Maine’s MELDS: The official early learning standards framework
Maine’s early learning standards are organized under the Maine Early Learning and Development Standards (MELDS), administered by the Maine Department of Education (MDOE). Two documents cover the full age span: the Infant/Toddler MELDS and the Preschool MELDS (P-MELDS). Together they apply to licensed childcare centers, family childcare homes, state-funded preschool programs, and Head Start programs serving children from birth through kindergarten entry.
MELDS defines developmental expectations across all 8 domains and guides curriculum planning, developmental assessment, and program quality statewide. Programs can view current guidance at the Maine DOE Early Learning Standards page.
Maine’s QRIS is called Rising Stars for ME, a five-star program administered through Maine DHHS. Programs earning higher star ratings receive increased reimbursement rates from the Maine Child Care Subsidy program. Using a research-based curriculum aligned to Maine’s MELDS supports higher Rising Stars ratings in the child development and learning environment domains.
Explore by developmental domain
Maine’s MELDS domains and Experience Curriculum alignment
Select a developmental domain below to see how Maine’s MELDS defines that domain, the key milestones by age group, and exactly how Experience Curriculum activities and skills map to each MELDS indicator.
Social-Emotional Development
Self-regulation, peer relationships, identity, empathy, and emotional expression
Explore Maine Social-Emotional Development standards →Language & Literacy
Receptive and expressive language, phonological awareness, early reading and writing
Explore Maine Language & Literacy standards →Mathematics & Reasoning
Number sense, patterns, measurement, spatial reasoning, and early problem-solving
Explore Maine Mathematics & Reasoning standards →Science
Observation, inquiry, cause-and-effect, and exploration of the natural world
Explore Maine Science standards →Social Studies
Community, family, cultural identity, roles, and civic understanding
Explore Maine Social Studies standards →Creative Arts
Visual arts, music, movement, dramatic play, and creative expression
Explore Maine Creative Arts standards →Physical Development
Gross and fine motor skills, body awareness, health, and self-care
Explore Maine Physical Development standards →Approaches to Learning
Curiosity, persistence, initiative, flexibility, and attention
Explore Maine Approaches to Learning standards →Curriculum alignment
How Experience Curriculum aligns to Maine’s MELDS
Experience Curriculum is formally aligned to Maine’s MELDS 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 Maine MELDS Alignment PDF documents how every Experience Curriculum activity and skill maps to a specific MELDS indicator.
For Maine programs using brightwheel, developmental observations can be logged directly in the app during or after activities, automatically building each child’s portfolio and supporting Rising Stars for ME curriculum documentation requirements.
The Maine MELDS Alignment PDF is a free resource documenting how every Experience Curriculum activity maps to Maine’s MELDS indicators — suitable for QRIS review submissions and licensing documentation.
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