Every day in Georgia’s early learning programs, educators witness meaningful moments of growth. A baby reaches for a rattle. A toddler tries to zip a jacket. A preschooler explains why blocks won’t stack unless they’re “just right.” These simple actions reflect big steps in how children think, move, communicate, and explore the world around them.
To help organize and support this learning, Georgia uses a statewide framework called GELDS: the Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards. Designed for children from birth through age five, GELDS outlines five core domains of development and offers a clear structure for planning lessons, understanding progress, and responding to children’s needs. It’s also part of the required health and safety training for all early learning professionals in the state.
In this blog, we’ll walk through each of the five GELDS domains and explore how they show up in real-life classroom experiences, from infancy through preschool.
What Is GELDS?
GELDS stands for Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards. Developed by the Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), this framework outlines what children from birth to age five should know and be able to do across key areas of development.
The standards are organized into five core domains—physical, social-emotional, approaches to learning, communication, and cognition—each with subdomains that break big concepts into more specific skills.
Educators can use GELDS to plan lessons, track progress, and create responsive classroom environments. The standards also support child observation, family communication, and alignment with licensing requirements.
Whether you’re new to the field or building on your experience, GELDS provides a clear, age-appropriate structure for helping young children learn and grow.
The Five GELDS Developmental Domains in Action
GELDS is organized into five developmental domains. Each one reflects a different area of growth and learning that’s important from birth through age five. Here’s a look at what each domain includes — and how it shows up in everyday classroom moments.
1. Physical Development and Motor Skills (PDM)
This domain focuses on how children grow in strength, coordination, body awareness, and independence. It includes the physical actions children take to explore their environment, develop control over their bodies, and build everyday habits that support health and safety.
Subdomains:
- Health and Well-Being: How children care for their bodies and respond to safety cues in their environment.
- Use of Senses: How children use sight, sound, touch, and movement to explore and understand their surroundings.
- Motor Skills: How children develop control over large and small muscle groups to move, play, and complete tasks.
| Age Group | Health and Well-Being | Use of Senses | Motor Skills |
| Infant (0–12 months) | Calms when held during a feeding routine or stops moving when hearing “no” (PDM1.0c) | Lifts head and reaches toward a toy when placed on tummy (PDM5.0a) | Pushes up during tummy time or grasps a rattle (PDM3.0b) |
| Wobbler (12–24 months) | Stops when caregiver says “hot” and points to oven (PDM1.1c) | Climbs into a box and then out again using trial and error (PDM3.1b) | Walks with increasing control and explores new ways to move (PDM5.1a) |
| Toddler (2–3 years) | Waits at the edge of the sidewalk when told to stop (PDM1.2c) | Crawls through a tunnel and comments “I fit!” (PDM3.2b) | Climbs stairs with alternating feet and jumps with both feet (PDM5.2a) |
| Early Preschooler (3–4 years) | Says “That’s not safe!” when another child climbs on a shelf (PDM1.3c) | Navigates around peers during group time with body control (PDM3.3b) | Hops on one foot or kicks a ball toward a target (PDM5.3a) |
| Preschooler (4–5 years) | Follows classroom rules like walking feet indoors and explains why (PDM1.4c) | Builds a block tower while adjusting spacing and position (PDM3.4b) | Pedals a tricycle and moves rhythmically in dance or music (PDM5.4a) |
2. Social and Emotional Development (SED)
This domain focuses on how children develop a sense of identity, manage emotions, and form relationships with others. Emotional and social growth begins in infancy as children learn they are separate from others and deepens over time through play, routine, and self-expression.
Subdomains:
- Developing a Sense of Self: How children learn who they are as individuals and build self-awareness.
- Self-Regulation: How children learn to manage emotions, behavior, and responses in different settings.
- Developing a Sense of Self with Others: How children build relationships with familiar adults and peers and navigate social settings.
| Age Group | Developing a Sense of Self | Self-Regulation | Developing a Sense of Self with Others |
| Infant (0–12 months) | Smiles at reflection in a mirror or photo (SED1.0a) | Relies on caregiver for soothing and routine (SED3.0a) | Responds differently to familiar and unfamiliar adults (SED4.0a) |
| Wobbler (12–24 months) | Points to themselves in a photo (SED1.1a) | Participates in daily routines with help, like hand washing (SED3.1a) | Seeks comfort from familiar adults and looks cautiously at strangers (SED4.1a) |
| Toddler (2–3 years) | Uses words or gestures to reference self (“Me do it!”) (SED1.2a) | Waits for a turn during group activity with reminders (SED3.2a) | Glances back at caregiver while exploring a new space (SED4.2a) |
| Early Preschooler (3–4 years) | Talks about their preferences or feelings (“I like blue best”) (SED1.3a) | Remembers and follows classroom routines (SED3.3a) | Separates from caregiver calmly and joins classroom activity (SED4.3a) |
| Preschooler (4–5 years) | Identifies personal background (“I’m from Atlanta” or “I’m the oldest”) (SED1.4a) | Follows classroom rules without reminders and helps others follow them (SED3.4a) | Adapts to new settings, like a field trip or substitute teacher (SED4.4a) |
3. Approaches to Play and Learning (APL)
This domain describes how children engage in learning through curiosity, creativity, persistence, and exploration. These traits influence how children solve problems, express ideas, and approach both independent and social play.
Subdomains:
- Initiative and Exploration: How children show curiosity and take action to explore new materials, people, or experiences.
- Attentiveness and Persistence: How children stay focused, work toward goals, and return to tasks after interruptions.
- Play: How children use imagination, creativity, and social awareness during play, from early imitation to symbolic and cooperative play.
| Age Group | Initiative and Exploration | Attentiveness and Persistence | Play |
| Infant (0–12 months) | Reaches for new objects or people in the room (APL1.0a) | Looks closely at a rattle or caregiver’s face for a short time (APL3.0a) | Manipulates a soft toy and imitates clapping or waving (APL4.0a) |
| Wobbler (12–24 months) | Touches, mouths, and explores unfamiliar items (APL1.1a) | Returns to a favorite toy or activity throughout the day (APL3.1a) | Uses a spoon to “feed” a stuffed animal or stacks blocks repeatedly (APL4.1a) |
| Toddler (2–3 years) | Uses a spoon as a drumstick or a box as a pretend car (APL1.2a) | Participates in short group activities with reminders to stay focused (APL3.2a) | Pretends a block is a phone or takes turns in simple play with a peer (APL4.2a / APL5.2a) |
| Early Preschooler (3–4 years) | Picks a new puzzle and begins working on it without help (APL1.3a) | Stays with a self-chosen activity like building with blocks to completion (APL3.3a) | Acts out a grocery store or rescue game with peers using roles and props (APL4.3a / APL5.3a) |
| Preschooler (4–5 years) | Chooses to build a rocket ship and gathers materials independently (APL1.4a) | Creates a multi-step art project and returns to finish it later (APL3.4a) | Builds a story-based game with friends and negotiates roles or rules (APL4.4a / APL5.4a) |
4. Communication, Language, and Literacy (CLL)
This domain focuses on how children understand and use language, both verbal and nonverbal. It includes listening, speaking, reading, and early writing behaviors. Children develop language and literacy through conversations, songs, books, gestures, and play—all of which lay the foundation for future communication and academic success.
Subdomains:
- Receptive Language: How children listen, comprehend, and respond to conversations, stories, and sounds.
- Expressive Language: How children communicate their needs, ideas, and emotions through gestures, sounds, and words.
- Early Reading: How children explore books, make predictions, and gain meaning from shared reading experiences.
- Early Writing: How children use marks, symbols, and letter-like forms to represent ideas and communicate.
| Age Group | Receptive Language | Expressive Language | Early Reading | Early Writing |
| Infant (0–12 months) | Reacts to environmental sounds or familiar voices (CLL1.0a) | Uses facial expressions or gestures to indicate needs (CLL3.0a) | Looks at books or shows interest during read-alouds (CLL5.0a) | Makes random marks with fingers or crayons (CLL9.0a) |
| Wobbler (12–24 months) | Responds to songs or verbal cues with gestures or sounds (CLL1.1a) | Points, nods, or uses actions to communicate wants (CLL3.1a) | Makes sounds that relate to book pictures during shared reading (CLL5.1a) | Makes scribbles on paper with more control (CLL9.1a) |
| Toddler (2–3 years) | Listens and responds to brief conversations or directions (CLL1.2a) | Uses gestures and short phrases together (CLL3.2a) | Names pictures in books with support (CLL5.2a) | Scribbles with increasing control; may make letter-like shapes (CLL9.2a) |
| Early Preschooler (3–4 years) | Listens and responds to small-group conversations (CLL1.3a) | Enhances speech with expressive gestures (CLL3.3a) | Uses pictures to predict what might happen in a story (CLL5.3a) | Labels drawings with letter-like symbols or invented spelling (CLL9.3a) |
| Preschooler (4–5 years) | Listens and stays on topic during group discussions (CLL1.4a) | Uses complex gestures to support storytelling or requests (CLL3.4a) | Predicts story content using prior knowledge, titles, and pictures (CLL5.4a) | Draws and copies letters or numbers to communicate meaning (CLL9.4a) |
5. Cognitive Development and General Knowledge (CD)
This domain focuses on how children think, reason, and make sense of the world around them. It includes early math and science, social studies, creative expression, and foundational problem-solving. Children explore these ideas through hands-on play, meaningful conversations, and classroom routines.
Note: While the GELDS framework includes over a dozen subdomains in this area—ranging from physical science to visual arts—the examples below group related strands together for clarity.
Key Areas of Development:
- Mathematics: Children begin to count, compare, measure, and recognize shapes and patterns. For example, a toddler might point to the “big” block, while a preschooler estimates how many cups of water will fill a pitcher.
- Science: Young children develop observation and inquiry skills by exploring cause and effect, experimenting with materials, and asking questions about nature. They notice the weather changing, compare how objects move, or take care of classroom plants.
- Social Studies: Children learn about themselves and the people around them. They explore family roles, jobs in the community, and local landmarks, and begin to recognize both differences and shared values among people.
- Creative Arts: Through dance, music, art, and pretend play, children express ideas and explore their creativity. This might include making up songs, painting to music, or pretending to run a bakery during dramatic play.
- Thinking and Problem-Solving: As children grow, they use prior knowledge to build new understanding, make predictions, and test ideas. Whether stacking blocks to build a taller tower or figuring out how to share materials with a friend, they’re developing logic, memory, and persistence.
Cognitive development isn’t limited to one subject or moment—it’s happening all the time. By encouraging exploration, creativity, and curiosity, educators help children develop the flexible thinking skills they’ll use across every domain of learning.
Learn More About GELDS: Enroll in Georgia’s Health & Safety Training with CCEI
All licensed child care providers in Georgia must complete Health & Safety Orientation Training, which includes comprehensive content on GELDS. CCEI offers this required training through our state-approved, expert-designed curriculum that connects directly to classroom practice.
Our course is fully approved by Bright from the Start, designed by early childhood experts, and built to support real classroom practice. It’s 100% online, self-paced, and accessible anytime, so you can meet state requirements on a schedule that works for you.
