Examining the Content of Examining the Content of Infant-Toddler Early Learning Infant-Toddler Early Learning Guidelines: What Has Been Guidelines: What Has Been

Addressed and What Hasn’t?Addressed and What Hasn’t?

Catherine Scott-LittleCatherine Scott-LittleDecember 4, 2007December 4, 2007

Thank you to Thank you to

A. L. Mailman Family FoundationA. L. Mailman Family Foundation

ReviewersReviewers– Barbara Bowman, Erikson InstituteBarbara Bowman, Erikson Institute– Peter Mangione, WestEdPeter Mangione, WestEd– Sandra Petersen, Zero to ThreeSandra Petersen, Zero to Three – Martha Zaslow, ChildTrendsMartha Zaslow, ChildTrends

I.I. ContextContext

States with Infant-States with Infant-Toddler ELGs Toddler ELGs (as of July (as of July 07)07)Alaska Maryland Alaska Maryland Arkansas Michigan Arkansas Michigan Delaware Minnesota Delaware Minnesota Florida Nebraska Florida Nebraska Georgia New Hampshire Georgia New Hampshire Indiana Ohio Indiana Ohio Iowa Oregon Iowa Oregon Kansas Pennsylvania Kansas Pennsylvania Kentucky Tennessee Kentucky Tennessee Louisiana Washington Louisiana Washington Maine Maine

II. Content AnalysesII. Content Analyses

Research QuestionsResearch Questions

How have states organized their How have states organized their I/T ELGs?I/T ELGs?

What content have states What content have states addressed in the I/T ELGs?addressed in the I/T ELGs?

Basic process for Basic process for content analysescontent analyses Read documentsRead documents Record features of the document Record features of the document

such as the age levels addressedsuch as the age levels addressed Record what area of development Record what area of development

and learning each ELG addressesand learning each ELG addresses Note specific examples or unique Note specific examples or unique

featuresfeatures

Basic Elements of the Basic Elements of the Coding FrameworkCoding Framework Five domainsFive domains

– Physical Development and Motor SkillsPhysical Development and Motor Skills– Social and Emotional DevelopmentSocial and Emotional Development– Approaches Toward LearningApproaches Toward Learning– Language and Communication DevelopmentLanguage and Communication Development– Cognitive Development and General Cognitive Development and General

Knowledge Knowledge 75 indicators75 indicators Four age levelsFour age levels

– 0 to 8 months0 to 8 months– 9 to 18 months9 to 18 months– 19 to 24 months19 to 24 months– 25 to 36 months 25 to 36 months

Calculating Data for Calculating Data for AnalysesAnalyses ““Breadth” or percentage of total Breadth” or percentage of total

ELGs (across all domains) that ELGs (across all domains) that addressed each domainaddressed each domain

““Depth” or percentage of ELGs Depth” or percentage of ELGs within each domain that within each domain that addressed individual indicators addressed individual indicators within the domainwithin the domain

Results—Organization Results—Organization of the ELGsof the ELGs Age levels usedAge levels used

– Birth to 36 months: 8 statesBirth to 36 months: 8 states– Birth to 18 and 18 to 36 months: 3 Birth to 18 and 18 to 36 months: 3

statesstates– 3 age levels: 5 states3 age levels: 5 states– 4 ages levels: 2 states4 ages levels: 2 states– More than 4 age levels: 3 statesMore than 4 age levels: 3 states

Domain or subareas Domain or subareas usedused 3 domains used in all but one state3 domains used in all but one state

– PhysicalPhysical– Social-emotionalSocial-emotional– LanguageLanguage

2 domains less common2 domains less common– Cognition/cognitive developmentCognition/cognitive development– Approaches toward learningApproaches toward learning

At least one heading that would be At least one heading that would be considered an academic subject area considered an academic subject area in 5 statesin 5 states

Michigan used a different frameworkMichigan used a different framework

Results—Content Results—Content AnalysesAnalyses Interested in balance of ELGs Interested in balance of ELGs

across the five domains across the five domains (“breadth”) and the degree to (“breadth”) and the degree to which various elements of which various elements of development within the domains development within the domains have been addressed (“depth”)have been addressed (“depth”)

Breadth of I/T ELGs Breadth of I/T ELGs Across all Age LevelsAcross all Age Levels

22.2%

25.3%

5.6%

23.5%

23.4%

PhysicalSoc-EmApproachesLanguageCognitive

Breadth of I/T ELGs for Breadth of I/T ELGs for Birth to 18 MonthsBirth to 18 Months

26.1%

29.1%5.2%

21.2%

17.6%

PhysicalSoc-EmApproachesLanguageCognitive

Breadth of I/T ELGs for Breadth of I/T ELGs for 19 to 36 Months19 to 36 Months

19.5%

21.7%

3.7%29.0%

26.1%

PhysicalSoc-EmApproachesLanguageCognitive

Depth of ELGs—Depth of ELGs—Physical Physical Most commonly Most commonly

addressedaddressed– Gross motorGross motor– Self-helpSelf-help– Fine motorFine motor

Least commonly Least commonly addressedaddressed– Physical fitnessPhysical fitness– NutritionNutrition– HealthHealth

Depth—Social-Depth—Social-Emotional Emotional Most commonly Most commonly

addressedaddressed– Emotional Emotional

expressionexpression– Social skills with Social skills with

adultsadults– Self-conceptSelf-concept

Least commonly Least commonly addressedaddressed– Relationships Relationships

with peerswith peers– Shared activities/ Shared activities/

social playsocial play– Self-controlSelf-control

Depth—Approaches Depth—Approaches Toward LearningToward Learning Most commonly Most commonly

addressedaddressed– Interest and Interest and

explorationexploration– ConcentrationConcentration– Invention and Invention and

creativitycreativity

Least commonly Least commonly addressedaddressed– Cooperative Cooperative

approach to approach to learninglearning

– Willingness to tryWillingness to try– Persistence and Persistence and

mastery mastery motivationmotivation

Depth—Language and Depth—Language and CommunicationCommunication Most commonly Most commonly

addressedaddressed– Expressive verbal Expressive verbal

communicationcommunication– Receptive verbal Receptive verbal

communicationcommunication– Participation in Participation in

language/literacy language/literacy activitiesactivities

Least commonly Least commonly addressedaddressed– Alphabet Alphabet

awarenessawareness– Communicating Communicating

in a second in a second languagelanguage

– ComprehensionComprehension

Depth—Cognitive Depth—Cognitive Development and Development and General KnowledgeGeneral Knowledge Most commonly Most commonly

addressedaddressed– MathematicsMathematics– Cause and effectCause and effect– MemoryMemory

Least commonly Least commonly addressedaddressed– Social Social

conventionsconventions– MetacognitionMetacognition– RepresentationRepresentation

Limitations and Limitations and Challenges to Keep in Challenges to Keep in MindMind Limitations within the coding systemLimitations within the coding system

– Unevenness across the indicators and Unevenness across the indicators and domainsdomains

– Difficult to capture “nuances” Difficult to capture “nuances” Other challenges Other challenges

– Important characteristics of Important characteristics of development are interrelated and are development are interrelated and are foundationalfoundational

– Unevenness in research literatureUnevenness in research literature– Limited research in cultural and Limited research in cultural and

linguistic diversitylinguistic diversity

III. Implications and III. Implications and RecommendationsRecommendations

Coming soon . . . Coming soon . . .

Inside the Content of Infant-Inside the Content of Infant-Toddler Early Learning Guidelines: Toddler Early Learning Guidelines: Results from Analyses, Issues to Results from Analyses, Issues to Consider, and RecommendationsConsider, and Recommendations