How our activities map to Minnesota's ECIPs
Minnesota's early learning standards are the Early Childhood Indicators of Progress (ECIPs). They describe what children typically learn and do from birth to kindergarten, in eight domains. Every activity in MN Daycare Start is mapped to the specific ECIP indicators it works on.
How we map an activity
- Each activity gets one to four indicators, chosen from the ECIPs column for its age band: birth to one year for infants, one to two years for toddlers, and three to five years for preschoolers.
- We tag an indicator only when the activity, as written, has the child actually doing that thing. If a fit would take a stretch, we leave it out.
- Each tag comes with one sentence on what the child does in that activity to meet it.
- Subscribers see the indicators printed at the bottom of every activity, plus a full crosswalk of the month.
Source: Early Childhood Indicators of Progress: Minnesota's Early Learning Standards: Birth to Kindergarten, January 2017 (form DHS-7596A-ENG 1-17).
A sample: September 1
Infant Mirror Faces
- L1.2 Language, Literacy and Communications, Language comprehension (Birth to 6 months): "Watches caregiver actions and gestures"
In this activity: Baby watches you point to your own face and then back to theirs in the mirror. - P1.2 Physical and Movement Development, Early infancy - reflexive movements (0-1 year): "Laying on tummy, holds head up"
In this activity: Baby lies on their tummy and lifts their head to look at the mirror. - AL1.1 Approaches to Learning, Inquisitiveness (0-1 year): "Shows interest in the environment primarily through looking and listening"
In this activity: Baby looks at the faces in the mirror and listens as you name eyes, nose, and smile.
Toddler Hello, Friends!
- SS2.4 Social Systems, Civics (1-2 years): "Shows interest in other children and objects"
In this activity: Toddlers sit in the circle as each friend is greeted by name and the ball is rolled around. - SS2.3 Social Systems, Civics (1-2 years): "Develops an expectation and understanding of routines within a familiar environment"
In this activity: Toddlers take part in the same name-by-name hello, a routine they come to expect each day. - L5.3 Language, Literacy and Communications, Phonological awareness (6-15 months): "Shows interest in songs, rhymes, chants, and stories"
In this activity: Toddlers listen to the hello song sung with each child's name.
Preschool All About Me Poster
- S2.6 Social and Emotional Development, Self Awareness (4-5 years, K Readiness): "Shows increasingly accurate understanding of own strengths, preferences, limitations, and personal qualities"
In this activity: Children draw their favorite food and something they're good at. - L3.10 Language, Literacy and Communications, Vocabulary and syntax (3-4 years): "Uses short sentences to shares information about experiences, people, places, and things"
In this activity: Children tell you about their drawings while you write down what they say. - P5.17 Physical and Movement Development, Dexterity (4-5 years, K Readiness): "Draws stick people and some objects"
In this activity: Children draw themselves and someone in their family. - AL3.8 Approaches to Learning, Attending (4-5 years, K Readiness): "Participates in large group activities and discussions"
In this activity: Each child holds up their poster and shares one thing at circle time.
This month's coverage
How many of September's 63 activities work on each domain, by age band. A low number is shown as it is; we don't stretch activities to fill a column.
| Domain | Infant | Toddler | Preschool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approaches to Learning | 8 | 7 | 10 |
| The Arts | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Language, Literacy and Communications | 11 | 10 | 9 |
| Mathematics | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Physical and Movement Development | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| Scientific Thinking | 10 | 10 | 3 |
| Social and Emotional Development | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Social Systems | 2 | 3 | 7 |
What this means for Parent Aware
Parent Aware, Minnesota's quality rating system, builds its curriculum standard on the ECIPs. At Two Stars it asks for lesson plans aligned with the ECIP domains (indicator T1.2). At Three and Four Stars it asks programs to use a curriculum aligned with the ECIP domains across all age groups (indicator T1.3a), and Parent Aware keeps its own list of approved curricula for that.
MN Daycare Start is not on Parent Aware's approved curriculum list today. Our mapping can help you show how your daily plans connect to the ECIP domains, but your Parent Aware coach or rater decides what meets each indicator. If you're working toward Three or Four Stars, check Parent Aware's current list with your coach.
Sources: Parent Aware Standards and Indicators (February 2026), Parent Aware rating resources.
A note on the next edition
Minnesota has published a revised edition of the ECIPs, with full implementation planned for fall 2028. Our mapping uses the edition in use today (January 2017 (form DHS-7596A-ENG 1-17)).