Illinois Administrative Code › Title 23 - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL RESOURCES › Part 235 - EARLY CHILDHOOD BLOCK GRANT › Subpart D - EXCLUSIONARY DISCIPLINE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS › Appendix C - Illinois Early Learning Guidelines - Children from Birth to Age 3

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
The Illinois Early Learning Guidelines - Children from Birth
				  to Age 3 are broad statements that provide parents, teachers and caregivers
				  useful information about a child's growth and development.
Self-Regulation: Foundation of Development
Physiological Regulation: Children demonstrate the
				  emerging ability to regulate their physical processes in order to meet both
				  their internal needs and external demands in accordance with social and
				  cultural contexts.
Emotional Regulation: Children demonstrate the
				  emerging ability to identify and manage the expression of emotion in accordance
				  with social and cultural contexts.
Attention Regulation: Children demonstrate the
				  emerging ability to process stimuli, focus and sustain attention, and maintain
				  engagement in accordance with social and cultural contexts.
Behavior Regulation: Children demonstrate the
				  emerging ability to manage and adjust behaviors in accordance with social and
				  cultural contexts.
Social and Emotional Development
Attachment Relationships: Children form secure
				  attachment relationships with caregivers who are emotionally available,
				  responsive and consistent in meeting the children's needs.
Emotional Expression: Children demonstrate an
				  awareness of and the ability to identify and express emotions.
Relationship with Adults: Children demonstrate
				  the desire and develop the ability to engage, interact and build relationships
				  with familiar adults.
Self-Concept: Children develop identity of
				  self.
Relationship with Peers: Children demonstrate the
				  desire and develop the ability to engage and interact with other
				  children.
Empathy: Children demonstrate an emerging ability
				  to understand someone else's feelings and to share in the emotional experiences
				  of others.
Physical Development and Health
Gross Motor: Children demonstrate strength,
				  coordination and controlled use of large muscles.
Fine Motor: Children demonstrate the ability to
				  coordinate their small muscles in order to move and control objects.
Perceptual: Children demonstrate the ability to
				  distinguish, process and respond to sensory stimuli in their
				  environment.
Self-Care: Children demonstrate the desire and
				  ability to participate in and practice self-care routines.
Language Development, Communication and
				  Literacy
Social Communication: Children demonstrate the
				  ability to engage and maintain communication with others.
Receptive Communication: Children demonstrate the
				  ability to comprehend both verbal and nonverbal communication.
Expressive Communication: Children demonstrate
				  the ability to understand and convey thoughts through both nonverbal and verbal
				  expression.
Early Literacy: Children demonstrate interest in
				  and comprehension of printed materials.
Cognitive Development
Concept Development: Children demonstrate the
				  ability to connect pieces of information in understanding objects, ideas and
				  relationships.
Memory: Children demonstrate the ability to
				  acquire, store, recall and apply past experiences.
Spatial Relationships: Children demonstrate an
				  awareness of how objects and people move and fit in space.
Symbolic Thought: Children demonstrate the
				  understanding of concepts, experiences and ideas through symbolic
				  representation.
Creative Expression: Children demonstrate the
				  ability to convey ideas and emotions through creative expression.
Logic and Reasoning: Children demonstrate the
				  ability to use knowledge, previous experiences, and trial and error to make
				  sense of and have an impact on their world.
Quantity and Numbers: Children demonstrate
				  awareness of quantity, counting and numeric competencies.
Science Concepts and Exploration: Children
				  demonstrate a basic awareness of and use scientific concepts.
Safety and Well-Being: Children demonstrate the
				  emerging ability to recognize risky situations and respond accordingly.
Approaches to Learning
Curiosity and Initiative: Children demonstrate
				  interest and eagerness in learning about their world.
Problem-Solving: Children attempt a variety of
				  strategies to accomplish tasks, overcome obstacles, and find solutions to
				  tasks, questions and challenges.
Confidence and Risk-Taking: Children demonstrate a
				  willingness to participate in new experiences and confidently engage in
				  risk-taking.
Persistence, Effort and Attentiveness: Children
				  demonstrate the ability to remain engaged in experiences and develop a sense of
				  purpose and the ability to follow through.
Creativity, Inventiveness and Imagination:
				  Children demonstrate the ability to use creativity, inventiveness and
				  imagination to increase their understanding and knowledge of the
				  world.