Colorado’s Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines: The official early learning standards framework
Colorado’s early learning standards are organized under the Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines (Birth to Age 8), jointly administered by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) and the Colorado Department of Education (CDE). The Guidelines apply to all licensed childcare and development programs serving children from birth through age 8, including centers, family childcare homes, and Colorado Preschool Program (CPP) participants.
Colorado’s Guidelines define developmental expectations across all 8 domains and guide curriculum planning, developmental assessment, and program quality statewide. Programs can view current guidance at the Colorado Department of Early Childhood page.
Colorado’s QRIS is called Colorado Shines, administered by CDEC. Colorado Shines participation is mandatory for all licensed programs serving children ages 0–5. Programs are evaluated on Workforce Qualifications, Family Partnerships, Leadership & Management, Learning Environment, and Child Health across a five-level hybrid rating structure. Using a research-based curriculum aligned to Colorado’s Guidelines supports higher Colorado Shines ratings.
Explore by developmental domain
Colorado’s Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines domains and Experience Curriculum alignment
Select a developmental domain below to see how Colorado’s Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines defines that domain, the key milestones by age group, and exactly how Experience Curriculum activities and skills map to each Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines indicator.
Social-Emotional Development
Self-regulation, peer relationships, identity, empathy, and emotional expression
Explore Colorado Social-Emotional Development standards →Language & Literacy
Receptive and expressive language, phonological awareness, early reading and writing
Explore Colorado Language & Literacy standards →Mathematics & Reasoning
Number sense, patterns, measurement, spatial reasoning, and early problem-solving
Explore Colorado Mathematics & Reasoning standards →Science
Observation, inquiry, cause-and-effect, and exploration of the natural world
Explore Colorado Science standards →Social Studies
Community, family, cultural identity, roles, and civic understanding
Explore Colorado Social Studies standards →Creative Arts
Visual arts, music, movement, dramatic play, and creative expression
Explore Colorado Creative Arts standards →Physical Development
Gross and fine motor skills, body awareness, health, and self-care
Explore Colorado Physical Development standards →Approaches to Learning
Curiosity, persistence, initiative, flexibility, and attention
Explore Colorado Approaches to Learning standards →Curriculum alignment
How Experience Curriculum aligns to Colorado’s Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines
Experience Curriculum is formally aligned to Colorado’s Early Learning and Development Guidelines 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 Colorado Alignment PDF documents how every Experience Curriculum activity and skill maps to a specific Colorado guideline indicator.
For Colorado programs using brightwheel, developmental observations can be logged directly in the app during or after activities, automatically building each child’s portfolio and supporting Colorado Shines curriculum documentation requirements.
The Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines Alignment PDF is a free resource documenting how every Experience Curriculum activity maps to Colorado’s Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines indicators — suitable for QRIS review submissions and licensing documentation.
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