Hawaii’s HELDS: The official early learning standards framework
Hawaii’s early learning standards are organized under the Hawaii Early Learning and Development Standards (HELDS), jointly administered by the Hawaii Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Hawaii Department of Education (DOE). HELDS applies to licensed childcare centers, family childcare homes, and state-funded preschool programs serving children from birth through kindergarten entry.
HELDS defines developmental expectations across all 8 domains and guides curriculum planning, developmental assessment, and program quality in Hawaii’s licensed early care and education programs. Programs can view current guidance at the Hawaii Early Learning page.
Hawaii does not currently operate a formal statewide QRIS. Hawaii continues quality improvement initiatives through the Learning to Grow program and other DHS and DOE supports for early childhood providers. Using a research-based curriculum aligned to Hawaii’s HELDS supports program quality improvement and licensing compliance.
Explore by developmental domain
Hawaii’s HELDS domains and Experience Curriculum alignment
Select a developmental domain below to see how Hawaii’s HELDS defines that domain, the key milestones by age group, and exactly how Experience Curriculum activities and skills map to each HELDS indicator.
Social-Emotional Development
Self-regulation, peer relationships, identity, empathy, and emotional expression
Explore Hawaii Social-Emotional Development standards →Language & Literacy
Receptive and expressive language, phonological awareness, early reading and writing
Explore Hawaii Language & Literacy standards →Mathematics & Reasoning
Number sense, patterns, measurement, spatial reasoning, and early problem-solving
Explore Hawaii Mathematics & Reasoning standards →Science
Observation, inquiry, cause-and-effect, and exploration of the natural world
Explore Hawaii Science standards →Social Studies
Community, family, cultural identity, roles, and civic understanding
Explore Hawaii Social Studies standards →Creative Arts
Visual arts, music, movement, dramatic play, and creative expression
Explore Hawaii Creative Arts standards →Physical Development
Gross and fine motor skills, body awareness, health, and self-care
Explore Hawaii Physical Development standards →Approaches to Learning
Curiosity, persistence, initiative, flexibility, and attention
Explore Hawaii Approaches to Learning standards →Curriculum alignment
How Experience Curriculum aligns to Hawaii’s HELDS
Experience Curriculum is formally aligned to Hawaii’s HELDS 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 Hawaii HELDS Alignment PDF documents how every Experience Curriculum activity and skill maps to a specific HELDS indicator.
For Hawaii programs using brightwheel, developmental observations can be logged directly in the app during or after activities, automatically building each child’s portfolio and supporting Quality Improvement curriculum documentation requirements.
The Hawaii HELDS Alignment PDF is a free resource documenting how every Experience Curriculum activity maps to Hawaii’s HELDS indicators — suitable for QRIS review submissions and licensing documentation.
Frequently asked questions