Synopses & Reviews
This new edition helps parents, caregivers, and early interventionists prepare curriculum for our youngest learners. To encourage learning, the authors use a three-step approach - Respect, Reflect, and Relate. This book will help all those who care for infants and toddlers to translate their knowledge of child development into effective, individualized curriculum; it will not tell them what to do on Monday, but rather will help them to ask: "How will I make decisions on Monday that truly come from the child’s interests?" Through observation, they will choose a response that supports learning and the relationship and therefore achieve the primary goal of an infant/toddler care teacher- to support the parent-child relationship.
Synopsis
Adults see the world as a place of "Endless Opportunities" for infants and toddlers. This book helps the infant toddler care teacher to offer interactions, activities, environments, and routines that support each step of learning within each developmental domain. Running scenarios of three age-based groups demonstrate how teachers make decisions that serve the individual differences of culture, development, and personal inclinations among children. Self-reflection tools on individual teacher practices conclude each chapter.
KEY TOPICS: This text focuses on the importance of the relationship with the child to provide the best curriculum for their developmental stage. The care teacher should understand that different cultures, classroom settings, teaching practices, and rate of development affect the learning process. This book helps the care teacher first observe the child and then find ways to engage them in appropriate curriculum. Organized in two parts, Part One chapters focus on building a positive relationship. The chapters in this section discuss creating responsive routines, observing and documenting a child's progress, and engaging families. Part Two chapters build on the relationship by providing curriculum suggestions based on infant/toddler development. These include the areas of social development, language, creativity, and movement development.
MARKET: Written not only for the care teacher, but also child development and early childhood education students.
Table of Contents
PART ONE A RESPONSIVE, RELATIONSHIP-BASED APPROACH 1
Chapter 1 Relationships as the Basis for Curriculum
Chapter 2 Opportunities for Engaging Families
Chapter 3 Responsive, Safe, and Healthy Caregiving Routines
Chapter 4 A Responsive, Relationship-Based Environment
Chapter 5 Endless Opportunities for Guidance and Relationship Realignments
Chapter 6 Using Observation and Documentation for Responsive Planning and Ongoing Assessment
PART TWO OPPORTUNITIES FOR RELATIONSHIPS AND LEARNING
Chapter 7 Opportunities for Attachment and Emotional Development and Learning
Chapter 8 Opportunities for Social Development and Learning with Peers
Chapter 9 Opportunities for Learning and Thinking
Chapter 10 Opportunities for Language, Literacy, and Music Development
Chapter 11 Opportunities for Movement and Motor Development and Learning
Chapter 12 Opportunities for Fine Motor Development and Learning
Chapter 13 Opportunities for Creative, Symbolic/Dramatic Play, and Sensory Development and Learning
Chapter 14 Opportunities for Learning About the Outdoors
Appendix A Planning Guides
Appendix B Inventory of Teacher Practices
References
Index