What are the Illinois Early Learning Standards and Benchmarks?
The Illinois Early Learning Standards are designed to help teachers and caregivers plan educational experiences for young children that will help them be ready for kindergarten. The Standards are statements about the goals of education in Illinois. A Benchmark is a step on the way to a goal appropriate for a particular age group. The Benchmarks are essentially a list of things most young children should be able to learn, know, and do before they start kindergarten. The Illinois State Board of Education developed the Illinois Early Learning Standards and Benchmarks with the cooperation of many early childhood educators and experts throughout Illinois. The Early Learning Standards match the Illinois Learning Standards for students through Grade 12. They also match the Illinois Five-2-Six Standards that are being developed for kindergarten. You can find the Illinois Early Learning Standards and Benchmarks in English and Spanish on the Internet at the following Web address: http://illinois
