Washington’s Washington Early Learning Guidelines: The official early learning standards framework
Washington’s early learning standards are organized under the Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines (Birth through 3rd Grade, April 2021 update), administered by the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). The Guidelines apply to licensed childcare centers, family childcare homes, Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) providers, and Head Start programs serving children from birth through kindergarten entry.
Washington’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 DCYF Early Learning Guidelines page. Note: use DCYF, not the former name DEL (Department of Early Learning).
Washington’s QRIS is called Early Achievers, administered by DCYF. Early Achievers is Washington’s quality recognition and improvement system for licensed childcare programs serving children birth through age 5. Programs demonstrate quality through continuous improvement pathways including videos of practice and virtual program profiles. Using a research-based curriculum aligned to Washington’s Early Learning Guidelines supports Early Achievers quality improvement goals.
Explore by developmental domain
Washington’s Washington Early Learning Guidelines domains and Experience Curriculum alignment
Select a developmental domain below to see how Washington’s Washington Early Learning Guidelines defines that domain, the key milestones by age group, and exactly how Experience Curriculum activities and skills map to each Washington Early Learning Guidelines indicator.
Social-Emotional Development
Self-regulation, peer relationships, identity, empathy, and emotional expression
Explore Washington Social-Emotional Development standards →Language & Literacy
Receptive and expressive language, phonological awareness, early reading and writing
Explore Washington Language & Literacy standards →Mathematics & Reasoning
Number sense, patterns, measurement, spatial reasoning, and early problem-solving
Explore Washington Mathematics & Reasoning standards →Science
Observation, inquiry, cause-and-effect, and exploration of the natural world
Explore Washington Science standards →Social Studies
Community, family, cultural identity, roles, and civic understanding
Explore Washington Social Studies standards →Creative Arts
Visual arts, music, movement, dramatic play, and creative expression
Explore Washington Creative Arts standards →Physical Development
Gross and fine motor skills, body awareness, health, and self-care
Explore Washington Physical Development standards →Approaches to Learning
Curiosity, persistence, initiative, flexibility, and attention
Explore Washington Approaches to Learning standards →Curriculum alignment
How Experience Curriculum aligns to Washington’s Washington Early Learning Guidelines
Experience Curriculum is formally aligned to Washington’s Washington Early Learning 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 Washington Early Learning and Development Guidelines Alignment PDF documents how every Experience Curriculum activity and skill maps to a specific Washington Early Learning Guidelines indicator.
For Washington programs using brightwheel, developmental observations can be logged directly in the app during or after activities, automatically building each child’s portfolio and supporting Early Achievers curriculum documentation requirements.
The Washington Early Learning and Development Guidelines Alignment PDF is a free resource documenting how every Experience Curriculum activity maps to Washington’s Washington Early Learning Guidelines indicators — suitable for QRIS review submissions and licensing documentation.
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