Lesson 5: State of Maine Early Learning Development Standards

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able

  • Students will discuss the components of the State of Maine Early Learning Development Standards.
  • Students will discuss various indicators used as guidelines for preschool development.
  • Students will discuss examples of observations used to determine a preschoolers understanding of specific indicators.

Teaching

The State of Maine Early Learning Development Standards were created by many early childhood professionals for early care and education practitioners to use as a guide when teaching children three years old until they enter Kindergarten. These standards recognize that early childhood environments lay a critical foundation for a young child’s later success in school, work, citizenship and personal fulfillment.

The many individuals who were part of creating these guidelines looked at the development of the whole child and recognized that play, along with planning, guidance, support and follow-up are essential when promoting his development. A preschooler gains skill when given proper time to explore, are provided activities that are interesting, satisfying and respectful of his desire to touch, hear, see, smell and taste. By playing in a content-rich environment, a child will develop social and motor skills, begin to make sense of the world around them, and build a foundation to become capable, enthusiastic, engaged learners and responsible, healthy adults.

It is important to recognize that all children learn at their own pace. Some of the expectations provided in each domain will be appropriate for younger developmental stages while others will be more appropriate for children entering kindergarten.

One can find the Early Learning and Development Standards at http://www.maine.gov/doe/publicpreschool/documents/Maine-ELDS.pdf.

Purpose

The Early Learning Development Standard sare intended to:

  • Provide early childhood practitioners and families with guidance in designing learning environments, shape curriculum, lead professional development initiatives, build intentionality into teaching practices and support children’s learning at home.
  • Be used as a guide for best practice
  • Support and crosswalk into the State of Maine Learning Results used in K-12 public education

Structure

The MELDS are organized in nine domains: Social and Emotional Development, Approaches to Learning, Creative Arts, Early Language and Literacy, Reading Standards for Literature, Phsycial Development and Health, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Each domain is divided into four columns. You will be searching the Green and Pink columns ars those are the benchmarks for preschool aged children.

The Whole Child

The Guidelines are broken down into Elements for the importance to assist in organization. Learning for young children cannot be isolated in the same manner. Learning occurs across all areas that it why it is important to look at the “whole” child. Children learn by constructing new knowledge from existing knowledge using their individual learning style. To learn more about The Whole Child Approach, please visit the following link: http://www.ascd.org/whole-child.aspx

Considerations when developing the standards

  • To provide goals and a continuum for what children should be able to do
  • Expect educators to design environments and curriculum
  • Assess and adapt teaching practices to meet the diverse needs of children based on each child’s way of attending, organizing information, communicating and interacting
  • Provide children with a positive sense of personal well-being, developed through consistent caring relationships
  • Develop social skills and behaviors that enable children to develop meaningful relationships with adults and peers
  • Intentionally develop appropriate expectations and plans for what preschoolers should know and be able to do
  • View preschoolers in the context of their family and culture

Assessment

STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Math

As you look through the MELDS, take note as to where the STEM components are listed. They could be as obvious as in the Mathematics and Science domain, or as subtle as in the Language and Literacy Domain.

For your assignment I want you to outline each of the nine domains in the MELDS and what indiciators relate may or may not relate to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Your outline might look something like this.....

 

Social and Emotional Development -

  • STEM relates to social and emotional development because children are discovering ways to ask "how" and "why" to better understand ways to overcome barriers and regulate emotions when discovering the way things work. For example, on page 17 under Self Concept an indicator states, "expresses delight over a succesful project and want others to like it to"

 

Each Domain is worth 10 points. An extra ten points will be awarded dependent on

  • Clarity
  • Organization
  • Grammar, mechanics, spelling, etc.
  • Detail
  • Examples WITH page reference