Oregon’s Oregon Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines: The official early learning standards framework
Oregon’s early learning standards are organized under Oregon’s Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines, administered by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE). The Guidelines apply to licensed childcare centers, family childcare homes, Oregon’s Preschool Promise program, and Head Start programs serving children from birth through kindergarten entry statewide.
Oregon’s Guidelines define developmental expectations across multiple domains and guide curriculum planning, developmental assessment, and program quality. Programs can view current guidance at the ODE Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines page.
Oregon’s QRIS is called Spark (Oregon’s Quality Recognition and Improvement System), administered through ODE and the Oregon Center for Career Development. Spark is a voluntary star-based system for licensed childcare programs evaluated on learning environment, interactions, staff qualifications, and family engagement. Using a research-based curriculum aligned to Oregon’s Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines supports higher Spark ratings.
Explore by developmental domain
Oregon’s Oregon Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines domains and Experience Curriculum alignment
Select a developmental domain below to see how Oregon’s Oregon Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines defines that domain, the key milestones by age group, and exactly how Experience Curriculum activities and skills map to each Oregon Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines indicator.
Social-Emotional Development
Self-regulation, peer relationships, identity, empathy, and emotional expression
Explore Oregon Social-Emotional Development standards →Language & Literacy
Receptive and expressive language, phonological awareness, early reading and writing
Explore Oregon Language & Literacy standards →Mathematics & Reasoning
Number sense, patterns, measurement, spatial reasoning, and early problem-solving
Explore Oregon Mathematics & Reasoning standards →Science
Observation, inquiry, cause-and-effect, and exploration of the natural world
Explore Oregon Science standards →Social Studies
Community, family, cultural identity, roles, and civic understanding
Explore Oregon Social Studies standards →Creative Arts
Visual arts, music, movement, dramatic play, and creative expression
Explore Oregon Creative Arts standards →Physical Development
Gross and fine motor skills, body awareness, health, and self-care
Explore Oregon Physical Development standards →Approaches to Learning
Curiosity, persistence, initiative, flexibility, and attention
Explore Oregon Approaches to Learning standards →Curriculum alignment
How Experience Curriculum aligns to Oregon’s Oregon Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines
Experience Curriculum is formally aligned to Oregon’s Oregon Early Learning and Kindergarten 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 Oregon Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines Alignment PDF documents how every Experience Curriculum activity and skill maps to a specific Oregon Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines indicator.
For Oregon programs using brightwheel, developmental observations can be logged directly in the app during or after activities, automatically building each child’s portfolio and supporting Spark curriculum documentation requirements.
The Oregon Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines Alignment PDF is a free resource documenting how every Experience Curriculum activity maps to Oregon’s Oregon Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines indicators — suitable for QRIS review submissions and licensing documentation.
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