New Jersey’s NJ Early Learning Standards: The official early learning standards framework
New Jersey’s early learning standards are organized under two jointly administered documents: the New Jersey Birth to Three Early Learning Standards (2013) for infant and toddler programs, and the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards for preschool-age children — both administered by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE). Together they apply to licensed childcare centers, family childcare homes, and Abbott Preschool Programs serving children from birth through kindergarten entry.
New Jersey’s Early Learning Standards define developmental expectations across all 8 domains and guide curriculum planning, developmental assessment, and program quality statewide. Programs can view current guidance at the NJDOE Early Childhood Education Standards page.
New Jersey’s QRIS is called Grow NJ Kids, a statewide system administered through NJDOE partnerships with regional universities and CCR&Rs. Programs are provided assistance to develop quality improvement plans to achieve star ratings. Using a research-based curriculum aligned to New Jersey’s Early Learning Standards supports higher Grow NJ Kids ratings.
Explore by developmental domain
New Jersey’s NJ Early Learning Standards domains and Experience Curriculum alignment
Select a developmental domain below to see how New Jersey’s NJ Early Learning Standards defines that domain, the key milestones by age group, and exactly how Experience Curriculum activities and skills map to each NJ Early Learning Standards indicator.
Social-Emotional Development
Self-regulation, peer relationships, identity, empathy, and emotional expression
Explore New Jersey Social-Emotional Development standards →Language & Literacy
Receptive and expressive language, phonological awareness, early reading and writing
Explore New Jersey Language & Literacy standards →Mathematics & Reasoning
Number sense, patterns, measurement, spatial reasoning, and early problem-solving
Explore New Jersey Mathematics & Reasoning standards →Science
Observation, inquiry, cause-and-effect, and exploration of the natural world
Explore New Jersey Science standards →Social Studies
Community, family, cultural identity, roles, and civic understanding
Explore New Jersey Social Studies standards →Creative Arts
Visual arts, music, movement, dramatic play, and creative expression
Explore New Jersey Creative Arts standards →Physical Development
Gross and fine motor skills, body awareness, health, and self-care
Explore New Jersey Physical Development standards →Approaches to Learning
Curiosity, persistence, initiative, flexibility, and attention
Explore New Jersey Approaches to Learning standards →Curriculum alignment
How Experience Curriculum aligns to New Jersey’s NJ Early Learning Standards
Experience Curriculum is formally aligned to New Jersey’s NJ Early Learning Standards 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 New Jersey Early Learning Standards Alignment PDF documents how every Experience Curriculum activity and skill maps to a specific NJ Early Learning Standards indicator.
For New Jersey programs using brightwheel, developmental observations can be logged directly in the app during or after activities, automatically building each child’s portfolio and supporting Grow NJ Kids curriculum documentation requirements.
The New Jersey Early Learning Standards Alignment PDF is a free resource documenting how every Experience Curriculum activity maps to New Jersey’s NJ Early Learning Standards indicators — suitable for QRIS review submissions and licensing documentation.
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