Student and Family Support (SFS)

Early Learning Resources

See below for information on the following early learning related resources:

Program Quality

Fostering Learning in the Early Years:

  • Elements of High Quality Kindergarten

  • Elements of High Quality Elementary Classrooms
    These resources were jointly developed by staff from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department), and the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), as well as Early Childhood Coordinators from public school districts across the Commonwealth. While aligned with EEC's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) for preschool programs, these documents provide a framework for thinking about how to support elementary students (Kindergarten through Grade 3) in meeting high standards through the provision of developmentally appropriate classroom practices. The documents also provide a melding of evidence-based practices in the early grades by pulling from a number of current resources.

Early Childhood Briefs

The following early childhood briefs were created as companion documents for the Elements of High Quality Kindergarten, Elements of High Quality Elementary Classrooms and the joint position statement on play as an instructional strategy. While the topics of these briefs are relevant to all grades, Preschool to 12th Grade, they are written with a particular focus on our youngest students, Preschool to 3rd grade. The briefs are 1–2 pages and contain a summary of the topic along with strategies and approaches that reflect high quality early childhood practices. Each brief is followed by a list of related resources and references that were used to develop the brief.

Standards

  • MA Preschool and Kindergarten Social and Emotional Learning and Approaches to Play and Learning Standards
    The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education offers Standards for Preschool and Kindergarten in the Domains of Social and Emotional Learning, and Approaches to Play and Learning, for voluntary use by districts and schools. These Standards were developed as a collaborative initiative with the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and the University of Massachusetts/Boston with funding from the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Grant. The standards bring attention to critical areas of development and learning that positively impact student outcomes and can be used to guide efforts to strengthen curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development and family engagement.

    The Social and Emotional Learning Standards focus on the following five areas: Self-Knowledge, Self-Management, Social Knowledge, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making. The Approaches to Play and Learning Standards focus on the following eight areas: Initiative, Curiosity, Engagement/Persistence, Creativity, Cooperative Play and Learning, Problem Solving, Organizational Skills, and Memory.

    The Standards give the field a framework for supporting the development of these important competencies and should be considered in the context of the larger developmental continuum for these two domains.

    The standards are also available in multiple languages:


  • Building Supportive Environments
    Supporting children's social and emotional learning and approaches to play and learning should be embedded across all developmental domains and all curriculum areas. "Building Supportive Environments" is a companion document to the Massachusetts' Standards for Preschool and Kindergarten Social and Emotional Learning and Approaches to Play and Learning that provides guidance on creating the conditions for effective use of the Standards.

Curriculum

The Guidelines for Preschool and Kindergarten Learning Experiences (GPKLE) provides guidance for planning, aligning, and implementing curriculum that addresses the Pre-K and Kindergarten learning standards outlined in the Curriculum Frameworks of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). It has been developed to include and expand on previous publications including the Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences (2003) and the Kindergarten Learning Experiences (2008). It is intended to guide educators as they plan and provide diverse learning opportunities that help children develop a solid foundation for more advanced learning and for life.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Resources — 1st through 3rd Grade provide evidenced based and developmentally appropriate performance indicators for 1st through 3rd grade students.

Science Technology/Engineering Prek-2 Instructional Guidelines provide guidance for planning, aligning, and implementing curriculum that addresses the Pre-K through grade 2 learning standards.

Screening, Assessment, and Data

The early learning team is working to revise guidance related to screening and assessment in the early grades. Once those resources are available, they will be posted here.

Pre-K Language and Literacy Assessments

DESE and EEC are collaborating to provide technical assistance and resources to support Massachusetts Pre-K programs in selecting and using Pre-K language and literacy assessments. Resources and learning opportunities will be posted as they become available.

Pre-K Language and Literacy Office Hours

DESE has contracted with American Institutes for Research (AIR) to support Pre-K programs in identifying and using Pre-K language and literacy assessments. AIR is holding monthly office hours for district and community-based Pre-K teachers and leaders who are interested in adopting Pre-K language and literacy assessments or identifying ways to use their existing assessment data to inform instruction. Office hours will take place on the third Tuesday of each month, from 1–2 PM, on the following dates:

  • July 15, 2025
  • August 19, 2025
  • September 16, 2025
  • October 21, 2025
  • November 18, 2025
  • December 16, 2025

Registration is required; we ask that those interested in attending one or more of the office hours use their work emails when registering. Please email Juin Liu with questions.

Pre-K Language and Literacy Assessment Resources

Data Related

Student Information Management System (SIMS) Early Childhood Data Element (DOE050)

The October 1 SIMS data collection now includes the data element: Early Childhood Education Experience (DOE050). The purpose of including this new data element is to gather information on the number of children who enter kindergarten with an early childhood experience as well as the nature of those experiences. It is expected that these data will be used to inform school districts and the state about the types of experiences with which children in each district enter kindergarten, and to provide greater support for alignment of educational experiences across the birth to grade 3 learning continuum.

Additional guidance and instructions:

Family Surveys and Data Coding Guidance (the English version has been updated to reflect the current year. The other languages will be updated in the future.):

Kindergarten Enrollment:

Kindergarten Enrollment Report — This report includes the kindergarten enrollment for students in public schools and charter schools in the state, including part-time, full-time, and tuitioned enrollment.

Newsletters

Use this form to sign up for Prek–3rd Grade Learning Updates.

For copies of previous newsletters, email achievement@mass.gov .

Useful Links and Documents

Resources and information about Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) are available on the Office of Special Education Planning and Policy's website. ECSE services are designed for young children (aged 3–5) with disabilities who need specially designed instruction or related services and whose disability(ies) causes the children to be unable to participate in developmentally appropriate typical preschool activities. ECSE programs ensure that children with disabilities have a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) that is designed to meet their unique needs and enable them to make progress in acquiring knowledge and skills, including social emotional skills, within the general education program.

A Framework for Planning, Implementing and Evaluating PreK–3rd Grade Approaches is a self assessment tool for communities and/or districts to use in determining their progress and success in PreK–3 efforts (developed by Kauerz and Coffman from the University of Washington). The Framework helps to address key questions facing those who are developing PreK–3rd grade approaches in their school, district, or community.

Organizations and Agencies

Please note: DESE is providing this information as a service to educators, schools, and districts and may revise or supplement it from time to time. The publication of this information does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by DESE of any resource, product, curriculum, or system. DESE welcomes comments, additional information, and suggestions; please contact achievement@mass.gov .

Last Updated: July 8, 2025

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