to gather information about childhood
development through observation, assessment, and conversations with families and use this critical
contextual information to appropriately support and individualize learning activities for every
child. Effective educators are able to craft early learning opportunities across the developmental
spectrum, including social-emotional, cognitive, language and literacy, mathematics and science,
and physical development. Early educators also consistently cultivate their knowledge and skills
to better support diverse populations of children, including DLLs; children who have experienced
adverse childhood experiences, chronic stress, or trauma;5 and children whose progress falls outside
of typical developmental trajectories.
Young children need be healthy and feel safe and secure at home as well as in their early learning
setting in order to be ready to learn. Early childhood programs have a role to play in the system
responsible for ensuring every child has access to the services and supports he or she needs to
thrive, including adequate nutrition; continuity of care; access to physical, dental, and mental
health services; stable and safe housing; and access to specialized educational supports (for
more detail, see “Foundational Conditions for Children to Learn” on page 3). Although the role
of individual early learning programs will vary, it is critical that leaders and early educators
understand the importance of children’s basic needs being met and actively engage in the system as
appropriate to support children and families in accessing services.
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Similarly, early educators need extensive support, through college-level preparation and ongoing
job-embedded professional development, and a supportive environment to be able to consistently
provide intentional, individualized learning activities that scaffold each child’s acquisition of
essential skills (for more detail, see “Foundational Conditions for Educators” on page 16).
This framework is intended to provide an overview of the importance and complexity of early
childhood development and offer insight into the competencies early educators must cultivate in
order to provide high-quality early learning experiences that will set all children on the path to
success in school and in life. State and local policymakers, as well as local early education leaders,
including program administrators, site supervisors, center directors, family child care home
education networks, resource and referral agencies, school principals, and school board members,
directly influence preparation and professional development, play an important role in funding to
support compensation for early educators, and often directly oversee early learning environments.
It is critical that these decision-makers understand the developmental trajectory of essential child
skills and the role of educator competencies in supporting skill development for all children so that
they invest in and deliver the supports that early educators need to help young children succeed.
This framework helps to provide a baseline of knowledge to aid decision-makers in thinking

critically about how to improve the early learning programs they oversee. For additional documents
and resources that provide a deeper discussion of the topics this framework explores, see Appendix
A. Readers who wish to build upon the knowledge they gain from reviewing this framework are
encouraged to explore these other resources.
The Framework
The purpose of the Early Childhood Essentials Framework, described here and shown in Figure 1, is
to synthesize and communicate the literature on essential child skills and educator competencies.
This framework joins other documents, in California and nationwide, aimed at describing
these skills (see Appendix A). Specifically, the framework presents the typical developmental
trajectories of essential child skills that are critical for all adults involved in the early education
system to understand. The framework also provides a review of effective educator competencies
that should be cultivated in and by all early educators in order to provide high-quality, effective
early learning opportunities. The unique goals of the framework are to clearly convey the link
between early educator competencies, early education practice, and the school readiness and
success of all children and to acknowledge the foundational conditions necessary for children
and educators to achieve these essential skills and competencies. Early education leaders need
the information conveyed here to be able to support children and educators across diverse early
learning environments.
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Foundational Conditions for Children to Learn
In order for young children to thrive, they need to be healthy and feel safe and secure at home
and in their early learning settings. The research identifies five basic needs that must be met for
children to be ready to learn.6 Each of these conditions is critical to a child’s health and well-being
and lays the foundation for his or her ability to learn effectively from early childhood experiences.
These conditions are:
• adequate nutrition;
• continuity of care;
• access to health services, including dental health and mental health supports;
• stable and safe housing; and
• access to specialized educational supports.
Poverty is a key risk factor for young children and can fundamentally interfere with a child’s
readiness to learn. For example, poverty can negatively affect how the body and brain develop;
living in poverty can impact the safety and security of a child’s housing; and children living in
poverty often lack access to health services and adequate nutrition.7 Early childhood education
(ECE) programs cannot inoculate children from the effects of poverty. However, ECE programs
often play a role in helping to ensure all children have their basic needs met by participating in
the comprehensive system of services for children and families, referring families to community
resources, or, in some cases, providing direct services. Many ECE programs provide healthy meals
to children to support their access to adequate nutrition or promote continuity of care by reducing
the number of caregiver changes a child experiences within the program. Some ECE programs,
such as Head Start, also play a role in referring families to social service programs that offer
critical services, such as health services, housing subsidies, and specialized educational supports.
Regardless of the role a program plays in meeting children’s needs, understanding the extent to
which these foundational conditions are being met is critical to appropriately supporting children’s
developmental progress.

Essential Child Skills
Throughout this framework, essential child skills are defined as those skills that predict later school
success or are foundational to predictive skills. The skills included in this framework stem from an
analysis of the research and guidance that describe developmental trajectories of essential skills
for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and are limited to those skills that can be influenced and
scaffolded by educator practice (see Appendix A). We identified five key developmental areas across
the early learning standards and guidance documents we reviewed:
1. Social-emotional development
2. Cognitive development
3. Language and literacy development
4. Mathematical and scientific reasoning
5. Physical development
Although this framework includes five discrete areas of child development and describes
developmental trajectories of essential skills within each of these areas, research shows that
children develop these discrete skills in a highly integrated progression. A child’s developmental
trajectory in one area may be fundamentally linked to the child’s progress in another. For example,
language development is foundational not only to
literacy but also to children’s ability to grasp key
mathematical concepts, manage their emotions, and
A child’s developmental
communicate them effectively with their educators trajectory in one area may be
and peers. Child development is also highly variable, fundamentally linked to the
and individual children do not develop at the same
pace across every area. For example, a child may excel child’s progress in another.
in communication and language skills but struggle
with fine motor development.
Furthermore, there is a cross-cutting concept in child development, which is sometimes highlighted

as its own discrete area of development, called Approaches to Learning.8 Approaches to Learning
involves children’s initiative, curiosity, creativity, and persistence as learners. Although this
framework does not include Approaches to Learning as a stand-alone area of child development, we
do include the skills often categorized under this area throughout the framework. It is important
for educators and education leaders to understand that supporting children’s ability to successfully
navigate learning experiences influences their development holistically and directly contributes
to success in school. Research has demonstrated that particularly important aspects of becoming
a successful learner are developing the ability to self-regulate,9 which this framework covers
under Social-Emotional Development, and executive functioning,10 which this framework covers
under Cognitive Development. Many factors influence how children approach learning, and this
framework acknowledges that fact by integrating children’s development of curiosity, persistence,
and creativity into every area of development.
Although the age guidelines provided in this framework are broad, they describe the timing of
skill acquisition in typically developing children who have been appropriately supported by adults.
As children age, they build on their early experiences and skills to learn more complex ways of
communicating with, exploring, and engaging with the world around them.

Finally, development occurs in the context of each child’s familial, linguistic, and cultural
backgrounds. DLLs, for example, may not demonstrate the full scope of their skills when interacting
with predominantly English-speaking adults or peers. In addition, many aspects of development,
especially social-emotional skills such as self-regulation and expression of emotions, may be
culturally determined. For example, social and cultural conventions influence expectations to
initiate conversation, when and how to ask questions or interrupt during conversation, and whether
children should make eye contact or avoid it during conversation with adults.11
Figure 1
Early
EarlyChildhood
ChildhoodEssentials
EssentialsFramework
Framework
Essential Educator Competencies
Within the Learning Setting Supporting the Learning Setting
• Developmentally appropriate • Family support
practice and environments and partnership
• Observation and assessment • Continuous
of development and learning improvement and
• Individualized supports and professionalism
inclusion-based practices
Essential Child Skills

• Social-emotional development
• Cognitive development
• Language and literacy development
• Mathematical and scientific reasoning
• Physical development
Foundational Conditions
For Educators to Succeed For Children to Learn
• Facilitative leadership • Adequate nutrition
• Competitive compensation and benefits • Continuity of care
• Job-embedded professional development • Access to physical, dental, and mental health services
• Paid planning and collaboration time • Stable and safe housing
• Emotionally supportive environment • Access to specialized educational supports

Social-Emotional Development
Social-emotional development refers to children’s ability to engage in meaningful relationships
with adults and peers; recognize, express, and regulate their own emotions and respond
appropriately to the emotions of others; and develop social skills and understanding. There are
three key categories of skills that form the foundation of social-emotional development, which
research suggests are critical for later school success.
First, children need to develop trusting relationships with adults early in life to feel secure and to
develop social competence. Children learn from experience, and strong bonds with their caregivers
enable them to explore new relationships and environments and to expand their understanding of
the world around them without anxiety. As children develop, they also interact with and develop
relationships with each other. These interactions provide opportunities to practice communication,
express and interpret emotions, and develop social skills such as problem-solving and compromise.
Second, children need to develop social and emotional competence in order to understand their own
emotions and the emotions of others, what other people are like and how to interact with them,
and how their identity shapes their interactions with adults and other children. Third, children
need to develop self-regulation, or the ability to manage their own behaviors and emotions in
order to interact effectively with others; engage with academic content successfully; and navigate
challenging or frustrating tasks.
Positive relationships
As children interact with peers and adults, they
begin to form relationships. These relationships Relationships create the
create the foundation for children’s healthy foundation for children’s healthy
development in every area.12 Specifically, with
appropriate support, children typically develop development in every area.
and demonstrate positive relationships with
primary caregivers, familiar adults, and peers.
Relationships with primary caregivers. From infancy, a secure attachment to at least one primary
adult caregiver is particularly important for child development and later school success. Children
use their primary caregivers as sources of security and support as they explore and learn. Children
with secure attachments seek comfort and communicate about their feelings with their caregivers.
As children age, they should also seek the support of these adults when resolving conflicts with
others and learning how to socialize with others.
Relationships and interactions with familiar adults. Most young children comfortably interact
with familiar adults during learning, play, and difficult situations. Preschoolers learn to ask
questions, communicate about their experiences and feelings, and follow instructions. In infancy
and toddlerhood, most children are comfortable with engaging in activities initiated by adults.
As children age, they should take increasing initiative in interacting with familiar adults through
conversation, suggesting a shared activity, or asking for the adult’s assistance in various situations.

Relationships and interactions with peers. Very young children interact with their peers at first
through acknowledgment and parallel play. Older children engage in shared activities, cooperation,
pretend play, and conflict resolution with peers. How children navigate these interactions is an
important aspect of developing meaningful relationships with their peers. Preschoolers who have
engaged in healthy peer interactions begin to develop reciprocal friendships, which provide further
opportunities for the development of social skills and self-confidence.
Social and emotional competence

Children’s social and emotional competence includes children’s understanding of their own
emotions and the emotions of others as well as their sense of self and their understanding of how to
interact with adults and other children.
Emotional understanding. From an early age, children learn to recognize and express a range
of emotions across contexts. Infants attend to the emotions of others with interest and express
basic emotions, including comfort, enjoyment, and fear. As children grow, they express a wider
range of emotions, including pride, embarrassment, and shame. By preschool, children who have
been appropriately supported are able to use words to describe some of these emotions, such as
happiness, sadness, or anger. During this time children also develop the ability to identify and label
the emotions of others in interactions, books, or stories. Understanding the emotions of others
is central to the development of empathy in the toddler and preschool years. Empathy refers to
children’s ability to identify the emotions of their peers and react appropriately. For example, a
child might offer a favorite toy to a classmate who has fallen and scraped her knee.
Social understanding and competence. Interactions with adults and peers help children
begin to understand people’s emotions and how to interact positively with them. This basic
skill helps infants and toddlers coordinate their behaviors and interests with familiar adults and
other children. As children mature, they participate in sustained activities with others, such as
working together on a project, sharing a story or conversation, or engaging in complex pretend
play. Children also acquire skills in resolving conflict, including turn-taking, negotiation, and
compromise, usually with support from adults.
Sense of self. The research literature supports a strong sense of self as foundational to children’s
ability to develop meaningful relationships with others. This includes children’s physical self-
awareness, such as the ability to describe their own physical characteristics and behaviors, as well
as children’s social awareness of their identity in relationship to others. Early in toddlerhood, with
adult guidance, children are able to recognize that they are unique individuals who have abilities,
characteristics, emotions, and interests. By preschool, children who have been appropriately
supported are able to express their own ideas or beliefs in interactions with others and will use
positive words to describe themselves, such as “fast runner,” “smart,” or “kind.” They are beginning
to express confidence in their own abilities, often demanding independence during increasingly
complex tasks, and when appropriately supported, they face challenges with a growth mindset. In
other words, children should recognize that each new task presents an opportunity to learn about
their world and understand that their effort to master their environment, not any specific goal,
per se, is most important. DLLs should be supported to recognize their ability to speak multiple
languages as a strength and an integral part of their identities. Preschoolers become able to identify
some similarities and differences between themselves and others and begin to identify themselves
as belonging to different groups, such as a family, community, culture, faith, or school.

Self-regulation
The research literature identifies two key areas of self-regulation: behavioral regulation and
emotional regulation. In infancy, children rely on consistent, responsive relationships to help
them regulate their emotions and behaviors. Children who are adequately supported early on will
gradually learn to regulate their emotions and behavior independently. When children are able
to manage their own emotions and behavior, they are better equipped to engage successfully in
learning activities, and their development in all other areas is bolstered.13
Behavioral regulation. In infancy and toddlerhood, with coaching, children gradually develop
an ability to maintain engagement in interactions with familiar adults and children, focus their
attention on a simple task or activity for short periods of time, and persist in learning new skills or
solving problems. During preschool, children develop the ability to adjust to changes in routines,
show flexibility and persistence in problem-solving by trying more than one approach, and develop
an awareness of and ability to follow rules most of the time. By the end of preschool, children
demonstrate the ability to manage their actions and words, such as waiting their turn to play with a
desirable toy or using an inside voice during story time.
Emotional regulation. Starting in infancy, through positive relationships with primary caregivers
and familiar adults, young children develop the ability to cope with their emotions. Crying infants
are calmed or quieted by physical contact with familiar adults, such as holding or rocking. Young
children learn that they can rely on familiar adults for assistance when their emotions become
strong and overwhelming. As children age, they learn to self-comfort during periods of mild distress
and seek out comfort and reassurance from adults only when emotions are particularly intense,
prolonged, or new. By the time they enter preschool, most young children demonstrate the ability
to cope with strong emotions, such as anger, and express emotions in ways that are appropriate
to the situation and cultural context. Older children begin to understand that their emotions and
behaviors can affect others and have consequences—such as learning that taking another child’s toy
makes that child upset. With proper support, older children also demonstrate the ability to persist
in the face of challenges despite the negative emotions, such as frustration or disappointment, that
often accompany not being able to complete a task on the first attempt.
Cognitive Development
By nature, children are ready and willing
to explore and experiment with the By nature, children are ready and
world around them. Their ability to
willing to explore and experiment with
interact and communicate with adults
and other children facilitates their the world around them. Their ability to
ability to learn from these experiences. interact and communicate with adults
Early cognitive skills include executive
and other children facilitates their
function—including children’s ability to
hold and manipulate information in their ability to learn from these experiences.
mind, sustain their attention on a task,
shift their attention when appropriate,
and control their impulses—and imitation
and symbolic play.

Cognitive development is tightly intertwined with all other areas of children’s development.
Impulse control, for example, is critically important to collaboration and developing relationships
with peers; imitation plays a central role in language learning; and developing math and literacy
skills requires attention and working memory.
Executive function
Executive function skills act as the brain’s air traffic control system, allowing children to remember
instructions, focus attention, plan, and juggle multiple tasks successfully to set and achieve goals.14
The executive function skill set includes working memory, which is children’s ability to hold and
manipulate information over short periods in their mind; inhibitory control, which is children’s
ability to control their impulses and set priorities; and cognitive flexibility, which is children’s
ability to sustain or shift their attention in response to different demands.
Working memory. Before they are able to articulate their memories verbally, infants and toddlers
demonstrate their memory skills through their behavior. Very young children quickly develop
the ability to notice when something changes after it has been out of view momentarily. Young
children’s capacity to remember one change develops into the ability to notice and remember
multiple changes. During preschool, children who have been supported in their memory
development begin to develop the ability to hold and manipulate more information in their minds
over short periods of time to complete tasks. Preschoolers are able to hold a list of directions in
their minds and follow them, with limited assistance from adults. For example, preschoolers should
be able to successfully put puzzle pieces back in their box, put the box away, and line up to go to
the playground after being asked by an adult. As another example, if they are handed three or more
objects, with the proper support they can count them and hold in mind for a short period of time
the number of objects they counted.
Inhibitory control. In infancy and toddlerhood children often have trouble filtering out
distractions and accepting delays of desired outcomes—such as an infant who becomes distressed
when he sees his bottle is being warmed up. During preschool most children develop the ability
to filter and control impulses and distractions and pause before they act. This capacity makes it
possible to switch tasks with support from adults and resist temptations, such as waiting their turn
during a game. Preschoolers are also usually able to refrain from responding impulsively across
circumstances, such as waiting to be called on during story time or asking an adult for permission to
use materials rather than grabbing them.
Cognitive flexibility. Children’s ability to switch gears and adjust to changing demands or
perspectives enables them to try more than one strategy when they encounter a challenging
task and to adjust to changes in their environments and routines. This ability is essential to
successfully maneuvering between different settings—including traditional school and other early
learning contexts.
In infancy, children begin developing the ability to focus on a simple task, such as reaching
for a specific toy before learning to crawl, and learning new routines, such as feeding themselves.
Toddlers are able to maintain their interest and engagement in short activities or conversations
with adults and other children and demonstrate flexibility by adjusting to changes in their routines
when prepared for the change before it occurs. By preschool, children are beginning to develop
and demonstrate their flexibility by trying more than one approach to overcome a challenge. For

example, when preschoolers find a desired toy is out of reach, they may pull a stool over to extend
their reach and then ask an adult for help if their first attempt fails. This flexibility of thinking and
behavior is critical to mastering mathematical and scientific reasoning, learning exceptions to rules
of grammar, and trying different strategies to resolve conflicts with peers.15
Cognitive Development in Dual Language Learners

Importantly, DLLs maintain a greater capacity to recognize the sounds of the multiple languages
that they hear. This capacity is associated with differential brain functioning, such as selective
attention to environmental stimuli that is associated with enhanced cognitive and inhibitory
control. Research also suggests that young DLLs, due to bilingual exposure, demonstrate higher
performance in executive function tasks. This is likely related to their cognitive flexibility, brought
about as a result of learning more than one way to represent objects and thoughts and switching
languages to interact with different people.
Imitation and symbolic play

Infants and toddlers demonstrate early cognitive skills by observing and imitating sounds and words,
as well as the gestures and actions of familiar adults and peers. As children develop, they learn to
imitate adults by watching their steps and then repeating them in play. They may imitate adult
conversations. They move from simple imitation to symbolic, or pretend, play by using everyday
objects to represent something else and by involving adults and other children in their play, which
grows increasingly complex over time. By the end of preschool, children’s symbolic play may involve
assigning roles—for example, a child might give the following directions to set up a play scenario
with her peers: “I’ll be the mommy, Jamal is the baby, and Doctor Sarah will give the baby a checkup.”
Language and Literacy Development

The ability to communicate effectively is a fundamental skill for all children. Communication
develops along a continuum and includes the use of gestures, facial expressions, and eventually
language to communicate needs, emotions, and thoughts. Early exposure to books and reading
allows young children to develop vocabulary and an understanding of how books work, from
grasping the concept that pictures and symbols carry meaning to developing an understanding
of sequence, relationships, and plots in stories. These early literacy skills lay the foundation for
children to become successful readers and writers as they enter school.16
Communication and language development

Children’s communication and language skills set the foundation for language and literacy
development throughout school and also have implications for their development of social-
emotional, mathematical, and scientific reasoning skills.
Communication. Infants and toddlers are developing their ability to make sense of language
and communicate both verbally and nonverbally. In infancy, children rely on gestures, facial
expressions, eye contact, and vocalizations to communicate. Even at this early age, children can
begin practicing the rules of communication, such as turn-taking in conversations. Young children

also begin to develop receptive language skills, or the ability to understand what is spoken to
them. By preschool, nonverbal communication is used in partnership with oral language to express
emotions, convey thoughts, and tell increasingly complex stories.
Language. As children move from infancy into toddlerhood, they begin to develop an age-
appropriate vocabulary. Toddlers expand their vocabularies quickly while learning to use language
to express their needs. By age 3, children typically initiate basic conversations and respond to the
feelings, thoughts, and ideas of others. They should also engage in basic inquiry by asking and
answering simple questions.
As children enter and move through the preschool years, their vocabularies grow exponentially
as they develop the ability to use language in a variety of ways. They learn to talk about the past
and future, follow directions, ask questions, and use increasingly complex sentences. Preschool-
age children begin to formulate guesses about the meaning of new words from the context of
a conversation or story. They also begin to categorize words or objects by identifying shared
characteristics among people, places, or things.
By the end of preschool, children’s pronunciation improves, and they are typically able to
communicate clearly enough to be understood by familiar and unfamiliar adults. Preschool-age
children should also begin to understand and use appropriate grammar and learn to match their
tone and volume to the situation, such as shouting when expressing surprise or using a whisper to
tell a secret.
Language Development in Dual Language Learners

Language and literacy skills can develop in any language, and research consistently shows that
supporting children’s home language development helps prepare them to learn English17 and
bolsters their development in other areas, including social-emotional development and literacy
skills.18 It is important to remember that progress in language is distributed across multiple
languages. For example, children who are learning two languages comprehend concepts associated
with words in the language in which they learned a particular concept; thus, it is normal for DLLs
to code-switch, or mix languages during complex linguistic tasks—such as when telling a story.
As a result, it is critical that both instruction and assessments of child progress take the child’s
differential language comprehension across languages into account. Language and literacy can be
developed in any language, and ample research has established that supporting young children’s
home language not only promotes their ability to learn English but is also associated with enhanced
cognitive flexibility.
Literacy development
Throughout early childhood, young children acquire knowledge and skills that lay the foundation
for reading and writing. As adults read to, sing to, talk to, and engage in reciprocal conversations
with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, they are supporting the development of literacy skills.
Phonological awareness. At an early age, children begin to understand that speech sounds
convey meaning. Older children are beginning to grasp how language is structured and to develop
an understanding that language is composed of simple and more complex sounds. They notice

patterns in those sounds—such as recognizing that mommy, milk, and mine all begin with the /m/
sound. With guidance from supportive adults, they begin to understand and enjoy rhymes and other
manipulations of the language sounds.
Print concept. Through infancy and toddlerhood, children who are read to develop an understanding
of familiar books by associating the pictures with the story adults read to them. They may ask adults
to read favorite books again and again. Toddlers who are exposed to books begin to understand
simple concepts about written material—such as how to hold a book and turn the pages. Some young
children may pretend to read. By age 3, children should be able to ask and answer questions about
familiar books and can usually identify the feelings of characters in the story. Young children begin
to understand that letters are associated with unique sounds. For example, young children may point
to and label some letters or characters in their own names and will learn the names of most letters
and their associated sounds. By the end of preschool, children understand that print carries specific
meaning and begin to develop an understanding that print is organized differently for different
purposes, such as in books, on signs, or as part of lists. They may recognize familiar street signs—
such as knowing that a stop sign tells drivers to stop and look before driving on. Through proper
instruction, older children begin to understand that words are groupings of individual letters.
Reading and comprehension. With appropriate exposure, children begin to understand how books
are read at a young age. They can learn that books have a title and an author and that the process
for reading books follows a consistent pattern. For example, an English-speaking child would learn
that books are read from left to right, top to bottom. During preschool, children may begin to
recognize simple words or symbols while reading familiar books. Most older preschoolers are able
to answer questions about stories with increasingly specific information that may require making
predictions or inferring feelings or intentions of characters in a book.
Writing. With support and opportunities to practice, children also begin to develop their writing
skills—which are highly related to fine motor skills—at an early age. Toddlers learn to make marks
on paper and talk with others about what the marks represent to them. By the end of preschool,
children become interested in copying simple words or symbols and can be taught to write their own
first names. Preschoolers also learn to use drawing for a variety of purposes, including to tell a story.
Mathematical and
Scientific Reasoning As children develop their
Children’s mastery of early mathematical language skills, they begin to
and scientific reasoning has been linked by appreciate the ways in which
researchers to later school success.19 As children
numbers and their senses help
develop their language skills, they begin to
appreciate the ways in which numbers and them describe, represent, and
their senses help them describe, represent, and understand their world.
understand their world.
Mathematical reasoning
Young children begin to develop mathematical reasoning skills in infancy and can eventually
develop number sense, the ability to engage in algebraic and geometric thinking, and an
understanding of spatial awareness and measurement.

Number sense. Children’s development of number sense—an understanding of numbers,
operations, and their symbolic representations—begins in infancy. In infancy, children quickly
develop a basic sense of quantity and have the ability to recognize quantity by detecting
differences in small sets of objects without counting. As toddlers acquire and use language,
they begin using relational words or gestures to request changes in quantity—such as “more” or
“done.” As young children develop, they can learn to count objects, say numbers in correct order,
and eventually develop an understanding of cardinality—that the last number in a counting
sequence represents the total number of objects in a set. As children develop a more sophisticated
understanding of quantity, they begin to recognize that each successive number in a counting
sequence refers to a larger quantity than the previous number. They can also begin to develop a
basic understanding of operations, including that addition increases a quantity and subtraction
decreases a quantity. With assistance, children should learn to count from a number other than
1 to perform addition, and practice taking away fingers or objects to represent subtraction. By the
end of preschool, children should understand that written numerals symbolize number quantities
and can recognize and write some numerals.
Algebraic thinking. In the preschool years, children develop a growing understanding of the
relative sizes of shapes, objects, and quantities and learn how to categorize objects based on
these qualities. Children also develop the ability to recognize patterns and regularities in the
environment. By the end of preschool, young children are typically able to duplicate simple
patterns, identify missing elements in simple patterns, and extend patterns by adding on to
existing patterns in correct sequence.
Geometric thinking and spatial awareness. Young children develop geometric thinking skills
as they learn about and understand shapes and positions of objects in space. In infancy and
toddlerhood, this development is demonstrated by children as they explore objects in space,
expanding their awareness of how objects fit together, such as stacking cups, or move through
space, such as a toy car pushed across the floor. From their earliest years, children must learn
about near and far, up and down, under and over, and other spatial relationships in order to
successfully navigate their environments. By the end of preschool, children can name basic
shapes and compare and contrast different shapes in terms of number of sides or relative size.
Preschoolers can describe the placement of objects in space. Older children are typically able
to create shapes from their components—such as putting two triangles together to create a
rectangle. As children gain more experience moving and interacting in a variety of environments
and their gross and fine motor skills improve, they can learn to throw balls through hoops and
position blocks to create structures such as buildings or towers.
Measurement. In the preschool years, children begin to develop an understanding of

measurement. They learn to identify measurable attributes, including quantity; compare groups
of objects; and identify whether one group is more than, less than, or the same as another. By
the end of preschool, children are typically able to use comparative language to describe their
worlds and the objects and people in them, such as smallest, taller, or heavier. Children may use
nonstandard measurements. For example, they may measure their own height by saying they are
taller than the kitchen table.

Scientific reasoning
Scientific reasoning refers to young children’s emerging exploration and discovery skills that
develop into intentional scientific inquiry skills as they master their worlds.
Exploration and discovery. Children are naturally curious and, starting in infancy, can express
increasing curiosity and creativity as they make sense of their worlds. Young children will explore
the people and objects in their environment to learn more about themselves and how objects and
people relate to each other. Even in infancy, young children notice the stability of their environment
and will react to changes. For example, infants notice when their caregivers change, and a toddler
may look for a peer who is out sick by checking under the table or behind the door. Children
use the information they learn about their environments to make simple predictions—such as
whether an object will sink or float. By the end of preschool, as children become familiar with
their environments and specific phenomena, they begin to draw on their knowledge and previous
experiences to hypothesize about the cause of a phenomenon or make predictions about what will
happen next.
Scientific inquiry. As children engage in scientific inquiry, they acquire knowledge about the
world and hone their reasoning and problem-solving skills. Infants and toddlers usually approach
new experiences and materials with interest and curiosity. For example, an infant or toddler might
examine the shape, smell, and taste of a block before throwing it across the room and laughing at
the sound it makes. As children age, they learn to ask questions about what things are and how
they are used. In preschool, scientific inquiry involves children answering questions by using their
senses to make observations, gathering data, and talking with adults and peers about what they
observe. Preschoolers can also typically learn to use scientific language to describe their activities
and observations. For example, they can learn to use words such as measure, predict, experiment,
or reaction.
By the end of preschool, young children who have been given the opportunity to observe and
investigate their environments can learn to categorize objects, events, or phenomena based on
their observations—such as by color, odor, taste, texture, and size—and to quantify and compare
similarities and differences across their observations. For example, children may observe that
bananas and lemons are both yellow, but one tastes sweet and the other is sour. By the end of
preschool, most young children can learn to analyze and summarize their observations and draw
conclusions about the world based on their investigations.
Physical Development
Physical development refers to a range of skills,
most commonly focused on motor development. Physical development has the
Motor skills support children in fully exploring potential to impact children’s
their environment and interacting with people
and things. Physical activity and development in
development in every other area.
the early years predict whether children will be
obese or overweight, which is linked to overall
health, cognitive development, social-emotional
learning, and peer relationships.20 As a result, physical development has the potential to impact
their development in every other area.

Gross motor skills
Children’s developing ability to move large muscles is referred to as their gross motor skills. In
infancy, children learn to use their large muscles to move—beginning perhaps with reaching
for an appealing toy and progressing to rolling over and then crawling. As infants and toddlers
develop, they use increasing control of their bodies to explore and gain a greater awareness of their
environment, including reaching, grasping, scooting, crawling, cruising, and, eventually, walking,
running, and jumping.
Preschoolers are expected to display greater control, strength, and coordination of their large
muscles. Typically, they can adjust their speed or direction while walking or running to match their
environment and can change directions while moving without difficulty. By the end of preschool,
most children are able to experiment with different ways of moving their bodies and should
demonstrate balance and coordination in large muscle movements, including by swinging on a
swing, climbing a ladder, pedaling a tricycle, or dancing to music.
Finally, in the preschool years, children typically develop a sense of body awareness. They are
able to consider how their own bodies relate to other objects in space and should be able to move
their bodies purposefully to be in front of, beside, or behind other people or objects. They may
demonstrate these skills in play by engaging in games such as tag or by positioning themselves
to kick or catch a ball. Research suggests that physical activity in which children practice
and demonstrate these skills may promote executive functions, which can affect children’s
academic performance.21
Fine motor skills

Children’s ability to move their small muscles to perform intricate tasks is referred to as their fine
motor skills. Infants and toddlers develop the ability to coordinate basic hand and eye movements
by using their hands and adjusting their reach and grasp to involve objects or toys in their play. In
toddlerhood, children typically develop the ability to use a pincer grasp with thumb and fingers to
manipulate small objects, and this skill becomes more refined and controlled as children age.
As preschoolers, children begin to demonstrate greater stability, control, and hand-eye coordination
as they interact with objects, including by stacking blocks or tracing a shape or image. By the end
of preschool, children are typically able to coordinate their hand and eye movements to complete
complex tasks, such as connecting dots in a line, using scissors to cut out shapes, painting a picture,
or buttoning a shirt. Children may also be able to copy an image without tracing. These skills,
which require integrating perceptual and motor information, have been found to predict children’s
mathematics development.

Foundational Conditions for Educators
In order for early learning programs to prepare children for academic success, early educators need
to be prepared and supported to excel in the complex work of providing high-quality early learning
experiences. To be effective, research suggests that educators need a foundation of five supportive
conditions. These conditions are critical to educators’ ability to engage in nurturing, responsive,
and intentional interactions with children and provide the individualized support necessary for all
children to learn. These conditions are:
1. Facilitative leadership
2. Competitive compensation and benefits
3. Job-embedded professional development
4. Paid planning and collaboration time
5. Emotionally supportive environment
Unfortunately, many of these foundational conditions are not yet in place for most early educators.
Facilitative leaders put into place processes, policies, and practices that build and nurture a positive,
supportive environment and community for and among staff members.22 In order for early educators
to be effective, they also need competitive compensation and benefits. At present, compensation for
almost all early education staff is extremely low. In California, more than half of early educators rely
on public assistance to support their own families.23 Poor compensation and the concomitant stress
and mental health problems associated
with insufficient income undermine
educators’ effectiveness.24 With relatively
Facilitative leaders put into place
low standards for preparation and lack processes, policies, and practices that
of investment in professional learning, build and nurture a positive, supportive
including little or no paid professional
learning, planning, and collaboration environment and community for and
time, the odds are stacked against early among staff members.
educators achieving the competencies
outlined below.
Until working conditions improve, many of the described competencies will remain aspirational.
Supportive administration and policies at the federal, state, local, and program levels that allocate
resources to empower early educators are critical to providing high-quality learning experiences
for all children.25 Local leaders, including program directors, principals, and county administrators
overseeing early learning programs, can enact policies and implement procedures to ensure that the
foundational conditions for early educators listed above are in place.

Essential Educator Competencies
Throughout this framework, we define essential educator competencies as those competencies that
researchers and practitioners have identified as critical to providing experiences that promote
the development of the essential child skills through intentional learning activities and play. The
competencies included in this framework stem from an analysis of the research and guidance that
outline essential skills for educators of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers (see Appendix A). We
identified five key competency areas, which were common across the documents we reviewed:
1. Developmentally appropriate practice and environments

2. Observation and assessment of development and learning
3. Individualized supports and inclusion-based practices
4. Family support and partnership
5. Continuous improvement and professionalism
Although this framework includes five discrete areas of early educator competencies that are each
critical to supporting the development of children’s essential skills, it is important to understand
that these competencies are interrelated. Educators must consistently cultivate their knowledge
of developmentally appropriate practice, family and cultural contexts, and effective assessment in
order to effectively support and individualize learning for every child.
The competencies described in this framework are applicable to educators who care for children
across the spectrum of early childhood settings. Where relevant, we provide examples of how the
instantiation of a competency may look different depending upon the age and developmental stage
of the children. Additionally, these competencies do not represent the full scope of requirements
for early educators, such as licensing or certification requirements. Rather, the competencies
described here are those we have identified as closely tied to the early learning and development of
young children.
Developmentally Appropriate Practice and Environments

Developmentally appropriate practice and environments encompass the way in which educators
establish positive relationships with and offer effective learning opportunities to all children.
Effective early educators are able to
design developmentally appropriate, safe,
and engaging learning environments; Effective early educators are able to
embed learning into everyday routines;
and implement a balance of child-
design developmentally appropriate,
initiated and teacher-guided playful safe, and engaging learning
activities. These educators must be able environments; embed learning into
to consistently attend to the needs of
the children in their care and employ everyday routines; and implement a
their knowledge of child development balance of child-initiated and teacher-
and pedagogy to create and manage an
guided playful activities.
early learning space that supports and
appropriately challenges every child.

The foundation of developmentally appropriate practice is an educator’s understanding of
child development and ability to construct effective early learning activities that support
each child’s acquisition of the essential skills. Developmentally appropriate practice is also
culturally and linguistically responsive. Effective practice is grounded in the science of
learning and development and in what is known about effective early education.26 Research
has confirmed that nurturing relationships with caring adults support children’s learning and
development across all areas of essential child skills and that exploration and engagement
through play-based experiences maximize young children’s learning.27 Furthermore, effective
educators understand that children’s behavior should be considered in the cultural context
in which a child develops based upon knowledge of family routines and practices,28 and that
the physical space and the design of the early learning setting impact children’s learning and
behavior. Because most early educators will encounter young children who have experienced
chronic stress and trauma, it is imperative that early childhood settings be safe, trauma-
sensitive spaces in which educators support children to develop a sense of trust, safety, and
positive self-identity.29
Know and use developmentally appropriate practices to support children’s learning across
child skills
Educators need to understand the full scope and sequence of development and learning across
early childhood, and to have the practical, pedagogical skills to be able to promote children’s
social-emotional, cognitive, language and literacy, mathematical and scientific reasoning,
and physical development. Effective educators are able to use their understanding of child
development and learning to appropriately guide and scaffold progress for all children,
including those whose progress falls outside typical developmental trajectories.
Each moment that children are engaging with their environment and the people within that
environment is an opportunity to expand and elaborate on their curiosity to support the
acquisition of these skills. As such, early educators must learn how to harness the value of play
and be intentional in their efforts to actively guide children’s learning. Effective early educators
are able to understand where each child is on his or her individual learning trajectory and apply
that knowledge to intentionally scaffold experiences that facilitate that child’s progress. To do
this, effective educators encourage playful exploration, experimentation, and conversation in
the context of positive relationships. These educators use their knowledge of child development
to set purposeful learning goals and provide intentional play-based activities that offer the
right amount of practice and challenge for each child to guide and scaffold his or her learning
to reach those goals.30 Educators who have mastered intentional, developmentally appropriate
practice also demonstrate the flexibility to leverage effective teaching strategies to respond to
environments and learning opportunities that emerge from children’s spontaneous interests
and play.

Playful, Integrated Learning in Action
Developmentally appropriate practice is easiest to understand when viewed through the lens of the
early learning setting. Effective educators can turn children’s interest in and curiosity about their
own environments into engaging, playful opportunities to scaffold skill development across multiple
areas. For example, the teachers in the vignette below leveraged children’s interest in snails to offer
myriad learning activities for their students.
After observing the children’s interest in snails outside, the teachers brought in snails
for the children to examine on trays in the science area. Many children went over to see
them. Some simply watched, while others held a snail. Whether watching or holding a
snail, each child bubbled with curiosity.
Observing the children’s curiosity, the teachers decided that the snails might serve as
a common interest for children to explore over time, with many possibilities for learning
language, math, science, social skills, art, and literacy. Exploring snails offered potential for
tapping into many of the children’s emerging skills and concepts with increasing complexity
over time. The teachers thought of the snails as a ready science investigation. The children
would come to know one of the creatures that live in their play yard. The teachers also
envisioned possibilities for children’s social learning while exploring the snails.
Most of the three-year-olds were new to the program and were adjusting to the many
new and different faces, languages, and expectations for behavior. The teachers thought
that exploring snails would offer experiences supportive of children’s progress in various
developmental areas. There would be possibilities for discussing how to treat living
creatures in respectful ways, conversations with the children about how to care for snails
and being gentle with creatures and also with each other. Caring for the snails might spark
much discussion in small groups, a perfect context for children to build new vocabulary and
language skills, notice cause-and-effect connections, solve problems, engage in counting
and comparing, draw shapes, and use print to capture ideas. The teachers also wondered
about how children might weave pretend play and stories into their exploration of snails.31
The teachers in this classroom planned their investigation into snails with intentionality. They took
advantage of opportunities to develop coherent learning activities that would support scientific
inquiry and observation skills, literacy and mathematics development, fine motor development, and
social and emotional learning.
Understand and guide children’s social-emotional development. Educators need to understand

the full progression of and specific strategies to support children’s social-emotional skill
development, including that trusting relationships build the foundation of all early learning.32
Educators must also understand the relationship of social-emotional development to other areas.
For instance, effective educators understand that children’s ability to manage their emotions
influences their learning because negative emotions can reduce the capacity of the brain to process
and retain information. Effective educators are able to develop trusting, nurturing relationships with
each and every child.33 They also support the development of positive behavioral and emotional self-
regulatory skills to ensure all children are ready and able to engage in the learning environment.
For example, effective educators help children identify their own emotions by acknowledging when

children feel sad, frustrated, or excited and offer strategies for children to cope with their feelings,
establish equilibrium, and return to engaging with the learning environment.34
Understand and guide children’s cognitive development. Educators need knowledge of the full
progression of cognitive development and specific strategies to promote it, as well as its relationship
to development in other areas. For instance, inhibitory control is crucial to supporting positive peer
interactions. Effective educators are able to use this knowledge to support and scaffold children’s
cognitive development, including their memory, imitation and symbolic play, and executive functioning
skills. They provide rich learning opportunities that build on children’s natural interest in and curiosity
about the world around them.35 For example, an effective educator might notice children’s interest in
space and model symbolic play by using a box as a helmet, asking the children what they think he or
she might see on Mars and encouraging them to build a spaceship from toys in the room.
Understand and guide children’s language and literacy development. Educators need
knowledge of the full progression of language and literacy development in both monolingual and
multilingual young children and specific strategies to promote it. Educators also need to understand
how language and literacy development relates to and can be affected by child development in
other areas. For example, languages are symbolic systems, and symbolic thinking is foundational for
mathematical reasoning.36
Effective educators are able to use their developmental and pedagogical knowledge to support and
scaffold children’s development, including their communication, language, phonological awareness,
print concept, reading and comprehension, and writing skills. For example, effective educators
provide a language-rich learning setting by reading, singing, and telling stories to children. They
understand that from infancy, children are building communication skills and absorbing language
from every interaction. They take turns in conversations with children, and they model critical
listening skills by responding to and expanding upon children’s gestures, verbalizations, and ideas
to scaffold developmental progress.37
Conversations With Young Children

Effective educators understand that conversations with young children are a critical vehicle for
learning. These educators talk with babies and toddlers throughout the day before they are able to
communicate verbally. For example, they may ask an infant a question during a diaper change, such
as “Doesn’t that feel better, to be dry and clean?” and pause to allow the child to respond with a
coo or gesture before continuing the conversation with “I think it does.”
When educators read with young children, it is critical that they know how to engage children in the
content of the book and activate their imaginations. For example, an educator reading a book about
a farm might ask the children, “What do you see in this picture?” If the children say that they see a
cow, an effective educator will follow up and ask the children what color the cow is, what sound a
cow makes, whether they have ever seen a cow in real life, or whether they know what cows make
that children drink. If a child says that he or she sees a spaceship, an effective educator does not
dismiss the observation. Instead, the educator asks questions about the spaceship and asks the
children about who is in the spaceship and what a spaceship would be doing on a farm. An effective
educator would applaud the child’s creativity but would also ask follow-up questions about what
happens on a farm and who works there, as well as where astronauts work and where spaceships
travel, to support the child’s understanding of farms as well as spaceships.

Understand and guide children’s mathematical and scientific reasoning. Educators need
knowledge of the full progression of children’s emerging mathematical and scientific reasoning
skills and specific strategies to promote them, as well as their relationship to development in
other areas. Effective educators are able to use this developmental and pedagogical knowledge
to support and scaffold children’s reasoning skills specific to mathematical and scientific
concepts, including number sense, algebraic thinking, geometric thinking, spatial relationships,
measurement, exploration and discovery, and scientific inquiry. For example, effective educators
provide opportunities for children to play and experiment with objects of different sizes or compare
the number of leaves or lengths of branches gathered from outside, either independently or with
guidance and support from adults.38
Embedding Learning Into Everyday Routines

Effective educators take every opportunity to support children as they develop essential skills.
For example, the teacher in the vignette below recognizes an opportunity to practice one-to-one
correspondence and purposeful counting during a basic routine of setting the table for lunchtime.
The teacher gives the child the opportunity to demonstrate her skills and then provides appropriate
guidance to scaffold her learning.
Mr. Raj asks, “Do we have one cup next to every plate?” Amy checks and says, “No, this
one does not have one, this one does not have one, and this one and this one. We need
more.” Mr. Raj asks, “How many more do we need?” “Four … uh … no, maybe six. Let me
count, one, two, three, four, five, six.” Mr. Raj notices that she counted one of the plates
twice and says to Amy, “Let’s count again, slowly.” He points to the plates that have no
cups next to them and counts them one at a time with Amy. “One, two, three, four, five.”
Amy repeats, “Five.” “Yes. We need five more cups,” Mr. Raj answered. Mr. Raj helps
Amy get five more cups and asks Amy, “Can you make sure we have one cup next to
every plate?”39
Mr. Raj has just taught Amy about one-to-one correspondence—a critical skill in the development of
mathematical reasoning—and confirmed and reinforced her ability to count carefully. By coaching
her how to complete the task of table setting without ever correcting her directly or telling her she
was wrong, Mr. Raj also reinforced her competence and confidence in a way that is likely to carry
over into other tasks.
Understand and guide children’s physical development. Educators need knowledge of

the full progression of physical and motor skills and specific strategies to promote them. Educators
also need to understand how physical development is related to other areas of development, such
as the connection between motor development and cognitive or social-emotional development.
Effective educators are able to use this knowledge to promote and scaffold children’s physical
development, including gross motor and fine motor skills. For example, effective educators provide
ample opportunities for children to practice their gross motor and fine motor skills by ensuring
children have access to open spaces and a variety of play materials, including tricycles and large
play structures, blocks, and beads, as determined by the age of the children in their care.40

Effectively construct and manage physically and emotionally supportive learning environments
and activities
Educators should understand the impact of the environment on the development, learning, and
behavior of children. Effective educators are able to design and manage indoor and outdoor
environments to match the age and cultural and individual needs of children. Specifically, effective
educators ensure that the learning setting is developmentally appropriate and supports effective
group participation. These educators implement age-appropriate and predictable schedules and
routines; provide smooth and efficient transitions; model and coach children about the rationale for
expected behavior; and reinforce constructive behavior.41
Effective educators also promote positive interactions by strategically designing learning centers
and rotating materials to support cooperation, exploration, and playful learning. Finally, these
educators design spaces to support children in understanding expectations and how to meet them.
For example, effective educators construct their learning spaces to avoid runways, where children
can run indoors without encountering a physical barrier, and ensure options for children who are
interested in independent play or quiet time. These educators also understand that young children
respond best to transitions when they are given multiple transition warnings and are prepared for
the next activity.42
Observation and Assessment of Development and Learning

Observation and assessment of
development and learning concern an Strong foundational knowledge of child
early educator’s ability to use observation
development, culturally responsive
and assessment to identify typical and
atypical development, including using practice, and trauma-informed practice
informal observations of child behavior, is critical for educators to be able
milestones, and learning progressions
to support individualized instruction.
to appropriately select, administer,
Strong foundational knowledge of child interpret, and use observation and
development, culturally responsive assessment data.
practice, and trauma-informed practice
is critical for educators to be able to
appropriately select, administer, interpret,
and use observation and assessment data. As such, educators need to be able to both reflect on this
information in the context of the child’s cultural and linguistic background and communicate their
findings, concerns, and plans with families in ways that are productive, sensitive, and confidential.
To provide effective learning opportunities, educators need space and time to conduct regular
observations and assessments of development and learning of the children in their care. They
must also be equipped to use the information they gather to make adjustments in their practice,
individualize instruction, and identify the educational resources children and their families need.

Conduct regular observations and assessments and use results to individualize learning for
all children
Effective educators are able to identify, select, and use observation techniques and assessments
to understand the learning progression and trajectory of each child. Effective educators practice
regular, formative assessments as well as continuous documentation and reflection for all children
to ensure a full view of children’s strengths and needs. For infants and toddlers, these educators
assess primarily through observation. Effective educators are able to use information gleaned
about each child’s personal strengths, abilities, disposition, interests, and language experiences
from observation of children’s play and assessment to set goals and provide learning activities
that are intentionally designed to scaffold the developmental progress of children in their care.
For example, an educator might provide additional intentional play-based opportunities for fine
motor development by introducing new materials that will engage their fine motor skills to address
assessments that suggest one or more children in their care is struggling in this area. They use their
knowledge of typical development and standards to identify children who are lagging and may need
additional support.
Individualized Learning in Small-Group Activities

Early educators spend much of their time engaging with young children, and effective educators
are able to actively observe children’s development through the day, week, and year during play
and other activities. Educators need supports that give them the time and space to document their
observations and plan how to use the information to individualize learning activities. Under the right
conditions, an effective educator may observe that several children in his or her care are struggling
with their fine motor development and, in response, plan to provide additional opportunities for all
children to practice their fine motor skills. For example, the educator might create a beading center
or provide a beading activity with beads of various shapes and sizes. This educator will take special
note of whether the children who need additional fine motor practice are utilizing the center or
participating in the activity and will use multiple strategies to engage children who are not, including
providing one-on-one attention to each child to scaffold the beading task.
Utilize observation and assessment techniques sensitive to children’s linguistic and

family context
In order to appropriately observe, assess, and interpret the behavior of children from non-
English-speaking homes, educators should use observational techniques that demonstrate their
understanding of dual language development and acknowledge the interactive nature of language
and skill acquisition in other areas for these children. For example, effective educators understand
that administering formative assessments to DLLs in both English and their home language is the
best way to ensure a full and accurate picture of their development and skill in most child skill
areas, not just language and literacy. In addition, it is essential that effective educators understand
the language learning trajectory of DLLs and use conversations with parents to acquire knowledge
about the cultural priorities of families.

Consider the impact of the home context and trauma on the observation and assessment of
development and learning
Educators should be equipped to recognize the impact of a child’s home context on his or her
development, particularly experiences of trauma and adverse childhood experiences.43 Effective
educators take these factors into consideration when selecting, administering, and interpreting
observations and assessments. For example, because trauma changes the architecture of a
developing child’s brain and physiology, children may have difficulty regulating their emotions and
coping with stressful situations. Effective early educators administer assessments in a low-stress
and naturalistic setting to ensure children who have experienced trauma, in particular, are able
to demonstrate their skills. Because trauma and toxic stress have physical consequences that
can inhibit learning,44 educators need to carefully observe children’s behavior, identify and avoid
triggers, critically analyze the meaning of a child’s behavior, and use their knowledge of the child’s
circumstances to inform individualization and behavior plans for children who have persistent
challenging behaviors.45
Individualized Supports and Inclusion-Based Practices

Individualized supports and inclusion-based practices capture the essential competencies necessary
for educators to tailor their approach, instructional practices and learning activities, and curricular
content to build upon each child’s strengths and needs.
Provide safe and inclusive learning environments and activities

Educators should be able to provide an
inclusive learning environment that Educators should be able to provide
ensures access and participation for every
an inclusive learning environment that
child.46 Effective educators provide a wide
range of activities and environments to ensures access and participation for
support access to learning activities for every child.
every child. These educators use a range
of instructional approaches to promote
engagement and a sense of belonging
to ensure participation. Educators should also be skilled in trauma-informed practice to ensure
children experience the early learning environment as a safe and supportive space. Furthermore,
effective educators should be able to recognize when external support or services would be
beneficial and know how to request or make referrals to available community services that will
ensure all children can be successful and thrive. They are also aware of the legal requirements and
policies that pertain to exceptional children and are able to share information with families and
community members.
Individualize learning experiences to meet children’s specific needs

Educators should use a universal design for learning (UDL)47 approach to design learning
experiences and prepare the learning environment to be flexible to meet the needs of all learners.
Effective educators are also able to apply developmental knowledge to engage children in
individualized learning experiences based on assessment data about where children are in their
skill development and learning progressions. For children with special assets, including DLLs

and children exceeding developmental expectations for their age, educators should also be able
to implement instructional strategies that are culturally or linguistically responsive and provide
opportunities for children to continue learning beyond the curricular parameters for their age.
Use best practices to support DLLs in all languages. Effective educators ground instructional
methods in dual-language development practices that are evidence-based and promote bilingualism
and biliteracy through a range of language and literacy strategies. They also capitalize on the
cognitive assets of children learning multiple languages, including increased cognitive flexibility.
These educators recognize that skill development may present differently in DLLs, but that this
difference does not typically represent a delay.
For example, the educators understand that a bilingual child may have a small vocabulary in both
languages when considered separately, but an age-appropriate vocabulary when both languages
are considered. Effective educators use pedagogical strategies and knowledge of children’s home
language to support second language development and to recognize the negative psychological
implications of home language loss for both children and parents.48 In the infant and toddler years,
effective educators focus on supporting children’s home language development in order to lay
the foundation for second language development in preschool and beyond. Although it is ideal for
educators to be able to fluently communicate in the child’s home language, effective educators
are able to support children in languages in which they are not fluent. For instance, an effective
educator may weave the child’s language throughout the learning environment with books, labels,
and materials in the child’s home language and can also learn essential words and phrases to use
with the child.
Use best practices to support full inclusion for children with special needs. Educators should
be able to employ best practices to support children with special needs so that, whenever possible,
they can engage in learning alongside their typically developing peers. Whether these needs are
articulated through an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), Individualized Education Plan
(IEP), or 504 plan, effective early educators are able to identify and make every effort to obtain the
resources that they need to provide specific learning or behavioral supports in collaboration with
other professionals and the child’s family. When educators identify that a child has special needs,
they must know how to collaborate with or refer parents to community services, if available, to
access the proper resources and accommodations and ensure learning opportunities are structured
in a way that will best serve that child.
Use best practices to support children who exceed developmental expectations for their
age. Effective educators are familiar with the developmental standards beyond the age level of
the children in their programs and are able to offer educational opportunities that allow the
children to continue beyond age-level expectations if they are ready. Educators should have
knowledge of child development extending from birth through and beyond age 5. Effective
educators are able to use this knowledge alongside assessment data to provide individualized
instruction and to support continued learning regardless of where children’s skills fall within a
developmental progression.
Use best practices to support the development of children who experience trauma and
adverse childhood experiences. Educators must understand the impact of trauma and adverse
childhood experiences in child development and be able to take this information into account
when designing the learning environment and curriculum. Effective early educators are aware of

the impact of chronic and unpredictable stress on developing brains and implement strategies
and design the learning environment to be trauma-informed and developmentally supportive
for all children. This includes providing consistent routines that mitigate stress, and building
nurturing, responsive relationships with children to ensure children feel safe and ready to learn.49
Each child reacts to trauma differently, but it is common, for instance, for children exposed to
trauma to display heightened aggression and impulsivity. Effective educators recognize that
children experiencing trauma need extra support to develop the skills they need to manage
strong emotions, such as sensory awareness, emotional understanding, and appropriate
coping strategies.50
Work as a team to provide individualized supports

Educators must be able to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team and the family to develop and
implement individualized supports and shared expectations for children. Effective educators know
and understand how evidence-based supports and services are best provided, and they ensure that
any practitioners coming into the learning setting understand the environment and how to work
together to foster the child’s learning and development.51
Family Support and Partnership

Family support and partnership capture educators’ ability to engage and partner with families
effectively, as well as the skills and knowledge educators need to be able to support culturally and
linguistically diverse families.
Families are the center of a child’s life before, during, and after their engagement with early
learning programs; therefore, effective educators must be able to communicate effectively with
families about children’s progress and needs and collaborate with them to ensure continuity
between the familial and early learning context. Early educators have a critical role to play in
ensuring families have the resources they need to support and extend their child’s learning at home,
from infancy into preschool and beyond.
Initiate and engage in regular and responsive communication with families

Effective early educators view families
as resources and partners in optimally Effective early educators view families
supporting each child’s learning and
as resources and partners in optimally
development. Educators should regularly
initiate and communicate with families supporting each child’s learning
in a way that is respectful and responsive and development.
to each family’s communication style
and needs. Effective educators maintain
confidentiality and resolve conflicts with
sensitivity, support, and timeliness. For example, effective educators are available to parents during
drop-off and pickup and schedule regular conversations with parents to learn from and share
observations of each child’s strengths and challenges to support learning.

Communicate with and prepare families when children face transitions. Educators should
regularly communicate practices and accommodations to meet specific needs of children with
special needs to their families. Effective educators are able to prepare parents and children for
transitions between classrooms or early learning settings and into elementary school. These
educators are equipped with the tools they need to support parents as they advocate for their
children’s needs and to educate parents on their rights under the law (e.g., the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and state law).
Collaborate with families to strengthen the home–school connection

Educators utilize effective strategies for collaborating with families to ensure consistency
between school and home. Consistency across the home and early learning environments
facilitates children’s ability to negotiate both contexts and extend learning opportunities. This is
particularly important for children whose home language and culture are different from the early
learning setting. Effective educators are able to connect families to resources in the community
(such as the local library) and share learning techniques that help parents embed learning into
their everyday interactions with their children. For infants and toddlers in particular, educators
learn from families about how children’s basic needs are met at home and partner with families
to establish routines and consistency across home and care settings for sleeping, feeding,
and toileting.
Support families who are coping with adverse experiences and trauma. Effective educators
listen to and understand sources of continuous trauma and are able to identify when children’s
home lives are unsafe. Educators should be able to build a sense of trust with children and connect
parents with resources to cope with adverse experiences and trauma and that will support children
remaining physically and emotionally safe.
Build culturally and linguistically responsive relationships with families. Educators should
be able to communicate with families in their home language (or have access to translation
resources or tools to do so). Effective educators know how to approach families with a strength-
based and culturally sensitive lens that respects and supports families’ cultural differences and
practices to build strong, supportive relationships. These educators understand and respect
the dynamic of each family and employ approaches to partner with families to meet children’s
needs within their cultural contexts. For instance, one effective practice to ensure cultural
relevance in the early learning setting, and strengthen the continuity between home and
school, is for educators to learn how to gather and use the funds of knowledge from families of
their fundamental cultural practices to embed culturally responsive activities into their daily
routines with children.52 Embedding these activities into their interactions with children honors
and respects the abundant knowledge that families can offer and educators can learn to use to
promote children’s development.53
Continuous Improvement and Professionalism

The competencies related to continuous improvement and professionalism recognize that
early educators are professionals and therefore should engage in best practices in professional
development to support the continuous refinement of their craft and encourage their elevation to
leadership positions in the field if desired.54

For early educators to excel, they
need the ability and opportunity to For early educators to excel, they
engage in reflection, develop and need the ability and opportunity
use professional development plans,
participate in professional learning,
to engage in reflection, develop
develop collaborative leadership skills, professional development plans,
and maintain professional and ethical participate in professional learning,
standards. Effective educators can improve
both their individual practice and the develop collaborative leadership
practice of the early childhood programs skills, and maintain professional and
in which they work by engaging in cycles
ethical standards.
of inquiry that promote professionalism
and continuous improvement.
Engage in reflection of beliefs, mindsets, and biases

Educators should have the knowledge and space to practice both ongoing self-reflection and
reflection with others (e.g., peers, coaches, mentors, or supervisors). This includes reflection of
their beliefs, mindsets, and biases about learning and development; relationships with children,
families, and colleagues they work with; and their own well-being to identify areas for improvement
and growth in order to effectively meet the needs of diverse children. Effective educators seek out
input and resources to improve their practice and support their acquisition and refinement of the
essential competencies.
Construct and use professional development plans to improve practice

In collaboration with their supervisors, educators should be able to develop professional
development plans and participate in professional learning activities, including job-embedded
and academic learning activities, aligned with their professional goals. Educators should be able to
access professional learning opportunities that are aligned with these plans, are evidence-based,55
and are relevant to their community’s context. Finally, effective educators understand the policies
and legislation at the local, state, and national levels that impact their work and their community,
and they are empowered to advocate for the well-being of the children and families they serve.
Develop collaborative leadership skills

Educators should engage in activities to develop their collaborative leadership practices, including
the establishment of relationships of mutual caring and respect. All educators are leaders, and
effective educators are equipped with the skills they need to work with and, as appropriate, manage
the other adults (e.g., other educators, including aides, and volunteers) in the learning setting.
Effective educators recognize their own strengths and the strengths of others and are able to
think strategically about how to capitalize on the assets of every adult to enhance the learning
experiences available to children.

Leading to Promote Learning
Every day, early educators interact with myriad adults within and around the early learning setting.
Effective educators recognize the funds of knowledge these adults bring into the classroom and
create learning opportunities that these adults are uniquely positioned to support. For example,
an effective educator will notice if a parent volunteer is particularly skilled at helping shy children
engage with their peers and will highlight this skill in discussion with the volunteer to encourage him
to focus his attention on children the educator has noticed are more reticent in social situations.
Likewise, an effective educator is able to communicate with her center director or school principal
about her goals for children and solicit the supports she requires to meet children’s needs.
Maintain professional and ethical standards

Educators should have knowledge of and the ability to uphold professional guidelines and ethical
standards, particularly because young children are at such a critical yet vulnerable point in their
development and learning and are unable to articulate their own rights and needs.56 Effective
educators maintain high standards of confidentiality, sensitivity, and respect for children, families,
and colleagues in their interactions and communications. Their practices reflect knowledge of
legal and ethical issues, including current professional practices related to privacy, reporting child
abuse and neglect, health and safety practices, and the rights of children with developmental delays
and disabilities.57
Conclusion
The research demonstrates that the essential skills children need in order to succeed in school
span the areas of social-emotional, cognitive, language and literacy, mathematical and scientific
reasoning, and physical development. It is also clear that early educators need to acquire and
work to refine essential competencies related to developmentally appropriate practices and
environments, family support and partnership, observation and assessment of development and
learning, individualized supports and inclusion-based practices, and continuous improvement and
professionalism in order to fulfill the promise of early education.
Child development is complex, and providing high-quality early learning experiences is complex
work. Although not every state and local policymaker, administrator, and leader with influence over
early childhood programs needs to understand every nuance of these complex concepts, it is critical
that every decision-maker maintain a basic understanding of both the essential child skills and the
essential educator competencies. The essential child skills are critical because they undergird the
goals and objectives that programs can set for children’s learning and preparation for school. The
essential educator competencies are critical so that decision-makers understand the stakes involved
in providing a context that supports early educators to excel. This understanding is fundamental
to supporting leaders to make informed decisions about how to ensure that educators have the
resources they need to ensure every child enters school ready to thrive.

Appendix A: Resources
Policy Resources
• The Building an Early Learning System That Works: Next Steps for California report and
brief from the Learning Policy Institute provides California-specific policy and practice
recommendations to support early educators and facilitate collaboration among educators
and the community.
• The Getting Down to Facts II: Early Childhood Education in California* report reviews and
analyzes California policies that are designed to support early learning in children from
birth through 5 years of age.
• Indispensables for Quality Pre-K* from New America articulates simple statements of three
practices and three policies that researchers, program leaders, and advocates agree are
indispensable for building preschool programs that lead children to thrive in kindergarten
and beyond.
• From the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, Transforming the
Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation* report examines the
science of development and current capacities and practices of the workforce. Based on
this, the report then provides recommendations for the government agencies and other
funders who support and oversee early care and education systems to improve the quality of
professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals.
• The Understanding Many Languages: Preparing Early Educators to Teach Dual Language
Learners* brief from the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment examines how
higher education degree programs prepare early care and education professionals to
address the needs of dual language learners and offers policy recommendations.
California-Specific Resources on Child Skills and Educator Practices

• The California Child Development Permit: Candidate Performance Expectations and
Preparation Program Guidelines* by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing are intended
to describe the expected competencies for a well-prepared beginning-level early childhood
professional at the point of initial licensure for a particular permit. The commission also
provides guidelines to focus the preparation of those who teach, mentor, lead, and assist in
California’s subsidized Child Care and Development Programs.
• The California Early Childhood Educator Competencies* give comprehensive descriptions

of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that early childhood educators need to support
young children’s learning and development across program types.
• The California Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Foundations* are intended to

provide a description of the competencies that infants and toddlers typically attain in the
major developmental domains in the first three years of life when provided with high-
quality early care and education. The Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Program
*This document contributed to the analysis for the framework.

Guidelines* were created as a companion resource to provide recommendations for
program policies and practices to strengthen programs that educate and care for infants
and toddlers.
• The California Preschool Learning Foundations* provide a comprehensive understanding

of the wide range of knowledge and skills that preschool children can typically learn when
provided with the kinds of interaction, instruction, and environments that research has
shown promote early learning and development. The companion resource, the California
Preschool Curriculum Frameworks, provides guidance, vignettes, and examples of teachable
moments to support young children’s specific skill areas.
Additional Resources on Child Skills and Educator Practices

• The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning What Works Briefs
series provides resources and strategies for modifying the education environment to
prevent challenging behaviors and promote positive group participation.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ACEs web page includes information
and resources to understand, recognize, and minimize the effects of adverse childhood
experiences (ACEs).
• The Creating Trauma-Sensitive Classrooms article provides resources and guidance on

trauma-sensitive practices for educators working with young children.
• The Common Early Learning and Development Standards Analysis for the North Carolina
EAG Consortium—Summary Report* provides a national summary and comparison of the
ways in which states have organized their early learning and development standards.
• The Early Learning Lab’s 5 Priority Practices for Parents, Teachers, and Caregivers* offers
five simple evidence-based practices that any educator or caregiver can use to support
children’s learning and growth.
• The Edutopia article Starting the Day With a Calming Routine describes five exercises that
can be used to transition into the day with young children who have experienced trauma.
• The Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five* is designed to
show the continuum of learning for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The accompanying
Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework Effective Practice Guides offer information
about domain-specific teaching practices that support children’s progression within the
framework’s developmental domains.
• The Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center Funds of Knowledge video
and handout explains the concept of funds of knowledge and how to gather and use the
funds of knowledge of families and educators in practice.
• The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Code of Ethical
Conduct and Statement of Commitment provides guidelines, core values, and ethical
responsibilities specific to professionals that work with young children.

• The NAEYC Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators* are
designed to be a core set of standards to inform and guide preparation and professional
development of early childhood education professionals, across a range of roles
and settings.
• The Preventing Suspensions and Expulsions in Early Childhood Settings: A Program

Leader’s Guide to Supporting All Children’s Success provides practical guidance and
resources on how to train staff on cultural awareness and implicit biases, with a focus on
program policies and practices to address the root causes of early childhood suspensions
and expulsions.
• The UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute Early Childhood Inclusion web
page has compiled a list of resources on inclusion in early childhood settings, including how
to plan and facilitate inclusion.

Endnotes
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10. Best, J. R., Miller, P. H., & Naglieri, J. A. (2011). Relations between executive function and academic
achievement from ages 5 to 17 in a large, representative national sample. Learning and Individual
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11. Trawick-Smith, J. W., & Smith, T. (2014). Early childhood development: A multicultural perspective.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson; Halle, T. G., Whittaker, J. V., Zepeda, M., Rothenberg, L., Anderson, R.,
Daneri, P., Wessel, J., & Buysse, V. (2014). The social-emotional development of dual language learners:
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29(4), 734–749.
12. Raver, C. (2003). Young children’s emotional development and school readiness. Social Policy Report,
16(3), 3−19; Thompson, R. A., & Raikes, H. A. (2007). “The Social and Emotional Foundations of School
Readiness” in Perry, D. F., Kaufmann, R. K., & Knitzer, J. (Eds.). Social and Emotional Health in Early
Childhood: Building Bridges Between Services and Systems. Baltimore, MD: Paul H Brookes Publishing.
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Education and Development, 21(5), 681–698; McClelland, M. M., & Cameron, C. E. (2011). Self-
regulation and academic achievement in elementary school children. New Directions for Child and
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Obradović, J. (2014). An integrative view of school functioning: Transactions between self-regulation,
school engagement, and teacher–child relationship quality. Child Development, 85(5), 1915–1931;
Denham, S. A., Bassett, H. H., Way, E., Mincic, M., Zinsser, K., & Graling, K. (2012). Preschoolers’
emotion knowledge: Self-regulatory foundations, and predictions of early school success. Cognition &
Emotion, 26(4), 667–679.
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How early experiences shape the development of executive function. (Working paper no. 11). Cambridge, MA:
Author. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/building-the-brains-air-traffic-control-system-
how-early-experiences-shape-the-development-of-executive-function/.
15. Clements, D. H., & Sarama, J. (2004). Learning trajectories in mathematics education. Mathematical
Thinking and Learning, 6(2), 81–89; Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University (2011). Building
the brain’s “air traffic control” system: How early experiences shape the development of executive function.
(Working paper no. 11). Cambridge, MA: Author. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/
building-the-brains-air-traffic-control-system-how-early-experiences-shape-the-development-of-
executive-function/.
16. Diamond, K. E., Justice, L. M., Siegler, R. S., & Snyder, P. A. (2013). Synthesis of IES research on early
intervention and early childhood education. NCSER 2013-3001. Washington, DC: National Center for Special
Education Research; Lonigan, C. J., & Shanahan, T. (2009). Developing early literacy: Report of the National
Early Literacy Panel. Executive summary. A scientific synthesis of early literacy development and implications
for intervention. Washington, DC: National Institute for Literacy.
17. Winsler, A., Burchinal, M. R., Tien, H. C., Peisner-Feinberg, E., Espinosa, L., Castro, D. C., LaForett, D.,
Kim, Y. K., & De Feyter, J. (2014). Early development among dual language learners: The roles of language
use at home, maternal immigration, country of origin, and socio-demographic variables. Early Childhood
Research Quarterly, 29(4), 750–764.
18. Espinosa, L. M. (2013). Early education for dual language learners: Promoting school readiness and early
school success. Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute.
19. Duncan, G. J., Dowsett, C. J., Claessens, A., Magnuson, K., Huston, A. C., Klebanov, P., Pagani, L. S.,
Feinstein, L., Engel, M., Brooks-Gunn, J., Sexton, H., Duckworth, K., & Japel, C. (2007). School readiness
and later achievement. Developmental Psychology, 43(6), 1428.
20. Robinson, L. E., Stodden, D. F., Barnett, L. M., Lopes, V. P., Logan, S. W., Rodrigues, L. P., & D’Hondt, E.
(2015). Motor competence and its effect on positive developmental trajectories of health. Sports Medicine,
45(9), 1273–1284; Hillman, C. H., Erikson, K. I., & Hatfield, B. D. (2017). Run for your life! Childhood
physical activity effects on brain and cognition. Kinesiology Review, 6(1), 12–21.

21. Macdonald, K., Milne, N., Orr, R., & Pope, R. (2018). Relationships between motor proficiency and
academic performance in mathematics and reading in school-aged children and adolescents: A
systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(8), 1603;
McClelland, M. M., & Cameron, C. E. (2018). Developing together: The role of executive function and
motor skills in children’s early academic lives. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 46, 142–151.
22. National Implementation Research Network. (n.d.). Facilitative administration. https://nirn.fpg.unc.edu/
module-2/facilitative-administration.
23. Whitebook, M., McLean, C., Austin, L. J. E., & Edwards, B. (2018). Early childhood workforce index—2018.
Berkeley, CA: Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California, Berkeley.
http://cscce.berkeley.edu/topic/early-childhood-workforce-index/2018/.
24. Phillips, D., Austin, L. J. E., & Whitebook, M. (2016). The early care and education workforce. The Future of
Children, 26(2), 139–158. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1118553.pdf.
25. For specific recommendations in California, see: Melnick, H., Meloy, B., Gardner, M.,
Wechsler, M., & Maier, A. (2018). Building an early learning system that works: Next steps for
California. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/
building-early-learning-system-california-report.
26. NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from
birth through age 8: A position statement of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Washington, DC: Author. https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/
resources/position-statements/PSDAP.pdf.
27. California Department of Education. (2010). California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Volume 1.
Sacramento, CA: Author. https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/psframework.asp.
28. Isik-Ercan, Z. (2017). Culturally appropriate positive guidance with young children. Young Children,
72(1), 15−22.
29. Statman-Weil, K. (2015). Creating trauma-sensitive classrooms. Young Children, 70(2), 72–79.
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/may2015/trauma-sensitive-classrooms.
30. Early Learning Lab. (2018). 5 priority practices for parents, teachers, and caregivers. Oakland, CA:
Author. https://earlylearninglab.org/5-priority-practices-for-parents-teachers-and-caregivers/.
32. Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., Cook-Harvey, C. Barron, B., & Osher, D. (2019): Implications for
educational practice of the science of learning and development. Applied Developmental Science, 1–39.
doi: 10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791.
34. For more guidance, vignettes, and examples of teachable moments to support young children’s social-
emotional development, see: California Department of Education. (2010). California Preschool Curriculum
Framework, Volume 1. Sacramento, CA: Author. https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/psframework.asp.
36. LeFevre, J., Fast, L., Skwarchuk, S., Smith-Chant, B. L., Bisanz, J., Kamawar, D., & Penner-Wilger, M. (2010).
Pathways to mathematics: Longitudinal predictors of performance. Child Development, 81(6), 1753–1767.
37. Early Learning Lab. (2018). 5 priority practices for parents, teachers, and caregivers. Oakland, CA: Author.
https://earlylearninglab.org/5-priority-practices-for-parents-teachers-and-caregivers/. For more
guidance, vignettes, and examples of teachable moments to support young children’s language and
literacy development, see: California Department of Education. (2010). California Preschool Curriculum

38. For more guidance, vignettes, and examples of teachable moments to support young children’s
mathematical and scientific reasoning development, see: California Department of Education. (2010).
California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Volume 1. Sacramento, CA: Author. https://www.cde.ca.gov/
sp/cd/re/psframework.asp; California Department of Education. (2010). California Preschool Curriculum
Sacramento: CA: Author. https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/psframework.asp.
40. For more guidance, vignettes, and examples of teachable moments to support young children’s physical
development, see: California Department of Education. (2010). California Preschool Curriculum Framework,
Volume 2. Sacramento, CA: Author. https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/psframework.asp.
42. For more resources and strategies for modifying the education environment to prevent challenging
behaviors and promote positive group participation, see the Center on the Social and Emotional
Foundations for Early Learning What Works Briefs series. http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/
what_works.html.
43. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/acestudy/index.html?CDC_AA_
refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fviolenceprevention%2Facestudy%2Findex.html.
44. Darling-Hammond, L., & Cook-Harvey, C. M. (2018). Educating the whole child: Improving school climate
to support student success. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/
product/educating-whole-child-report.
45. National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (2017). Creating, supporting, and sustaining trauma-informed
schools: A system framework. Los Angeles, CA, and Durham, NC: Author. https://www.nctsn.org/resources/
creating-supporting-and-sustaining-trauma-informed-schools-system-framework.
46. Division for Early Childhood & National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2009). Early
childhood inclusion. Washington, DC: Authors. https://www.decdocs.org/position-statement-inclusion.
47. National Professional Development Center on Inclusion. (2011). Research synthesis points on quality
inclusive practices. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina, FPG Child Development Institute.
https://fpg.unc.edu/sites/fpg.unc.edu/files/resources/reports-and-policy-briefs/NPDCI-ResearchSynthesis
PointsInclusivePractices-2011.pdf.
48. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2017). Promoting the Educational Success
of Children and Youth Learning English: Promising Futures. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
49. Center on the Developing Child. (n.d.). What are ACEs? And how do they relate to toxic
stress? Cambridge, MA: Harvard University. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/
aces-and-toxic-stress-frequently-asked-questions/.
50. Bartlett, J., Wilson, A., Moore, K. A., & Redd, Z. (2016). 5 ways trauma-informed care supports
children’s development. Washington, DC: Child Trends. https://www.childtrends.org/
child-trends-5/5-ways-trauma-informed-care-supports-childrens-development.
51. Rush, D. D., & Shelden, M. L. (2012). Checklists for providing/receiving early intervention supports in child
care settings. CASEtools, 6(1), 1–12. http://fipp.org/static/media/uploads/casetools/casetool_vol6_no4.pdf.
52. Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a
qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory Into Practice, 31(2), 132–141.
53. For more information on the concept of funds of knowledge and how to gather and use funds of
knowledge, see the Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center funds of knowledge video
and handout. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/video/funds-knowledge-video.
54. National Research Council & Institute of Medicine. (2015). Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth
Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

55. Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development.
Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/
effective-teacher-professional-development-factsheet.
56. National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2019, April). Professional standards and
competencies for early childhood educators. (Public Draft #2). Washington, DC: Author. https://www.naeyc.
org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/our-work/higher-ed/final_public_draft_2.pdf.
57. National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2011). Code of ethical conduct
and statement of commitment: A position statement of the National Association for the Education of
Young Children. Washington, DC: Author https://www.naeyc.org/resources/position-statements/
ethical-conduct.

About the Authors
Beth Meloy is an early childhood policy consultant, currently working with the Early Learning
and Care Division at the California Department of Education (CDE). Her work with CDE involves
supporting its efforts to rethink, streamline, and improve its quality improvement and assurance
systems, and liaising across government agencies to support alignment that leads to a more
coherent system of early learning and care for all of California’s children. Previously, Dr. Meloy
served as a Senior Researcher and Policy Analyst at LPI and co-led the Early Childhood Learning
team. At LPI, her research focused on policy and practice to improve early care and education
opportunities for all children in California and nationwide. She was lead author of LPI’s report
Untangling the Evidence on Preschool Effectiveness: Insights for Policymakers and co-author of Building
an Early Learning System That Works: Next Steps for California. Dr. Meloy previously worked in the
U.S. Senate as an Education Policy Advisor and in the Policy and Planning Division of the Office of
Head Start, where she contributed to the wholesale revision of the Head Start Program Performance
Standards and the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (Birth to Five). She received a
Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Georgetown University, an M.P.P. from the McCourt School
of Public Policy at Georgetown University, and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Abby Schachner is a Senior Researcher at LPI on the Early Childhood Learning Deeper Learning
teams where she is working to translate research on children’s social, emotional, and academic
development and the contexts that support such development to inform policy and practice.
Dr. Schachner has more than 13 years of experience in conducting research on learning and
development to better understand what works for whom and under what circumstances so that
all children can succeed. Prior to joining LPI, she led educational efficacy research on digital
programs and initiatives at Age of Learning. Previously, she was a principal education researcher
at SRI International’s Center for Learning and Development, where she led research and technical
assistance projects at the state and federal levels focused on social and emotional interventions,
special education, home visiting, and using data for program improvement. She holds a Ph.D. in
Human Development from the University of California, Davis and a B.A. in Psychology with minors
in Cognitive Science and Women’s and Gender Studies from Georgetown University.

1530 Page Mill Road, Suite 200
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Washington, DC 20036
p: 202.830.0079
@LPI_Learning | learningpolicyinstitute.org
The Learning Policy Institute conducts and communicates independent, high-quality research to improve education
policy and practice. Working with policymakers, researchers, educators, community groups, and others, the Institute
seeks to advance evidence-based policies that support empowering and equitable learning for each and every child.
Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the Institute connects policymakers and stakeholders at the local, state, and federal
levels with the evidence, ideas, and actions needed to strengthen the education system from preschool through
college and career readiness.

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Early Childhood Essentials

A Framework for Aligning Child Skills

This report can be found online at

ii LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS

Foundational Conditions for Children to Learn.....................................................................................3

Essential Child Skills.................................................................................................................................4

Foundational Conditions for Educators............................................................................................... 16

Essential Educator Competencies....................................................................................................... 17

About the Authors.................................................................................................................................. 38

LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS iii

The Essential Child Skills

1. Social-emotional development refers to children’s abilities to engage in meaningful

LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS v

The Essential Early Educator Competencies

1. Developmentally appropriate practice and environments refer to an educator’s

vi LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS

LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS vii

LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS 1

This framework helps to provide a baseline of knowledge to aid decision-makers in thinking

2 LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS

LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS 3

Furthermore, there is a cross-cutting concept in child development, which is sometimes highlighted

4 LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS

Essential Child Skills

LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS 5

6 LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS

Social and emotional competence

LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS 7

8 LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS

LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS 9

Cognitive Development in Dual Language Learners

Imitation and symbolic play

Language and Literacy Development

Communication and language development

10 LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS

Language Development in Dual Language Learners

LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS 11

12 LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS

Measurement. In the preschool years, children begin to develop an understanding of

LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS 13

14 LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS

Fine motor skills

LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS 15

16 LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS

1. Developmentally appropriate practice and environments

Developmentally Appropriate Practice and Environments

LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS 17

18 LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS

Understand and guide children’s social-emotional development. Educators need to understand

LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS 19

Conversations With Young Children

20 LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS

Embedding Learning Into Everyday Routines

Understand and guide children’s physical development. Educators need knowledge of

LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS 21

Observation and Assessment of Development and Learning

22 LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS

Individualized Learning in Small-Group Activities

Utilize observation and assessment techniques sensitive to children’s linguistic and

LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | EARLY CHILDHOOD ESSENTIALS 23