Standards are everywhere—even in early childhood education. Gaye Gronlund, in her new book Make Early Learning Standards Come Alive, answers questions such as how early childhood educators can:

• implement standards in ways that are developmentally appropriate,
• figure out reasonable and efficient ways to assess children's progress,
• be accountable without testing or feeling overwhelmed by outside funding and political pressures, and
• accomplish what's in the heart of educators everywhere: help young children grow, learn, and flourish.

We talked to Gaye Gronlund about her book and the trend toward standards and we found that standards really are everywhere: they are imbedded in nearly everything early childhood educators already do with children, from play and circle time to emergent curriculums and classroom routines.

Redleaf Press (RLP): Why did you write the book Make Early Learning Standards Come Alive?

Gaye Gronlund (GG): In my work on authentic assessment, I have found that many early childhood educators are worried or unsure about how to make the best use of the early learning standards put out by their states. I wrote the book Make Early Learning Standards Come Alive, to help them see that they are already imbedding most of those standards in everything they do with children. Now, their job is to develop their own awareness of that, and make it evident to others as well. I hope the charts in this book help in that process.

RLP: Should providers be concerned about the trend toward early learning standards?

GG: The concern should be how those early learning standards are used. If they are used to fail children: Yes, all early educators should be deeply concerned. However, if they are used to give everyone a common language for authentic assessment and developmentally appropriate curriculum planning: No. Standards give us a frame of reference to understand what to work on with young children that will enhance their development and integrate with the defined standards for the later grades. In my review of the state early learning standards across the nation, I was impressed by the attention that has been paid to the recommendations of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) to be age-appropriate and culturally sensitive while recognizing the individuality of each child.

RLP: What are some of the benefits of having early learning standards?

GG: A few benefits include:

• They reinforce the fact that there is incredible potential for learning and growth in the infant, toddler, and preschool years and that there is value and importance in providing quality early childhood programs for children's long-term success in school and in life.
• They help establish expectations for children at different ages and create a commonality for communication about children's accomplishments and capabilities.
• They provide a framework for accountability—a way for early educators to show parents, the community at large, and themselves just what children are learning in early childhood programs.

RLP: Some educators voice concern that standards may replace developmentally appropriate practices, such as learning through play, nurturing the whole child, fostering creativity, etc., with more arbitrary teacher-directed instruction. Is this a risk, and in what ways can standards be misused?

GG: Yes, as stated above, this is a risk, but it doesn't have to be. Learning standards and developmentally appropriate practices can indeed go together! No change in practices is necessary. Learning standards can be incorporated into play, into emergent curriculum and projects, and into small and large group times. Even daily routines, such as hand washing, toileting, snack times, and playing outdoors, can be opportunities to address early learning standards. Much of my new book shows how to incorporate standards into best practices for young children.

RLP: How hard is it to implement and meet standards in an early childhood classroom?

GG: Probably the hardest part about implementing standards is learning them. Each state has developed their own set, and you must become familiar with how they are laid out, what they are addressing, and the language in which they are written. Once you are familiar with them, you may see ways in which you are addressing them everywhere! Then, the challenges of authentic observational assessment come into play—figuring out the best ways to write observations down and to plan curriculum based on them are the next challenges.

RLP: How can family child care providers use standards to enrich their programs?

GG: Family child care providers can use them just as any other early childhood professional would: to help themselves and others see how they are working with children to enhance their development and give them the foundational skills to be successful in school and in life.

RLP: Why is it important to assess children's capabilities and progress in preschool?

GG: It's important to assess capabilities and progress in preschool so that you can be a better teacher to the child and plan curriculum that recognizes what he or she can do and what steps in development he or she is ready for. If you don't know this information, you may plan activities that are way beneath a child's capabilities, or way beyond their understanding. Instead, your goal is to find just the right amount of challenge for each child and help them to develop the skills and confidence to tackle that challenge and continue to learn and grow. The other important reason to assess children's progress is so that you and the child's family members have a common frame of reference about the child and how you both are supporting and helping him. Finally, some states are asking for data or information about the preschoolers in their states related to the early learning standards. This helps policymakers determine the success of programs and plan for future financial investments to help the children in their state.

RLP: Does assessment mean the need for more testing?

GG: No! There are no such recommendations from the states or from the national organizations that guide the field of early childhood education. The most effective assessment of young children is still observation in authentic, everyday activities and tying that observation back to clear expectations (hence, the early learning standards come into play).

RLP: Do different states' standards relate to each other, and how will a provider know if they are meeting their state's standards?

GG: The irony of state standards around the country is that most are saying exactly the same thing only in slightly different language. That's why in the book we included the correlations from the .National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER)—so early childhood professionals can see that we all are looking at the same major areas of development and working hard to help children grow in those areas.

Click here to download sample pages from Make Early Learning Standards Come Alive that show ways in which early childhood educators are already meeting standards and ways in which they can make those standards come alive.

Gaye Gronlund is an early childhood education consultant from Indianapolis. A former preschool, kindergarten, and primary- school teacher in regular and special education, she now works with schools and programs around the country helping them implement developmentally appropriate curricular practices and authentic assessment procedures. She has a master's degree in human development from Pacific Oaks College, with a specialization in early childhood education and teaching adults. Click here for a complete list of Gaye Gronlund's books available from Redleaf Press.

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