Ohio's Core Knowledge

Ohio’s Early Childhood Core Knowledge and Competencies

Young children are amazing! Inside the vulnerable, wobbly head of the youngest newborn is a stunning amount of sophisticated brain activity! Thanks to modern science, we are just beginning to understand just how perfectly equipped and innately capable children are from the start to learn, to function, to adapt, and to make sense of the world in which they are born. But modern science has also shown that the amazing capabilities of each child are not enough by themselves to ensure a successful passage into a healthy, happy adulthood. Decades of research have made it abundantly clear: the adults who care for and educate young children will shape:

• children’s understanding of themselves, others and the world around them;
• the pathways of children’s physical, social, cognitive, and emotional development; and
• even the very structure of the young child’s brain!

Parents, of course, are their children’s first and most influential caregivers and teachers. During the course of their early years, however, most of the children in Ohio will also have their development and experiences shaped by at least one early childhood professional – someone whose professional life is dedicated to the well-being of young children, birth to age eight, and their families. In this document, you will discover the breadth and depth of knowledge and skills that are needed to fully foster young children’s inborn capabilities.

Core Knowledge

Ohio’s Core Knowledge and Competencies for Early Childhood Professionals is based on the understanding that there are critical areas of knowledge and skills that are necessary for early childhood professionals to have if young children are to thrive under their care and strives to clearly communicate the nature of these critical areas of professional practice. Our goal is that it be useful to anyone who is interested in the competency of early childhood professionals, whether it be those working or considering work in the field, those families who depend upon early childhood services, or those who make decisions and policies about early childhood professionals.

Core knowledge and competencies define what all adults who work with young children need to know, understand and be able to do in order to ensure that children have the best possible environments, experiences and relationships in which to grow and learn. Core Knowledge is based upon all that we currently know about young children’s development, care and learning through research as well as the combined wisdom of leaders in our field.

Core Knowledge is an important addition to a growing collection of key Ohio documents already in existence that are related to early childhood. The writing teams were committed to creating a Core that supports, aligns with, and compliments these documents. Click on the link below to access Ohio Early Childhood Core Knowledge and Competencies document.

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