NAEYC Professional Standards and Competencies

In Your Own Words

Standard Competency What does this mean?

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1: Child 1a: Understand the Understand the developmental

Development developmental period of early period of early childhood from
and Learning childhood from birth through age birth through age 8, across
in Context 8 across physical, cognitive, physical, cognitive, social,
social and emotional, and emotional, and linguistic
linguistic domains, including domains. This includes
bilingual/multilingual recognizing the importance of
development. bilingual and multilingual
development, and how these
areas shape a child's growth,
learning, and overall
development during these critical
early years.

1b: Understand and value each Understand and value each

child as an individual with unique child as unique, with different
developmental variations, abilities, strengths, challenges,
experiences, strengths, interests, and learning styles. Educators
abilities, challenges, approaches should value and nurture this
to learning, and with the capacity
individuality and ability to make
to make choices.
choices.
 1c: Children develop and learn Understand how children grow
within various contexts, such as and learn—both as individuals
family, culture, community, and with unique needs and
society. These contexts shape experiences and as part of a
their experiences and group. Family, culture, and
opportunities.child development community play significant roles
and the learning process occur in in shaping a child’s
multiple contexts, including development, recognize these
family, culture, language, influences and use them to
community, and early learning guide teaching.
setting, as well as in a larger
societal context that includes
structural inequities.

1d: Use this multidimensional Use knowledge and

knowledge—that is, knowledge understanding of early childhood
about the developmental period development, individual
of early childhood, about differences, and the cultural
individual children, and about contexts that shape learning to
development and learning in make informed, evidence-based
cultural contexts—to make decisions that nurture and
evidence based decisions that support each child's growth and
support each child. development.

2: Family- 2a: Know about, understand, and Understand, appreciate, and

Teacher value the diversity of families. truly value the diversity that each
Partnerships family brings, while staying
and informed, connected, and
Community inclusive in your approach.
Connections
 2b: Collaborate as partners with Work collaboratively with
families in young children’s families to support young
development and learning children's development and
through respectful, reciprocal learning. Build respectful,
relationships and engagement. two-way relationships to foster
trust and engagement, creating
a partnership where families feel
valued and empowered in their
child's educational journey.

2c: Use community resources to Establish respectful,

support young children’s learning collaborative relationships with
and development and to support families and connect them to
families, and build partnerships community resources. Foster
between early learning settings, partnerships between early
schools, and community learning settings, schools, and
organizations and agencies. community organizations, create
a strong support network that
benefits both children and their
families.

3:Child 3a: Understand that Understand that assessments,

Observation, assessments (formal and whether formal or informal,
Document, and informal, formative and formative or summative, are
Assessment summative) are conducted to essential tools for making
make informed choices about thoughtful decisions about
instruction and for planning in instruction and for planning
early learning settings. effectively in early learning
environments.

3b: Know a wide range of types Be familiar with a variety of

of assessments, their purposes, assessment types, understand
and their associated methods their purposes, and know the
and tools. methods and tools associated
with each to effectively support
 children's learning and
development.

3c: Use screening and Use screening and assessment

assessment tools in ways that tools that are ethically sound and
are ethically grounded and tailored to be developmentally,
developmentally, ability, ability-wise, culturally, and
culturally, and linguistically linguistically appropriate. Ensure
appropriate in order to document accurate documentation of each
developmental progress and child's progress and support
promote positive outcomes for positive outcomes for their
each child. growth and learning.

3d: Build assessment Collaborate with families and

partnerships with families and professional colleagues to build
professional colleagues. strong partnerships in
assessment.Ensuring a shared
understanding of each child’s
development and learning
progress, fostering a unified
approach to supporting their
success.

4: 4a: Understand and demonstrate Understand and recognize the

Developmental positive, caring, supportive importance of building positive,
ly, Culturally, relationships and interactions as caring, and supportive
and the foundation of early childhood relationships with young
Linguistically educators’ work with young children. These connections
children.
Appropriate form the foundation of effective
Teaching teaching and are essential for
Practices fostering a safe, nurturing, and
engaging learning environment.
 4b: Understand and use teaching Understand and apply teaching
skills that are responsive to the strategies that meet the
learning trajectories of young individual learning needs of each
children and to the needs of each child, recognizing that every
child, recognizing that child develops at their own pace.
differentiating instruction, This includes adapting
incorporating play as a core instruction, using play as an
teaching practice, and supporting essential part of teaching, and
the development of executive helping children build important
function skills are critical for skills like self-regulation and
young children. problem-solving.

4c: Use a broad repertoire of Utilize a wide range of teaching

developmentally appropriate, techniques that are not only
culturally and linguistically developmentally appropriate but
relevant, anti-bias, also culturally sensitive,
evidence-based teaching skills inclusive, and grounded in
and strategies that reflect the evidence-based practices.
principles of universal design for These methods should support
learning. all children, embrace diversity,
and promote a fair and
welcoming learning environment
for everyone.

5: Knowledge, 5a: Understand content Understand the key concepts,

Application, knowledge— the central methods, and tools used in early
and Integration concepts, methods and tools of childhood education, along with
of Academic inquiry, and structure—and the structure and resources
Content in the resources for the academic needed for teaching various
Early disciplines in an early childhood subjects. This knowledge forms
Childhood curriculum. the foundation for creating a rich
Curriculum and engaging curriculum that
supports young children’s
learning and growth in all
academic areas.
 5b: Understand pedagogical Understand how young children
content knowledge—how young learn in different subjects and
children learn in each how to apply teaching strategies
discipline—and how to use the that align with their
teacher knowledge and practices developmental needs. This
described in Standards 1 through
involves using the knowledge
4 to support young children’s
and practices from earlier
learning in each content area.
standards (1 through 4) to guide
and support children's learning
in each academic discipline,
ensuring that teaching methods
are tailored to their growth and
learning styles.

5c: Modify teaching practices by Adapt teaching methods by

applying, expanding, integrating, continuously enhancing and
and updating their content broadening your understanding
knowledge in the disciplines, of subject matter, curriculum
their knowledge of curriculum resources, and effective
content resources, and their teaching strategies. This
pedagogical content knowledge. ensures that you stay current
with best practices, refine your
approach, and apply the most
relevant knowledge to meet the
needs of young learners.

6: 6a: Identify and involve Early childhood educators

Professionalis themselves with the early should actively engage with the
m as an Early childhood field and serve as field by staying informed about
Childhood informed advocates for young new developments, advocating
Educator children, families, and the for the needs of children,
profession.
families, and the profession, and
passionately driving positive
change and progress
6b: Know about and uphold Stay informed and adhere to
ethical and other early childhood ethical standards and
professional guidelines. professional guidelines.
Educators demonstrate respect
and responsibility, ensuring their
actions reflect the best interests
of the children and families they
support.

6c: Use professional Use professional and effective

communication skills, including communication, including the
technology-mediated strategies, use of technology, for supporting
to effectively support young children’s development and
children’s learning and collaborating with families and
development and to work with
colleagues. By engaging in
families and colleagues.
clear, open, and purposeful
dialogue, educators can better
support children's development
and promote a strong
partnership in the educational
process.

6d: Engage in continuous, Engage in continuous

collaborative learning to inform collaborative learning to inform
practice. practice. Stay committed to
lifelong learning and work with
peers to stay informed on best
practices and implement
strategies that positively impact
young children's education.

6e: Develop and sustain the habit Engage in reflective and

of reflective and intentional intentional practice in their daily
practice in their daily work with work with young children and as
members of the early childhood
young children and as members profession to grow as an
of the early childhood profession. educator. Regularly assess
work, seek feedback, and adjust
teaching practices to ensure to
remain responsive to children’s
needs and continue to improve
professionally.