Early Learning Standards:
A Huge Problem
or
A Huge Possibility?
Sharon L. Kagan, Ed.D.
Santa Monica, CA
November 19, 2005
Overview
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
The History of Play in ECE
The Importance of Play to Development
Contemporary Context
Defining Standards
Different Types of Standards
Early Learning and Development Standards
Using Standards
Standards in Action
Concluding Thoughts
I. The History of Play
in ECE
The History of Play in ECE



The commitment to play dates back a long,
long time in early childhood education
Froebel and Pestalozzi were pioneers in
advocating the use of play in childrearing and
education
Piaget viewed play as the mode by which
children understand their experience and
development
The History of Play in ECE


Since then, leading scholars in early
childhood education have all recognized that
play is the basis of good early childhood
pedagogy and practice
Moreover, play is THE fundamental
cornerstone for children’s development
II. The Importance of
Play to Development
Domains of Development


About 10 years ago, the National Education
Goals Panel was assigned the task of
determining what the research said about the
most significant domains of development for
young children
Groups of scholars and teachers reviewed
decades of research and hundreeds of articles
and concluded that:
Domains of Development

There are five major domains of development:





Physical Health, Well-Being and Motor
Development
Social and Emotional Development
Approaches Toward Learning
Language, Literacy and Communication
Cognition and General Knowledge
Domains of Development


Since then, these five domains have been
widely accepted, and have been used for a
variety of purposes
Today, we are going to use the five domains to
answer two questions:
Domains of Development

First,
How can and does
play
help children’s development
progress in each of the domains?
The Importance of Play to Development

Physical Health, Well-Being and Motor Development

Indoor play equipment can promote gross-motor skills


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Steps, balance beams, jump ropes, bean bag toss, hollow
blocks, strollers for dramatic play
Outdoor play improves motor fitness
Manual dexterity is enhanced by activities such as drawing
and painting, working with playdough, and constructing
with Legos
Sensorimotor skill development is also enhanced through
play

Coordinated movement such as kicking a ball
The Importance of Play to Development

Social and Emotional Development



Symbolic role taking of dramatic play provides
children opportunities to identify their own
feelings and others’
Contact with playmates helps children develop
cooperative, reciprocal relationships and gain
mutual understanding and trust
Pretend play helps children form their
personalities and develop social skills
The Importance of Play to Development

Approaches Toward Learning



This domain encompasses efforts that enable children to
approach learning tasks with confidence and zest
These goals derive from a variety of efforts, many of them
involved with representation through play and the arts
Representational activity evokes major cognitive benefits



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Allows child to make permanent what could be fleeting
Allows child to edit or perfect work
Allows child to make ideas public
Enables “flexible purposing” – the ability to set a goal and shift
gears when necessary
The Importance of Play to Development

Language, Literacy and Communication



Play has been found to accelerate communication
Play fosters the three basic functions of language:
communication, expression, and reasoning
Symbolic play is related to understanding written
language
The Importance of Play to Development

Cognition and General Knowledge



Play is the primary vehicle for concept
development and problem solving
Play provides opportunities for contact with
multiple stimuli, inducing the development of
categorization, generalization, and conceptual
acquisition skills
Play contributes to a vast range of specific
cognitive processes and to generic functioning
The Importance of Play to Development
So, we see that PLAY does enhance children’s
development in all domains…
BUT, the BIG, BIG question is:
Can we maintain fidelity to all domains and play
AND
have early learning standards?
YES, YES, YES
Indeed, the ONLY way to preserve play is via
early learning standards
III. Contemporary
Context
Contemporary Context


To those outside ECE, play is always
suspect.
Today, there is even more concern
about play, because:
Contemporary Context



Press for standards and accountability is
changing education and placing more
demands on student accomplishment
Emphasis is being placed on the more easily
measured domains of language and cognition,
at the expense of the other three domains
Focus is on getting kids academically ready
for the more rigorous curriculum in K-3
Contemporary Context


The consequence is that more people have
more to say about ECE,
And they are calling for more Rigor, not
realizing that Play is Rigorous!!!
Contemporary Context

The problem is that they are confusing the

ENDS of ECE: [what they want children to
know and be able to do]

PROCESS of ECE: [Play]
Contemporary Context



We need to focus on both: the ends (or the
standards) and the means (or the process) of
early education, which is play
Play is a known given!!!
Standards are unknown…so we need to turn
to them to understand them better…
IV. Defining Standards
Defining Standards
What are standards?
Statements that are used as a basis of
comparison in measuring quality, value, or
quantity.
Defining Standards
Common Standards…
The weight a child should achieve at
birth to be considered healthy
Defining Standards
The grades a student receives to be
considered competent
Defining Standards
The skills one demonstrates to be
certified as a teacher, plumber,
doctor, driver, etc.
Defining Standards
Standards are a part of our daily
life—so routine, we may not even
recognize them as standards.
Defining Standards
Why are standards important?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lend precision to vague constructs
Help to clarify what we want to achieve
Provide an opportunity to build consensus
Establish a base for measurement
Can produce more equitable outcomes
Can advance an agenda like school readiness
BUT…
There are many different kinds
of standards related to
school readiness.
V. Different Types of
Standards
Different Types of Standards
I.
II.
Early Learning & Development
Standards
Teacher Standards
IV.
Social Indicators
V.
Access to Services
III.
Program/School Standards
VI.
Systemic Effectiveness
I. Defines what children should
know and be able to do.
Early Learning &
Development Standards
Example: Four-year-old children will be
able to state name, where they
live, parents’ names, and
siblings’ names.
Note:
These are usually manifest in
children’s behavior or discourse.
II. Defines what teachers should
know and do to advance their
students’ learning.
Teacher Standards
Example: All teachers should know how to
assess their students’ competence
and report such findings to parents.
Note:
These are usually the basis for
teacher preparation programs.
III. Defines the nature of the
program or school.
Program/School Standards
Example: Every program will have indoor and
outdoor space.
Example: Every program will have appropriate
developmental materials for children.
Example: Every program will welcome families.
IV. Defines the nature of the social
context in which the child exists
(family and community conditions).
Social Indicators
Example: The percentage of children who
live in poverty.
Example: The percentage of children who are
born malnourished.
Note:
These are usually phrased in terms
of risk factors.
Access to Services
V. Defines the nature and
amount of children who have
access to diverse services.
Example: The percentage of children who have access to
high-quality child development programs.
Example: The percentage of children who have
developmental screenings upon entry to
preschool programs.
Note:
These are usually defined for a geographic
catchment, area, city, town, or neighborhood.
System Effectiveness
VI. Defines the degree to
which elements or disparate
services work together.
Example: The cost savings that are realized
when programs buy supplies jointly.
Note:
This is the least well-developed area,
and is often quite problematic for
nations and states with highly diverse
delivery systems.
Different Types of Standards
We are focusing on Bucket One:
I.
Early Learning & Development Standards:
Standards that specify what children know and can do
VI. Early Learning and
Development Standards
Early Learning & Development Standards
Statements of expectation for
“what children should know
and
be able to do”
Returning to the NEGP Domains and the Second Question:

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


Physical Health, Well-Being, and Motor
Development
Social & Emotional Development
Approaches Toward Learning
Language, Literacy & Communication
Cognition and General Knowledge
What are examples of standards?
Physical and Motor Development
By age four, children will be able to…

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Run around obstacles and corners
Walk up and down stairs, alternating feet,
without assistance
Throw and catch large balls
Kick ball forward
Social & Emotional Development
By age four, children will be able to…

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Take turns and share with peers to have fun
playing together
Show understanding of the consequences of own
actions on others
Describe how own actions make others feel and
behave
Show empathy for hurt child
Approaches Toward Learning
By age four, children will be able to…

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Invent new activities or games
Use imagination to create a variety of ideas
Make up words, songs, or stories
Express ideas through art, construction,
movement, or music
Engage in pretend play
Language, Literacy & Communication
By age four, children will be able to…

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Speak clearly enough to be understood by
most listeners
Use multiple-word sentence(s) to
communicate needs, ideas, actions, and/or
feelings
Repeat works or ideas to be sure information
is communicated
Draw a picture with objects and people to
communicate an idea or event with assistance
Cognition and General Knowledge
By age four, children will be able to…

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Explore various ways to solve a problem
and select one option
Seek assistance from another child or an
adult to solve problems
Modify actions based on new information
and experiences
VII. Using Standards
Your Standards are the BASIS for
Many Diverse Uses:
Evaluate
Programs
Improve
Instruction
Improve
Parenting
Skills and
Behaviors
Early
Learning &
Development
Standards
Improve
Public
Knowledge
of Children’s
Development
Improve
Teacher
Preparation
Improve
Diagnostic
Screening
Monitor
National
Progress
Some of the Uses Directly Benefit Individuals

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Improve parenting
Improve diagnostic screening
Improve teacher preparation
Improve instruction
Benefits Individuals!
Improve
Parenting
Skills
Improve
Diagnostic
Screening
Improve Instruction
Improve Teacher
Preparation
Some of the Uses Directly Benefit the Total Population



Improve the public knowledge of
child development
Evaluate programs
Monitor national progress
Benefits Total Population!
Program
Evaluation
National
Monitoring
Public Knowledge
Provide, for the first time, an
integrated approach!
Teacher
Preparation
Program
Evaluation
Improve
Diagnostic
Screening
Improve
Instruction
Improve
Parenting Skills
National
Monitoring
Public Knowledge
The beauty of the standards is that we
are creating an integrated approach to
school readiness!!!
Consider Your Standards as a Bank
Standards
Bank
Improve Instruction
Improve Parenting Skills
Improve Diagnostic
Screening
Improve Teacher
Preparation
Evaluate Programs
Monitor National Programs
Improve Public Knowledge
of Children’s Development
Possible Use I
Improve Instruction
□ Used as an observation guide for
children’s progress
□ Can aggregate results into a class profile
□ Can use as the base for planning class activities
and tailoring them to children’s needs
□
When used to improve instruction, we:

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
Use items from all domains
Use with all children
Conduct the observations at least 2 or 3 times a year
Possible Use II
Improve Parenting Skills and Behaviors
□
□
□
Use as the basis for pedagogical activities
and the development of learning materials
to be used in the home
Help parents better understand realistic expectations
for children and their progress
When we use standards for this purpose, we usually


Use items from all domains
Use as a guide
Possible Use III
Improve Public Knowledge
□
□
□
□
□
Use as the basis for public service
announcements
Use to train media reporters
Use to inform policy makers
Use to inform public at large
When we use standards for this purpose, we


Don’t use all of them
Pick those that are most clear to the public
Possible Use IV
Diagnostic Screening Tool
□
Use standards as the basis for
developing screening tools


Can use to screen large numbers of children
for learning or behavioral status
Screening is always followed by more
detailed assessments
Possible Use V
Improve Teacher Preparation and
Certification
□
□
□
□
Use to train teachers of young children what they
should be exposing children to
Could establish modules around the domains
Use standards to develop teacher certification
criteria that specify what teachers should know
and do
Use as the basis for revamping teacher education
Possible Use VI
Program Evaluation



Become basis for data collection
instruments that assess child outcomes
Collect data on program variables (e.g., group size,
teacher quality) and relate to child outcomes
Use to make decisions about effectiveness of
programs
Possible Use VII
National Monitoring
□
Collect national data on performance of
children to tell how the nation’s children as
a whole are doing

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
Don’t need data on all children
Don’t need all items – can matrix sample
Don’t need it annually
VIII. Standards in Action:
What do Teachers and
Parents Think?
Pilot Project on Standards-Driven Instruction

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
Part of the Head Start Improvement Efforts
Selected eight demonstration efforts to be
implemented and evaluated
Teachers College was awarded one of the
grants and worked with teachers and parents
in several communities to implement a new
approach to classroom instruction
Pilot Project on Standards-Driven Instruction
Teachers received lots of support
 Teachers conducted child assessments
 Teachers used the data from the child
assessments to plan their programs
 Teachers reassessed the children periodically
 Teachers adjusted their classrooms to
accommodate children’s learning needs, AND
ALL THE WHILE, THE CHILDREN PLAYED

Pilot Project on Standards-Driven Instruction
Results: Teacher Practices

Teachers are better able to connect observation
data to specific developmental tasks, and use
this data to improve curriculum, teaching
practices, and communication to parents


Before: “This child has no interest in science and
math areas.”
After: “I have to plan different activities and
experiences to draw his interest to these areas. “
Pilot Project on Standards-Driven Instruction
Results: Teacher Practices

Teachers better understand the developmental
domains, focus more on the whole child to
meet their individual needs

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Before: A teacher’s key focus was on a child’s
social-emotional, challenging behaviors.
After: The teacher can now recognize the child’s
many “can do” abilities in all developmental
domains.
Pilot Project on Standards-Driven Instruction
Results: Teacher Practices

Project provided validation as professionals
“The classroom became a community with purpose.
The project made us have purpose - know ‘why’
we're doing it.”
 “It helped us learn how to run a better classroom.
How to communicate better. How to work with the
individual child better.”

Pilot Project on Standards-Driven Instruction
Results: Teacher Practices

Assessments gave teachers new ways to help children
learn

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“From observing we find out what the child knows, and what
can be completed and accomplished by the child. From the
anecdotal notes we find out what the child has learned, what
they need, and how we can help the child.”
“We can see where the child is, and where they need help,
where without the assessments we might have overlooked
something. It shows us things we may not have thought of.
It shows us what way we can go. It gives us better insight
into the things.”
Pilot Project on Standards-Driven Instruction
Results: Child School Readiness

Children are demonstrating significantly greater gains in
several areas, including:
10
9
8
7
Fall
Spring 6
5
4
3
95
90
85
80
75
Intervention
Control
– Dictation (early
writing skills)
15
Fall
10
Spring
Fall
Spring
5
Intervention
Control
– Letter Knowledge
(letter naming and
identification)
Intervention
Control
– Sustained Attention
(staying on task)
Note: Results are based on t-tests of change scores. Reported differences in gains are significant at p<.05.
IX. Concluding Thoughts
Concluding Thoughts



You have a right to be concerned about standards –
they represent a different way of doing things
The present push is to use them in the wrong way
and to make them too narrow
By understanding standards, their potential, and
how to link them to play, we can:




Improve quality of our teaching
Improve outcomes for kids
Improve parents’ understanding of early childhood
Improve policy makers’ understanding of our work and its
importance
Concluding Thoughts

Done well, and we CAN do it well, standards
and play are the best combination for ECE
It’s not an either/or; it’s a BOTH