South Carolina Early Learning Standards 2017. South Carolina Early The South Carolina Early Learning Standards may be Learning Standards Interagency Stakeholder Group. freely reproduced without permission for non-profit, educational purposes. CO-CHAIRS, SC-ELS INTERAGENCY STAKEHOLDER GROUP Electronic versions of this report are available from the Noelle McInerney Division of Early Care and Education following websites: South Carolina Department of Social Services SC Child Care Early Care & Education Penny Danielson South Carolina Department of Education Office of Early Learning and Literacy South Carolina State Department of Education Suggested citation: South Carolina Early Learning Standards Interagency Stakeholder Group. (2017). South WRITERS Meir Muller Carolina Early Learning Standards. Columbia: Author College of Education University of South Carolina Funding for this document was provided by the South Nancy Freeman, Professor Emerita Carolina Department of Social Services using federal College of Education funds from the Office of Child Care, Administration for University of South Carolina Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and EDITORS Human Services and the South Carolina Head Start Beverly Hunter Collaboration Office using federal funds from the Office of Division of Early Care and Education Head Start, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. South Carolina Department of Social Services Department of Health and Human Services Jennifer Anderson Office of Early Learning and Literacy South Carolina State Department of Education This document was adapted from The North Carolina Foundations for Early Learning and Development with MANAGER permission from the North Carolina Division of Child Angela Baum College of Education Development and Early Education and the North Carolina University of South Carolina Department of Public Instruction DESIGNER Christopher Sleeme Propulsion Squared South Carolina Early Learning Standards TABLE OF CONTENTS Frequently Asked Questions ................................................. 150 Acknowledgements ............................................................................ 2 Citations and Resources ........................................................ 154 Organization of This Document ........................................................ 4 Using the Goals and Developmental Indicators.................................... 8 Domains, Subdomains, and Goals Overview ....................................... 9 Domains of Development Approaches to Play and Learning (APL) ............................................ 14 Emotional and Social Development (ESD) ......................................... 31 Health and Physical Development (HPD) ........................................... 47 Language Development and Communication (LDC) .......................... 66 Mathematical Thinking and Expression (MTE) ................................... 95 Cognitive Development (CD) ................................................................ 9 Appendix SC-ELS Interagency Leadership Team ............................................ 132 SC-ELS Interagency Stakeholders Group ........................................ 132 Understanding the South Carolina Early Learning Standards .......... 135 How to Use the South Carolina Early Learning Standards ............... 139 Success in School ............................................................................ 144 1 South Carolina Early Learning Standards ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS their permission to rely heavily on their work in the development of this resource. In 2013, the South Carolina State Child Care Administrator’s Office at These South Carolina Standards differ from the North Carolina Foundations for Early the Division of Early Care and Education in the SC Department of Learning and Development in that they include Mathematical Thinking and Expression Social Services (SCDSS) authorized and funded the revision of the as a separate domain. Thank you to Mary Ruzga, Mathematics Education Associate, Infant-Toddler Guidelines and the Good Start, Grow Smart Early from the Office of Standards and Learning at the SCDE and Sandra Linder, Associate Learning Standards. That effort led to the creation of the South Carolina Professor of Early Mathematics at Clemson University for guidance in the math domain. Early Learning Standards (SC- ELS)—a single document that describes children’s development and learning from birth to age five. The Division This publication is dedicated to South Carolina’s early childhood professionals and the of Early Care and Education and the Office of Early Learning and teachers who nurture and support the development of many young children who are in Literacy in the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) school or in care while their families work. provided co- leadership for this initiative and have contributed critical advice, oversight, and vision on the ELS and its implementation. Many individuals from across the state devoted their time and expertise to this NATIONAL EXPERT CONSULTANTS task force. We are grateful to everyone’s work on this important resource for our state. Sharon Lynn Kagan Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Early Childhood and Family Policy, Teacher’s College, Columbia University These standards are based on the North Carolina Foundations for Early Learning and Development. We thank the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education and the North Carolina Catherine Scott-Little Department of Public Instruction for granting South Carolina Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro 2 South Carolina Early Learning Standards SOUTH CAROLINA EARLY LEARNING STANDARDS PUBLIC COMMENT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The team provided opportunities for public comment on the South Carolina Early Learning Standards (SC-ELS) from May 6, 2016 to May 22, 2016; September 9, 2016 to October Jennifer Anderson 10, 2016; and from February 1, 2017 to February 15, 2017. Director, Office of Early Learning and Literacy South Carolina State Department of Education Feedback was received from over 200 individuals including teachers of infants, toddlers, and 2-year olds; 3K, 4K, and Angela Baum 5K teachers from public and private settings; teachers of Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education children in grades 1-4; Head Start administrators; public University of South Carolina school and district-level administrators; directors of child care programs; literacy, instructional, and reading coaches; Penny Danielson, ELS Revision Co-Chair higher education faculty members; and parents and Team Lead, Child Development Educational Program grandparents of young children. South Carolina State Department of Education Nancy Freeman, Co-writer Professor Emerita University of South Carolina Beverly Hunter, Project Manager Program Manager, ABC Quality Rating and Improvement System, Division of Early Care and Education, SCDSS Noelle McInerney, ELS Revision Co-Chair Program and Policy Lead, Division of Early Care and Education South Carolina Department of Social Services Meir Muller, Lead Writer Clinical Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education University of South Carolina Principal, Cutler Jewish Day School Also serve as members of the SC-ELS Interagency Leadership Team and Stakeholder Group 3 South Carolina Early Learning Standards ORGANIZATION OF THIS DOCUMENT Continuum (sometimes called a “Continuum” in this document) for each domain. The Continuum for each domain shows the Goals (statements that describe a The SC-ELS Goals and Developmental Indicators describe expectations for general area or aspect of development that children make progress on from birth what children will learn, starting with infancy and covering all ages through to age five) for the domain, and the developmental Indicators (more specific kindergarten entry. statements of expectations for children’s learning and development that are tied to age levels). As the following sample shows, South Carolina has elected to arrange The Goals and Developmental Indicators are divided into six domains: the Developmental Indicators along a continuum so that the Developmental • Approaches to Play and Learning (APL) Indicators for the age levels from birth to kindergarten entry are included. This • Emotional and Social Development (ESD) format allows teachers and caregivers to easily look across the age levels to see the progression that a child might make toward the Goal. The Goals are organized • Health and Physical Development (HPD) in Subdomains or subtopics that fall within the domain, with one or more Goal • Language Development and Communication (LDC) and Developmental Indicator Continua for each subdomain. • Mathematical Thinking and Expression (MTE) • Cognitive Development (CD) Developmental Indicator Continuum All six of the domains are essential components in the SC- ELS because Generally, the Developmental Indicators describe expectations that many all children develop differently. All domains are equally important and children will reach toward the end of their respective age level. They are not, overlap is to be expected. The overlap is needed because children’s however, hard and fast requirements or expectations for what children should be development and learning are integrated or interrelated. The progress able to do at the end of the age level. The fact that there is some overlap across that a child makes in one domain is related to the progress he or she the age levels