Pennsylvania's Infant Early Learning GPS

The Infant Early Learning GPS (Guiding Parents Smoothly) is designed as an online quiz to create an engaging learning experience for parents. Parents answer 10 questions about their child and are offered customized tips and resources based on their answers. Though the tool is organized as a quiz, there are no wrong answers and users do not receive a score. It is meant to spark thinking about how parents can support their children’s early learning and can be used by an individual or as part of a group workshop.

Questions offer information and tips around four key areas:

• Your child’s brain—How your child’s brain develops is important to his/her learning and skill-building for life.
• Your child’s development—Each child develops at his or her own pace, but all follow the same steps.
• You and your child—The relationship between a child and trusted adults (parents, grandparents, and guardians) is necessary for healthy brain development and early learning.
• When your child is not with you—How your child spends his/her time out of your care is just as important to preparing him/her for school. After answering the questions, users can complete a short worksheet that helps them identify ways they can use the tips in daily life.

The information contained in the Infant Early Learning GPS was created in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning and is based on sources like Pennsylvania’s Early Learning Standards and nationally-recognized brain research. Toddler and preschool versions of the GPS were launched in spring 2013.

Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children is a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of providing Pennsylvania’s young children with access to quality early learning opportunities. It is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Build Initiative, The Heinz Endowments, William Penn Foundation, The Grable Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Early Learning Keys to Quality.

Reviewed May 2018.