Many parents wonder what they can do to ensure that their preschoolers will be successful when they enter school, especially now with so much emphasis on state testing and learning standards. Through play and everyday activities such as cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping, young children acquire the information and skills needed to learn more difficult skills, including howto read, write, and solve problems. This guide is meant to help parents understand that the lessons necessary to meet state learning standards begin in the home. The Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards were developed in collaboration with key Illinois stakeholders in the preschool education field. These standards are for children 3 years old to kindergarten entry. The standards cover eight content areas: (1) language arts, (2) mathematics; (3) science; (4) social studies; (5) physical development and health; (6) the arts; (7) English language learner home language development; and (8) social/emotional development. These standards are not to be used to determine if a child is ready to enter kindergarten, but they serve as goals for adults to use in supporting the development of preschool children. This guide provides information, tips, and activities for each of the learning areas. A bibliography is included. [This document is a revision of the original guide produced by the Academic Development Institute in 2005.]