Educators are now being asked to learn about standards and incorporate them into their work with young children. When used appropriately, standards have positive effects on curriculum (what is taught), instruction (teaching strategies), and assessment (determining student performance and progress).

Throughout Mother Goose Programs there is an emphasis on curriculum standards in literacy, mathematics, science and social studies (link to relevant pages on the site). Standards are designed to answer two big questions:

• What should children at a certain age learn in a given curriculum area?
• What is considered high-quality curriculum and instruction for this age?

Keep in mind that for young children, we want to create learning environments that encourage reaching towards these kinds of ideas.

Specific standards for very young children are relatively rare, but some organizations and states have begun to work on standards for this age group. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has published numerous books and articles that offer specific guidance to teachers of very young children. The National Council of Teachers of Social Studies (NCSS), as well as most state departments of education, have created and published sets of standards for a range of age and grade levels, often beginning with kindergarten and advancing through grade 12.

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