Infant Toddler Curriculum free essay sample

In this term paper I will explore infant and toddler curriculum. I will discuss: the developmental themes in infancy, infant toddler curriculum, and the differences between preschool curriculum and appropriate infant toddler curriculum. In conclusion I will share some of my personal feelings about infant and toddler curriculum, including the challenges and rewards. Developmental Themes of Infancy ‘The behaviors and abilities that develop during each stage are influenced by the theme that consumes that stage (Blackboard, 2013). † The three themes of infant development are: security (Young Birth to 8 months); exploration (Mobile 6 months-18 months); and identity (Toddler 15 months to 36 months). During the security stage young infants need to develop relationship with caring adult’s that ensure them they are safe and secure. In the mobile stage young children should be provided the freedom to explore their surroundings utilizing their newly developed gross and fine motor skills. During the toddler stage young children are in search of who they are as individuals in the world around them. â€Å"Developmental domains are one way to describe and think about the different aspects of development in the areas of: emotional; physical, social, cognitive; and language skills of young children. And while we use the domains as a way to organize our thinking and observations of children, in reality all domains are function together simultaneously, especially in the first three years of life. This holistic development is separated into the developmental domains for the purpose of observation, study, developmental assessment, and planning (Blackboard, 2013). † Therefore, it is important to understand how the developmental domains relate to the three themes of infant development; in order to provide DAP care and activities for children in each stage of early childhood development. For instance, an understanding of the young infant stage, babies develop a sense of security from their caregivers. It is this sense of security, that allows the baby to build an urge to explore, later motivating them to take risks and advance their current knowledge of their environment. This may require removing all sharp objects from the area and covering electrical outlets and ensuring. However, prepping the room for child safety is not the only concern. It is imperative to play close attention, and respond to the needs of young infants. â€Å"Very young children need adults who listen, smile, and talk with them or babble when they babble; watch for when they need quiet and solitude; and notice and communicate pleasure over such newfound skills as creeping, climbing, holding, dropping, or adding new sounds and words (Greenman, Stonehouse, and Schweikert, 2008, pg. 61). † An understanding of the mobile stage of development will make one aware of the safety precautions needed to allow mobile toddlers to explore the environment. Mobile infants often explore by mouthing and must be protected from small parts and fragile toys. In addition a rich learning environment for mobile infants should include safe structures to climb and explore. â€Å"Moving around is essential to learning; it gives babies different perspective and vantage points, which they need in order to move from an entirely egocentric view of space toward a more sophisticated sense of relationship between self, space, and other people (Greenman, Stonehouse, and Schweikert, 2008, pg. 53). † An understanding of the toddler stage of development enables caring adults to guide and assist young children’s emotional development. The first two years of a person’s life can set the foundation for the way they create relationships, view others, and understand emotions and how to control them. â€Å"A toddler’s sense of self, of I and me, emerge in a group environment and a culture which private property and the acquisition of things are somewhat scared. This makes the learning of related concepts like mine particularly challenging (Greenman, Stonehouse, and Schweikert, 2008, pg. 59). † â€Å"Toddlers learn about who they are in the world through relationships and experiences with adults who care for them. They learn to trust that their needs will be met, or that they will not. The emotional domain includes the infant’s perception of herself and of herself in relation to others. †(Blackboard, 2013). The most important thing a caregiver can do to help a toddler’s emotional development is to create a safe and loving environment for the toddler to learn in. Caregivers should understand that each toddler is different and has different needs. Attending to each individual child in a well-organized and inviting learning environment is essential during his stage early childhood development. Infant Toddler Curriculum â€Å"Because of the specific needs of infants and toddlers the term curriculum is during the early stages of development is complex. To summarize all of the ideas of curriculum, as defined by leaders in the field (Gonzalez-Mena, Eyer, Dodge, Greenman, Stonehouse, Schwikert, Swim, and Watson), you must think about curriculum as an organized framework. To make curriculum DAP for infant and toddlers, it must be based on sound and relevant knowledge such as infant/ toddler development and research; so that it guides early care professional practices in providing purposeful and responsive learning opportunities for each child through daily routines and experiences (Blackboard, 2013). † â€Å"Infant and toddler curriculum plans focus on how to best create a social, emotional, and intellectual climate that supports child-initiated and child-pursued learning. The interests of the child and the belief that each child has a curriculum are what drive practice (Blackboard, 2013)†. It is understood that very young children need to play a significant role in selecting their learning experiences, materials, and content. Curriculum plans, therefore, do not focus on games, tasks, or activities, but on how to best create a social, emotional, and intellectual climate that supports child-initiated and child-pursued learning and the building and sustaining of positive relationships among adults and children. â€Å"Responsive curriculum planning focuses on finding strategies to help infant-toddler teachers search for, support, and keep alive childrens internal motivation to learn, and their spontaneous explorations of people and things of interest and importance to them (Blackboard, 2013). † This should begin with study of the specific children in care. â€Å"Detailed records of each childs interests and skills are kept to give guidance to the adults for the roles they will take in each childs learning (Greenman, Stonehouse, and Schweikert, 2008, pg. 30). † It should also be realized from the start that plans should not be static. Adaptation and change are critical parts of the learning process and should be anticipated. â€Å"Once an interaction with a child or small cluster of children begins, the teacher has to be ready to adapt his or her plans and actions so they work for all children, no matter what kind of physical , mental or emotional challenges individual bring to the program (Greenman, Stonehouse, and Schweikert, 2008, pg. 30). † Another essential component of planning is attention to a responsive learning environment and specific attention to how environments should be changed. The planning of learning environments is more important to infant-toddler development than specific lessons or specific activities. â€Å"The environment must be seen as part of the curriculum, creating interest and encouraging and supporting exploration (Blackboard, 2013). † Research has shown that much of how infants and toddlers learn best comes not from specific adult-directed lessons but from teachers knowing how to maximize opportunities for each child to use natural learning inclinations. The philosophy of routine care as learning opportunities for infants and toddlers is based on the premise that, â€Å"Relationships develop through all kinds of interactions, but especially during ones that happen while adults are carrying out those essential activities of daily living sometimes called caregiving routines (Greenman, Stonehouse, and Schweikert, 2008, pg. 5)†, such as: feeding, diapering; toilet training/learning; washing; bathing and grooming; dressing; napping. â€Å" For caregiving routines to become curriculum, they can’t be done mechanically. Each time a caregiver interacts in ways that focus fully on the individual child while performing one of these essential activities of daily living, the time spent furthers connections. When caregivers manipulate the child’s body and put their attention elsewhere, they loss the opportunity to let the child experience an intimate human interaction. It’s the accumulation of intimacy during these numerous interactions that turns ordinary tasks into a relationship-based curriculum (Greenman, Stonehouse, and Schweikert, 2008, pg. 53). † The role of the adult in intentional curriculum planning and supporting learning is to be respectful and responsive to the childs ways of learning and understanding. Because early learning is all-inclusive, plans to facilitate the infant toddler learning need to be well rounded. Security, exploration, and identity formation are manifested differently during the infant toddler stage, the way adults respond to these needs should be developmental appropriate. Aware that the infant receives information from every domain simultaneously, early childhood professionals recommend that caregivers and caring adults plans to help with infant learning, be created in ways that reflect an awareness of the impact of the experience on all the domains of learning and development simultaneously. Observations and recordings such as: anecdotal notes, individual journals/two-way journals and running records, are also included in the role of the adult in intentional curriculum planning. â€Å"All infants and toddlers deserve caregiving and teaching practices specially tailored to them rather than ones that come with the expectations that children must fit into the program. The role of the team in providing individualized curriculum is to take into consideration each child’s needs, stage of development and personal characteristics. Children have different temperaments, energy levels and parental preferences for caregiving practices (Greenman, Stonehouse, and Schweikert, 2008, pg. 151). † Key Differences between Preschool and Infant-Toddler Curriculum According to the text, â€Å"The primary focus of the first three years should be to establish a close and continuous relationship. Education then grows out of the relationship that results from caregiving. Programs that regard infants and toddlers as immature preschoolers and use and activities approach get frustrated with all the â€Å"noneducational† time spent in caregiving and transition times. The care component fits into the total picture. When infant-toddler education comes in a package with play, exploration and caregiving, everything that happens in the program becomes educational. (Gonzalez-Mena, J. Widmeyer, D. M. , 2012, p. 28). † Preschoolers are much more independent and vocal then infant-toddlers. Preschoolers are able to communicate what they what and how they feel. Their motor, language and social/emotional skill are more advanced than that of an infant-toddler. According to Diane Trister Dodge, although, â€Å"both preschool and infant-toddler curriculum share the same five components or framework, the content is very different. Early childhood educators must have: knowledge of child development, how to create a DAP learning environment, knowledge of what children learn at each stage of development, how to guide and assess learning and how to relate to children. However, curriculum for infants is organized around daily routines and experience; whereas the curriculum for preschooler is organized around interest, content and studies (Blackboard Video, 2013). † According to Ron Lally, â€Å"Expectations must be different for preschoolers and toddlers. For example, an early childhood educator cannot expect an infant-toddler to sit still and because infants follow an inborn exploratory agenda and rapidly advances through three major periods of development (previously discussed); and the care and education of the infant-toddler must keep pace with these changes. Infants learn holistically they focus on every part of the interactions (Blackboard Video, 2013). † Infant-toddlers must be afforded the freedom needed to construct their own knowledge of their environment, themselves and others; whereas, toddlers can benefit from a more structured curriculum. Some of the hazards of providing a watered-down preschool approach to infants and toddlers include: not meeting the developmental needs of the infants and toddlers; future growth and development stages delayed; and over stimulation to name a few. Infant and toddler curriculum can be both challenging and rewarding. The challenges in include the rapid changes that take place during this time of growth and development, the varying temperaments of individual children, and the constant adaptations necessary during curriculum implementation. However, the rewards far exceed the challenges. It is very rewarding to see a child reach developmental milestones such as; taking their first step, or speaking their first words. I also find it rewarding to see the smile and since of peace families demonstrate when they know their child is receiving high quality care and DAP learning experiences. In conclusion, I have explored infant and toddler curriculum, discussed the developmental themes in infancy and the differences between preschool curriculum and appropriate infant toddler curriculum. I have also shared some of my personal feelings about infant and toddler curriculum, including the challenges and rewards.