This report is intended to inform policymakers, administrators, and teachers regarding the development of standards or benchmarks addressing language and literacy skills in prekindergarten programs. The report notes that although standards and benchmarks can bring clarity to what should be expected of young children, there are challenges in describing benchmarks in a way that is useful and helpful, rather than restricting and developmentally inappropriate. Two sets of standards/benchmarks were used as a model for comparison with state standards/benchmarks: the New Standards Listening and Speaking Standards, and A Framework for Early Literacy Instruction. The comparison revealed that the development of speaking and listening skills was not equally represented across states and that the language used in the standards/benchmarks reflected indecisiveness regarding which stage of development an ability should be captured. The report points out that although many states have made considerable progress in developing age-appropriate and clearly written benchmarks, the inadequate representation of language knowledge and listening/speaking skills in many states is an important omission. The findings highlight the importance of: (1) using a common language across standards/benchmarks; (2) being consistent with K-12 expectations while being developmentally appropriate; (3) being stated in terms of a specific knowledge or skill, rather than an activity; (4) being grounded in research; (5) being used with reflection, rather than followed blindly; and (6) using language that is clear and provides enough detail to help teachers understand how to organize the classroom and provide support for children's emerging knowledge and skills. (Contains 16 references.) (KB)