Early Learning Standards
EARLY LEARNING STANDARDS
"South Carolina’s Early Learning Standards (referred to as SC-ELS), serves as the shared vision for the education of South Carolina’s children, and answers the question “What foundational skills do children need to experience success in school?” By providing this common set of Goals and Developmental Indicators for children from birth through kindergarten entry, the hope is that family members, educators, administrators, and policy makers together can do the best job possible to provide experiences that help children be well prepared for success in school and life."
SOURCE: South Carolina Department of Education
Approaches to Learning (APL)
o APL 1. Children show curiosity and express interest in the world around them.
o APL 2. Children actively seek to understand the world around them
o APL 3. Children engage in increasingly complex play.
o APL 4. Children demonstrate creativity, imagination and inventiveness.
o APL 5. Children are willing to try new and challenging experiences.
o APL 6. Children use a variety of strategies to solve problems.
o APL 7. Children demonstrate initiative.
o APL 8. Children maintain attentiveness and focus.
o APL 9. Children persist in challenging activities.
Emotional and Social Development (ESD):
o ESD 1. Children demonstrate a positive sense of self-identity and self-awareness.
o ESD 2. Children express positive feelings about themselves and confidence in what they can do.
o ESD 3. Children form relationships and interact positively with familiar adults who are consistent and responsive to their needs.
o ESD 4. Children form relationships and interact positively with other children.
o ESD 5. Children demonstrate the social and behavioral skills needed to successfully participate in groups.
o ESD 6. Children identify, manage, and express their feelings.
o ESD 7. Children recognize and respond appropriately to the needs and feelings of others.
Health and Physical Development (HPD)
o HPD 1. Children develop healthy eating habits.
o HPD 2. Children engage in and sustain various forms of physical play indoors and out.
o HPD 3. Children develop healthy sleeping habits.
o HPD 4. Children develop large muscle control and abilities needed to move through and explore their environment.
o HPD 5. Children develop small muscle control and hand-eye coordination to manipulate objects and work with tools.
o HPD 6. Children develop awareness of their needs and the ability to communicate their needs.
o HPD 7. Children develop independence in caring for themselves and their environment.
o HPD 8. Children develop awareness of basic safety rules and begin to follow them.
Language Development and Communication (LDC)
o LDC 1. Children understand communication from others.
o LDC 2. Children participate in conversations with peers and adults.
o LDC 3. Children ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information or clarify something that is not understood.
o LDC 4. Children communicate thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.
o LDC 5. Children describe familiar people, places, things and events.
o LDC 6. Children use most grammatical constructions of their home language well.
o LDC 7. Children respond to and use a growing vocabulary.
o LDC 8. Children develop interest in books and motivation to read.
o LDC 9. Children develop book knowledge and print awareness.
o LDC 10. Children comprehend and use information presented in books and other print media.
o LDC 11. Children develop phonological awareness.
o LDC 12. Children begin to develop knowledge of the alphabet and the alphabetic principle.
o LDC 13. Children use writing and other symbols to record information and communicate for a variety of purposes.
o LDC 14. Children use knowledge of letters in their attempt to write.
o LDC 15. Children use writing skills and conventions.
Mathematical Thinking and Expression (MTE):
o MTE 1. Children demonstrate a beginning understanding of numbers and quantity during play and other activities.
o MTE 2. Children demonstrate a beginning understanding of numbers and operations during play and other activities.
o MTE 3. Children demonstrate a beginning understanding of algebraic thinking by sorting, describing, extending, and creating simple patterns during play and other activities.
o MTE 4. Children begin to identify, describe, classify, and understanding shape, size, direction and movement during play and other activities.
o MTE 5. Children demonstrate a beginning understanding of measurement (the idea of repeating the use of an object to measure) and a beginning understanding of data analysis through comparing, and interpreting data during play and other activities.
o MTE 6. Children use mathematical thinking to solve problems in their everyday environment.
Cognitive Development (CD)
o CD 1. Children use their senses to construct knowledge about the world around them.
o CD 2. Children recall information and use it for addressing new situations and problems.
o CD 3. Children demonstrate the ability to think about their own thinking; reasoning, taking perspective and making decisions.
o CD 4. Children demonstrate appreciation for different forms of artistic expression.
o CD 5. Children demonstrate self-expression and creativity in a variety of forms and contexts, including play, visual arts, music, theater, and dance.
o CD 6. Children demonstrate knowledge of relationships and roles within their own families, homes, classrooms, and communities.
o CD 7. Children recognize that they are members of different groups (e.g., family, preschool class, cultural group).
o CD 8. Children identify and demonstrate acceptance of similarities and differences between themselves and others.
o CD 9. Children explore concepts connected with their daily experiences in their community.
o CD 10. Children observe and describe characteristics of living things and the physical world.
o CD 11. Children explore the world by observing, manipulating objects, asking questions, making predictions, and developing generalizations.
For a complete list of standards visit https://ed.sc.gov/instruction/early-learning-and-literacy/early-learning/standards/