The means or skills to do something. In this position statement, we use the term “ability” more broadly than the traditional focus on cognition or psychometric properties to apply across all domains of development. We focus and build on each child’s abilities, strengths, and interests, acknowledging disabilities and developmental delays while avoiding ableism (see also disability).

The characteristics and experiences unique to each child, within the context of their family and community, that have implications for how best to support their development and learning.

A person’s ability to make choices and influence events. In this position statement, we emphasize each child’s agency, especially a child’s ability to make choices and influence events in the context of learning activities, also referred to as autonomy or child-directed learning.

A systematic procedure for obtaining information from observations, interviews, portfolios, projects, and other sources, which is used to make informed judgments about learners’ characteristics, understanding, and development to implement improved curriculum and teaching practices.

Attitude or stereotypes that favor one group over another.

Refers to a student who is a candidate for completion in an early childhood educator professional preparation program. In some cases, these candidates are also candidates for professional licensure or certification.

The national standards formally adopted by a profession to define the essentials of high-quality practice for all members of the profession. They may be applied in the development of national accreditation, state program approval, individual licensing, and other aspects of professional development systems. They provide the unifying framework for core as well as specialized or advanced knowledge and competencies.

A universal, innate, and essential human activity that children engage in for pleasure, enjoyment, and recreation.

The knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to support high-quality practice across all early childhood education sectors, settings, and roles.

The knowledge of subject areas in the early childhood curriculum to be taught and the ability to implement effective instructional strategies.

A social construct that categorizes and ranks groups of people on the basis of skin color and other physical features.

A term used to describe programming and policies that ensure that a child and his or her family are consistently engaged in high-quality early learning experiences through a stable relationship with a caregiver who is sensitive and responsive to the young child’s signals and needs

Patterns of beliefs, practices, and traditions associated with a particular group of people. 

Curriculum and practices that emphasize content and interactions that are meaningful to the social and cultural norms, traditions, values, and experiences of the learners.

A responsive teaching approach values all children’s cultures and experiences and uses them as a springboard for learning.

The knowledge, skills, abilities, and understanding children are to acquire and the plans for the learning experiences through which their acquisition occurs.

Refers to a framework of principles and guidelines for practice that promotes young children’s optimal learning and development. 

Challenging conditions that include intellectual disability; hearing, speech or language, visual, and/or orthopedic impairment; autism; and traumatic brain injury. 

Individual attitudes, beliefs, values, habits, and tendencies toward particular actions.

Variations among individuals, as well as within and across groups of individuals, in terms of their backgrounds and lived experiences. 

A concept that can be used to support access to environments in many different types of settings through the removal of physical and structural barriers.

A term defined using the developmental definition of birth through approximately age 8, regardless of programmatic, regulatory, funding, or delivery sectors or mechanisms.

Broadly defined as anything human-made that is used to solve a problem or fulfill a desire. 

The state that would be achieved if individuals fared the same way in society regardless of race, gender, class, language, disability, or any other social or cultural characteristic.

Essential cultural practices and bodies of knowledge embedded in the daily practices and routines of families.

Embodied by the values, policies, and practices that support the right of every infant and young child and their family, regardless of ability, to participate in a broad range of activities and contexts as full members of families, communities, and society. 

Everyday verbal, nonverbal, or environmental messages that implicitly contain a negative stereotype or are in some way dehumanizing or othering.

Knowledge of academic disciplines and the ability to create meaningful learning experiences for each child by using effective teaching strategies.

A continuum of learning and support opportunities designed to prepare individuals with the knowledge, skills, practices, and dispositions needed in a specific profession.

The definition of certain actions, identities, and outcomes as the standard.