Tennessee’s TN-ELDS: The official early learning standards framework
Tennessee’s early learning standards are organized under the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards (TN-ELDS), administered by the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS). Two documents cover the full age span: TN-ELDS for birth through 48 months, and the Revised TN-ELDS for 4-Year-Olds (2018 revision). Together they apply to licensed childcare centers, family childcare homes, and Head Start programs serving children from birth through age 4.
TN-ELDS defines developmental expectations across all 8 domains and guides curriculum planning, developmental assessment, and program quality statewide. Programs can view current guidance at the Tennessee TDHS Early Learning Standards page.
Tennessee’s QRIS is called Tennessee Star Quality (also known as the Star-Quality Child Care Program), administered by TDHS. Centers earn 1 to 3 stars based on program quality, staff qualifications, and family engagement. Higher star ratings qualify for significantly increased subsidy reimbursement rates. Using a research-based curriculum aligned to Tennessee’s TN-ELDS supports higher Star Quality ratings.
Explore by developmental domain
Tennessee’s TN-ELDS domains and Experience Curriculum alignment
Select a developmental domain below to see how Tennessee’s TN-ELDS defines that domain, the key milestones by age group, and exactly how Experience Curriculum activities and skills map to each TN-ELDS indicator.
Social-Emotional Development
Self-regulation, peer relationships, identity, empathy, and emotional expression
Explore Tennessee Social-Emotional Development standards →Language & Literacy
Receptive and expressive language, phonological awareness, early reading and writing
Explore Tennessee Language & Literacy standards →Mathematics & Reasoning
Number sense, patterns, measurement, spatial reasoning, and early problem-solving
Explore Tennessee Mathematics & Reasoning standards →Science
Observation, inquiry, cause-and-effect, and exploration of the natural world
Explore Tennessee Science standards →Social Studies
Community, family, cultural identity, roles, and civic understanding
Explore Tennessee Social Studies standards →Creative Arts
Visual arts, music, movement, dramatic play, and creative expression
Explore Tennessee Creative Arts standards →Physical Development
Gross and fine motor skills, body awareness, health, and self-care
Explore Tennessee Physical Development standards →Approaches to Learning
Curiosity, persistence, initiative, flexibility, and attention
Explore Tennessee Approaches to Learning standards →Curriculum alignment
How Experience Curriculum aligns to Tennessee’s TN-ELDS
Experience Curriculum is formally aligned to Tennessee’s TN-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 Tennessee TN-ELDS Alignment PDF documents how every Experience Curriculum activity and skill maps to a specific TN-ELDS indicator.
For Tennessee programs using brightwheel, developmental observations can be logged directly in the app during or after activities, automatically building each child’s portfolio and supporting Tennessee Star Quality curriculum documentation requirements.
The Tennessee TN-ELDS Alignment PDF is a free resource documenting how every Experience Curriculum activity maps to Tennessee’s TN-ELDS indicators — suitable for QRIS review submissions and licensing documentation.
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