Post on 23-Dec-2015
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Infant/Toddler Learning and Development
Program Guidelines &
Infant/Toddler Learning and Development
Foundations
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A Message from former State Superintendent of Public
Instruction, Jack O’Connell:
“No endeavor is as significant as the work of early childhood professionals…. We are
seeking to provide leadership to the field and ensure that the impact of infant/ toddler
programs is a positive one….The benefits of starting out life on a path to success will extend to communities and our state, for our children’s future is our future.”
Program Guidelines, p. vii
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Student Learning Outcomes
Participants will:
• identify the five components of the California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development System (CA I/TLDS);
• incorporate the information in the I/T Program Guidelines and the I/T Learning and Development Foundations into their work with
children, to support partnerships with families, in staff development activities, and/or other programmatic continuous improvement efforts ;
• recognize how program guidelines support the developmental needs of infants and toddlers;
• discuss the foundations (knowledge/skills) that are developing between birth and 36 months;
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Student Learning Outcomes (cont’d)
Participants will be able to:
• explain the importance, characteristics, and benefits of high quality infant/toddler care;
• identify their child care program’s strengths, identify areas for growth, and create an action plan for continuous improvement.
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Guiding Principles in the Creation of the Infant/Toddler
Learning & Development System
• The family (including the family’s culture and language) plays a central role in early learning and development.
• Infancy is a unique stage of life that is important in its own right.
• Development in infancy can be described by 3 age periods -- birth to 8 months-(security); 8 to 18 months (exploration); and 18 to 36 months (autonomy).
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Guiding Principles in the Creation of the Infant/ Toddler
Learning & Development System
• Infants and toddlers are competent, yet vulnerable, at every stage of development.
• Nurturing relationships provide the foundation for emotional security and for optimal learning and development in all domains.
• Infants and toddlers learn in a holistic way.
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California’s Infant/Toddler Learning & Development
System
I/T Program Guidelines DVD , Video Clip Disc 1, California Infant/Toddler System 0:00-4:14
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Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Foundations The Foundations are at the center of the chart and influence each of the other elements of the system.
The Foundations provide common descriptions of children’s competencies at around 8, 18, and 36 months, along with behaviors leading up to competencies.
The Foundations are a guide for teachers, professional development, pre-service and in-service education.
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I/T Learning & Development Program Guidelines, Workbook, and DVDs The Program Guidelines: a family-oriented approach to operating infant/toddler programs
The Program Guidelines place an emphasis on creating inclusive programs.
The Program Guidelines recommend policies and practices that promote high quality infant/toddler programs
The Program Guidelines provide support for program leaders.
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Guidelines for Early Learning in Child Care Home Settings This resource provides guidance to help home-based child care providers offer high-quality early care and learning experiences to the children and families they serve. Topics covered include:
• the roles and relationships involved in home-based child care
• how to create safe, inclusive environments that foster early learning and development
• ideas for implementing appropriate curriculum
• professional development for home-based providers
• things to consider when infants and toddlers receive care in mixed-age group settings.
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How do the I/T Program Guidelines relate to the Pre-K Guidelines?
This publication is a companion to the Pre-Kindergarten Learning and Development Guidelines published by the CDE in 2000. The Pre-K Guidelines are currently being revised.
The I/T Guidelines resemble the format and approach of the Pre-K Guidelines.
The I/T Guidelines were developed to align with the Pre-K Guidelines.
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I/T Curriculum Framework
The I/T Curriculum Framework includes strategies to support teachers in using a reflective curriculum process.
In this process, the teacher generates hypotheses about the child’s learning agenda.
The curriculum is created daily through observing, reflecting, planning, and implementing strategies to support the child’s meaning-making efforts.
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California’s Desired Results System
Components:
• Desired Results Developmental Profile – Infant/Toddler (2010)
• Desired Results Developmental Profile – Preschool (2010)
• Desired Results Developmental Profile – School Age (2010)
• Desired Results Developmental Profile - Access
The program’s progress in meeting family goals is assessed through a family interview form.
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Desired Results Developmental Profile - 2010
• Reliable, strength-based tool teachers use to observe and document children’s learning and development, birth to 36 months of age
• Points out observable aspects of development
• Provides a means to document actual progress a child is making in her learning and development.
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Infant/Toddler Learning and Development
Program Guidelines
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Depending on the type of setting, a program may use the I/T Environment Rating Scale (ITERS-R), the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-R), or the Family Child Care Rating Scale (FCCRS-R) to assess its quality.
Assessing Program Quality
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Professional Development
“The Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC) is a comprehensive approach to professional development that provides infant/toddler professionals with opportunities to become informed about various components of California’s Infant/Toddler Learning and Development System.”
CA Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Foundations, pg. xv
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California’s Infant/Toddler Program Guidelines
Video Clip: Guiding the Way
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Cost, Quality and Child Outcome Study 1995
Found that …
• Almost 50% of center-based infant care was of poor quality; family child care quality was similar.
• 40% of infant/toddler rooms endangered health & safety.
• Only 8.3% of rooms (1 in 12) had developmentally appropriate care.
Program Guidelines, p. 2
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The long-range benefits of high-quality programs?
“Learning starts in infancy, long before formal education begins, and continues throughout life….
Early learning begets later learning and early success breeds later success, just as early failure
breeds later failure....
When one considers the long-term economic benefits of having a society of self-confident, motivated
learners, no other period in life is more important.”
Program Guidelines, p. 4- James J. Heckman, Nobel laureate
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Activity: Program Guidelines Treasure Hunt
Activity can be done individually or in pairs.
Using the treasure hunt activity sheet and your Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Guidelines book, find and write the answers to as many of the questions as time allows.
Don’t worry if you don’t get all the way through.
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Rationale for the broad recommendation (usually a
paragraph or two)
- Action points for programs and for teachers. Sometimes additional categories are included, such as communication, reflective practice, child, environment, group context, etc.
Yellow Box: These are scattered throughout the
book with quotes, scenarios, or examples related to specific concepts and
recommendations.
PAGE WALK
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Guidelines for Operating I/T Programs(Part Two: Chapter 5)
Section 1.-Providing family-oriented programs
Section 2.-Providing relationship-based care
Section 3.-Ensuring health and safety
Section 4.-Creating and maintaining environments for infants and toddlers
Section 5.-Engaging in program development and commitment to continuous improvement
Section 6.-Helping teachers continue to grow professionally
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What program policies and practices lead to high quality?
Overview of the Six Essential Policies(from New Perspectives DVD)
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Program Policies that Support Relationship-Based Care & Education
• Primary Care
• Small Group Size
• Individualized or Personalized Care
• Culturally Sensitive Care & Education
• Inclusion of All Children & Families
• Continuity of Care
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Guidelines Workbook Activity 2.2ASupport optimal participation for children with disabilities or other
special needs
Step 1. Reflect on your program’s support for families with children who have disabilities or other special needs.
Step 2. In small groups or pairs, brainstorm strategies that have worked for your program.
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Activity: Beliefs About Infants
• Complete the statements in Activity 1.3D (Guidelines Workbook)
• Discuss your responses with a partner.
Our values and beliefs shape our programs and drive our practices and policies.
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Survey Responses
Infants are:Infants need:Infants are capable of:Infants cannot:Infants learn about things by:Adults who care for infants should make sure
to:Adults who care for infants should not expect
them to:Adults can help infants learn by:
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Do infants and toddlers need teaching or caring?
“New Perspectives on Infant/Toddler Learning, Development, and Care”
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Websites
California Department of Education websitehttp://www.cde.ca.gov - I/T Guidelines, I/T DRDP-R, and more on-line
CDE Press, Sales Unit1430 N Street, Suite 3207, Sacramento, CA 95814916.445.1260 sales@cde.ca.gov
PITC website: http://www.pitc.org – a wide variety of resources including information on PITC demonstration sites, PITC services, and information on infant/toddler development, learning, and care
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Chapter 1:The Development of Programs with Families
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The Nature of Relationships Between Programs and Families
“An I/T program is a system of relationships.” (Rinaldi 2003)
Within this system, the relationship between the family and the program is key to the program’s relationship with the child.
A family’s beliefs about what is right for their child reflect both their culturally-based expectations and their unique relationship with the child.
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Providing Family-Oriented Programs
Guideline 1.1: Programs and teachers support the relationship
between family and child as the primary relationship in the child’s life.
The Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Program Guidelines DVD , Disc 1, Chapters/Section 1 (00:00-20:22)
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Create a (or review your existing) written philosophy statement about the central role of the family in your program.
Guidelines Workbook Activity 1.1A
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Guidelines Workbook Activity 1.1C
Get to know each family through effective daily communication
Step 1: Discuss, in small groups or pairs, the current ways in which information is acquired about families.
In what ways, and how often, do infant care teachers, program leaders, and families communicate and exchange information?
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Providing Relationship-Based Care
Guideline 1.3: Programs and teachers build relationships with families
The Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Program Guidelines DVD, Disc 1, Section 2
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The Importance of Establishing Working Relationships
Both families and teachers feel strong protective urges for infants and toddlers in their care.
When differing views about care arise, positive, 2-way communication is critical in resolving these differences.
In a relationship-based program, teachers seek and value the family as a source of information about the child.
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Guidelines Workbook Activity 1.3BInvolve families in making decisions about the
program and its policies
Step 1. Individually reflect--think of an example where family members initiated a change in program practice or policy.
Step 2: Discuss different ways for families to communicate their concerns or ideas.
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Cultural Perspectives on Nurturing Young Children
Through their culture, children gain a sense of identity, a feeling of belonging, and beliefs about what is important, what is right or wrong, how to care for themselves and others, and what to celebrate, eat and wear.
Learning these important lessons becomes more complex when a child is cared for by people who don’t necessarily share the same family and community values.
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Guidelines Assignment #1:
Providing Family-Oriented Programs
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Chapter 2: New Insights into
Early Learning and Development
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Insight 1: Infants and Toddlers learn and develop in the context
of important relationships
Relationships, while important throughout life, play an especially crucial role in the early years.
Relationships support all learning domains.
Self-regulation develops in the context of relationships.
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Insight 2: Infants and toddlers are competent
All infants and toddlers, including those with disabilities or other special needs are curious, active, self-motivated learners.
Infants and toddlers teach themselves when they are free to move on their own.
Communication and language begin developing early.
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Insight 3: Infants and toddlers are vulnerableInfants orient to adults for protection and learning.
Nurturance from adults affects the developing brain.
All infants and toddlers are well equipped by nature to seek out close, caring relationships that give them the security they need to grow and learn.
Infants rely on consistent, predictable and positive experiences with adults to become secure.
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Insight 3: Infants and toddlers are vulnerable (continued)
Infants’ physical health and safety are in the hands of those who care for them.
Infants with disabilities, and other special needs, or vulnerabilities benefit from early intervention.
Infants and toddlers, like all children, are vulnerable to abuse and neglect.
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Insight 4: Infants and toddlers are a unique blend of nature and nurture
Each child is born with his own unique biological inheritance, learning style, abilities, rate of development, and ways of relating to others.
The child’s uniqueness reflects his experiences in relationships, genetic predisposition, and cultural experiences.
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Reflection Activity
Reflect on & discuss the following:
• Which insight most engages your heart and mind? Why?
• When you think about the insight you chose in relation to children with special needs, what else does it say to you?
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How Infants and Toddlers Engage the World
New Perspectives on Infant/Toddler Learning, Development, and Care DVD #1
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“Infants … come to us … with knowledge and skills they’re programmed to learn …
It’s our job … to get to know their curriculum … and build on what they’re
trying to learn.”Peter Mangione, Guidelines DVD, Disc 2, Section 8
“One of the greatest rewards and challenges of teaching is finding the approach that
best facilitates each child’s unique path of learning and development.”
Program Guidelines, p. 25
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Ensuring Health & SafetyTable of Contents for Guidelines 3.1 – 3.5
See Yellow Box
Program Guidelines pages 67 & 73
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Ensuring Health and Safety
Guideline 3.1: Programs and teachers ensure the health and safety of all children.
I/T Learning and Development Guidelines DVD, Disc 1, Video
Clip: “White Glove Test”
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Guidelines Workbook Activity 3.2B
Anticipate safety issues through skilled supervision
Step 1. Think of a recent incident in which an accident or undesirable incident was averted. For example acting in time to catch a child before a bad fall or preventing a bite from happening.
Step 2. Which factors helped you prevent this mishap?
Step 3. What steps can your program take to prevent future incidents?
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Guidelines Assignment #2:“If I were an infant, would I like to be
here?”
See Yellow BoxProgram Guidelines page 63
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Chapter 3: The Role of the Infant Care
Teacher
“The teacher is all at once a nurturer, a guide, a supporter, an encourager, an observer, a planner, a provider of new experiences, a safe lap, and a listener.”
Program Guidelines, p. 27
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Activity
In small groups or pairs, discuss and list your responses to this question:
“What are the roles of the infant care teacher?”
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The Role of the Infant Care Teacher
1. Build and maintain positive relationships with families
2. Build and maintain positive relationships with children
3. Prepare the environment
4. Establish predictable, consistent routines
5. Appreciate physical activity as learning
6. Nurture social-emotional growth and development
7. Foster cognitive and language development & communication
8. Implement a curriculum processProgram Guidelines, p. 30
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New Insights on Infant/Toddler Learning, Development and
Care
The Infant Care Teacher New Perspectives DVD, Disc One
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Well-Designed Environment
Well-designed and appropriately equipped facilities foster the well-being of children and teachers.(p. 49)
We design our environments and then, are forever
influenced by them.
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Guidelines that relate to well-designed environments and learning
4.1 – Build relationships of care and trust7.4 Social Emotional
Development
4.2 – Safe and comfortable4.3 – Support free movement
7.3 Physical Development 7.5 Behavior
4.4 – Support interests and exploration7.2 Learning across domains
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Creating and Maintaining Environments for Infants and
Toddlers: Guideline 4
I/T Learning and Development Guidelines DVD, Disc 1(13:30-17.37)
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Guidelines Related to Routines
Programs and teachers:2.1 …provide intimate, relationship-based
care…2.3 …personalize care routines…3.3 …ensure that children are well-
nourished and that mealtimes support relationships.
Chapters 5 & 6 contain suggestions related to all 8 roles of the teacher covered in Chapter 3.
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Establish Predictable, Consistent Caregiving Routines
Activity - Discuss in pairs or as a group:• Why is it important to personalize care routines?• How is the ordinary “extraordinary” to young children?• Why are repetition and the child’s participation
important?
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Guidelines Assignment #3:
The Role of the Infant/Toddler Care Teacher:
Self-Assessment
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“Early care and education programs are important parts of communities. The programs play an essential role
that is more than providing child care.”
Program Guidelines, p. 48
Chapter 4: Program Leadership And Administration
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Chapter 4 Table of Contents
LeadershipPolicies supportive of professional growthReflective supervisionPolicies for high-quality care & educationRelations with surrounding
communityAdministrationConclusion
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Relations with Surrounding Community
How does your program impact the community?
Early care and education programs can increase community awareness and
appreciation of children.
How might this be beneficial?
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How does your program engage your local community?
Guidelines DVDs, Disc 2, Video Clip: Nevada County Fair
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Guidelines Workbook Activity 5.4C
Increase awareness of the importance of the infant/toddler program in the community
Discuss “Step 2: Brainstorm Possibilities”.
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Chapter 6: Guidelines for Facilitating Learning and Development with Infants & Toddlers
Section 8 - Implementing an infant/toddler curriculum process
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Implementing an infant/toddler curriculum planning process
8.1 – Teachers observe children during personal care routines, interactions, and play
8.2 – Teachers document observations for later use
8.3 - Teachers assess children’s developmental progress8.4 - Teachers take time to reflect on observations,
documentation, and assessments
8.5 - Teachers plan their approaches and the materials they will offer based on their observations, documentation and reflections
8.6 - Teachers implement their plans for facilitating learning
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Section 8: Implementing an Infant/Toddler Curriculum
Planning Process
Infant/Toddler Program Guidelines DVD, Disc 2
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Guideline 8.1: Teachers observe children during
personal care routines, interactions and play.
“Use observation to learn children’s interests, abilities, and needs. Observing…helps the teacher make decisions about how
to support learning.”
Observing While ParticipatingSee Yellow Box on Guidelines page 101
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Guideline 8.2: Teachers document observations
for later use
Care for Children First While Observing and Documenting: Two Examples
See Yellow Box on Guidelines page 103
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Ways Programs Can Support Documentation
• Obtain written permission from families to allow taking photographs, videotaping and other forms of recording children’s learning
• Provide documentation tools
• Provide time and space for documentation
• Provide training and guidance on documentation for teachers
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Teacher’s Role in Documentation
Use a variety of methods and tools to record observations of each child’s social-emotional physical, cognitive, language and perceptual/motor development
Develop an effective record keeping system that can be used for curriculum planning and to assess the child’s development over time.
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Guideline 8.4: Teachers take time to reflect on observations,
documentation, and assessments.
Guideline 8.5: Teachers plan their approaches and the materials they
will offer based on their observations, documentation and
reflections.
“Make plans that relate to what children actually do rather than to preconceived ideas about what
children should or might do.” Program Guidelines, p. 106
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Chapter 6, Section 8Implementing an Infant/Toddler
Curriculum Process
DOCUMENT & ASSESS
REFLECT & PLAN IMPLEMENT
OBSERVE
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Guidelines Part Three: Resources
Curriculum Resources
Organizations and Web-sites
Appendixes
Work Cited
Further Reading
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