Connecticut’s CT ELDS: The official early learning standards framework
Connecticut’s early learning standards are organized under the Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards (CT ELDS), updated in 2025 and administered by the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC). CT ELDS applies to licensed childcare centers, family childcare homes, and state-funded preschool programs serving children from birth through kindergarten entry.
CT ELDS defines developmental expectations across all 8 domains and guides curriculum planning, developmental assessment, and program quality in Connecticut’s licensed early care and education programs. Programs can view current guidance at the Connecticut OEC CT ELDS page.
Connecticut’s quality improvement system is called Elevate, administered by OEC. Elevate recognizes programs at Member, Member+, and Member Accredited levels and links to NAEYC and NAFCC accreditation standards. Using a research-based curriculum aligned to CT ELDS supports Elevate program improvement goals and accreditation pathways.
Explore by developmental domain
Connecticut’s CT ELDS domains and Experience Curriculum alignment
Select a developmental domain below to see how Connecticut’s CT ELDS defines that domain, the key milestones by age group, and exactly how Experience Curriculum activities and skills map to each CT ELDS indicator.
Social-Emotional Development
Self-regulation, peer relationships, identity, empathy, and emotional expression
Explore Connecticut Social-Emotional Development standards →Language & Literacy
Receptive and expressive language, phonological awareness, early reading and writing
Explore Connecticut Language & Literacy standards →Mathematics & Reasoning
Number sense, patterns, measurement, spatial reasoning, and early problem-solving
Explore Connecticut Mathematics & Reasoning standards →Science
Observation, inquiry, cause-and-effect, and exploration of the natural world
Explore Connecticut Science standards →Social Studies
Community, family, cultural identity, roles, and civic understanding
Explore Connecticut Social Studies standards →Creative Arts
Visual arts, music, movement, dramatic play, and creative expression
Explore Connecticut Creative Arts standards →Physical Development
Gross and fine motor skills, body awareness, health, and self-care
Explore Connecticut Physical Development standards →Approaches to Learning
Curiosity, persistence, initiative, flexibility, and attention
Explore Connecticut Approaches to Learning standards →Curriculum alignment
How Experience Curriculum aligns to Connecticut’s CT ELDS
Experience Curriculum is formally aligned to Connecticut’s CT ELDS across all three age bands — Baby (birth to 18 months), Toddler (18 to 36 months), and Preschool (3 to 5 years) — and all 8 developmental domains. The Connecticut Alignment PDF documents how every Experience Curriculum activity and skill maps to a specific CT ELDS indicator.
For Connecticut programs using brightwheel, developmental observations can be logged directly in the app during or after activities, automatically building each child’s portfolio and supporting Elevate quality improvement documentation.
The Connecticut CT ELDS Alignment PDF is a free resource documenting how every Experience Curriculum activity maps to Connecticut’s CT ELDS indicators — suitable for QRIS review submissions and licensing documentation.
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