Infant-Toddler Early Learning Guidelines

Individualized Family Service Plan Quality and Alignment of Child-Focused Outcomes to Federal Outcomes and State Early Learning Guidelines

“…Alternatively, service coordinators and families might discuss and identify engaging with books as a strategy for promoting receptive or expressive communication development, a frequently targeted skill area. This finding suggests that early intervention programs could benefit from integrating early learning guidelines within their work to strengthen their efforts to support children’s acquisition of widely accepted knowledge and skills and develop cohesiveness across programs (Scott-Little et al, 2009).…”

“…As states develop early childhood initiatives focusing on early literacy or social-emotional development and learning, early intervention providers can evaluate their inclusion of knowledge and skills and related to these areas, enhancing cohesiveness across state programs and initiatives. Furthermore, by purposefully focusing on early learning guidelines and IDEA child outcomes when developing IFSP child-focused outcomes, families and caregivers will become more informed about developmental expectations and resources available for supporting their children’s development (Scott-Little et al, 2009).…”

“…The early learning guidelines often are state specific, even though leaders in the field have called for a unified set of early learning guidelines (e.g., Bagnato, McLean, Macy, & Neisworth, 2011). Although development of a unified set of early learning guidelines across states has yet to be realized, a review of early learning guidelines across 21 states determined that infant and toddler guidelines commonly addressed physical development and motor skills, social and emotional development, language and communication development, and cognitive development and general knowledge (Scott-Little, Kagan, Frelow, & Reid, 2009). Scott-Little et al found that fewer states addressed indicators associated with approaches to learning.…”

“…Professional organizations, such as ZERO TO THREE and the NAEYC, have explicitly encouraged developers of early learning guidelines to consider infants and toddlers with disabilities when developing guidelines and supporting resources (NAEYC, 2002; Peterson et al, 2008). Scott-Little and her colleagues (2009) suggested that inclusive programs should use the early learning guidelines as a resource to determine knowledge and skills that should be fostered for all children, while the specific needs of infants and toddlers with disabilities should be the focus of IFSP outcomes. These authors asserted that early learning guidelines complement and strengthen efforts in early intervention to address the broader IDEA child outcomes.…”

“…In addition to previous quality indicators identified in the literature (e.g., Jung & McWilliam, 2005), contemporary analyses should include examining the extent to which skills specified in child outcomes on the IFSP are aligned with the early childhood outcome areas required by IDEA and the knowledge and skills specified in early learning guidelines adopted by states. Such analyses would also help inform areas in which early learning guidelines might need to be modified to ensure they are appropriate for use with children of varying developmental and ability levels (Scott-Little et al, 2009).…”