IELS 2025 Fact Sheet
- Long title
- Frequency of data collection
- Previous cycles
- Schedule
- Objectives
- Research questions
- Assessment domain(s)
- Study framework (summary)
- Participating entities
- Target population and sample (summary)
- Data collection techniques and instruments (summary)
- Initiator
- Study director(s)
- Study website(s)
- Contact
- Related studies
- Sources
- First cycle: main study conducted in 2018
- Second cycle: 2025
- 2024: framework development
- 2024: instrument development
- 2024 (February to May) operational field trial - new wave: 2025 (March to April)
- 2025 (January to July): main study
- 2025 (July) to 2026 (March): analysis and reporting
The purpose of the study is to provide countries with a common language and framework, encompassing a collection of robust empirical information and in-depth insights on children’s learning development at a critical age.
- How well are children developing the skills they need, for their well-being and ongoing positive outcomes?
- To what extent are children developing a sound balance of foundational learning, cognitive and social-emotional skills?
- How much variation is there in children’s outcomes?
- How are different groups of children faring, such as:
- boys versus girls?
- children from different socio-economic backgrounds?
- children from migrant families?
- children who speak a home language that is different from that spoken in their early childhood education and care (ECEC) center or school?
- What factors are positively or negatively associated with children’s early learning and development?
- Emergent literacy
- Emergent numeracy
- Executive function
-
Social and emotional skills
Assessment framework
- Foundational learnings
- Emergent literacy
- Emergent numeracy
- Executive function
- Social-emotional skills
Contextual framework
- Individual characteristics of each child
- Home environments
- Early childhood education and care (ECEC) experiences
- Use of digital devices
Number
10 countries
List
Baku and Sumgait (Azerbaijan), England (United Kingdom), Flanders (Belgium), Ceará, Pará, and São Paulo (Brazil), Hanghzou (China), South Korea, Malta, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates, adjudicated region)
Target population
5-year-old children in regulated ECEC settings or in school, their parents, and (for every child) the staff member who knows the child best
Sample
Per country: unless otherwise agreed, 3000 children in at least 200 officially registered ECEC centers or schools
Direct child assessment via tablet
- Visual and audio materials
- Day 1
- Emergent literacy
- Executive function
- Day 2
- Emergent numeracy
- Empathy
Online or paper-based (if requested)
- Parent questionnaire
- ECEC staff or teacher questionnaire
OECD Early Childhood and Schools
2 rue André Pascal
75775 Paris Cedex 16
E-mail: earlylearning@oecd.org