Having a curriculum then helps the educator to developsupports for each child’s development within the contextof supportive relationships
Agreed. Curriculums are a break down of where children should be developmentally & what they should be learning. Helps keep the teacher/caregiver on track with what they should be teaching or helping the child with.
he assessment of individual children’s progressthrough ongoing observation by those caring forand educating the infant/toddler using an earlylearning framework that articulates developmentalprogressions (such as the Head Start EarlyLearning Outcomes Framework or state ELGs), andobservation of the infant/toddler’s own interests andmotivation for learning
Are ELGs similar to Brigance? Is it like the infant version or something?
his includespractices based on continuity of caregiving andprimary caregiving as well as inclusion of family input
Inclusion of family input helps the caregiver understand and/or see certain things about child that may not have noticed or wondered why about.
This includes having developmentallyappropriate materials aimed at supporting and extendingdevelopment across all domains, including motor, social-emotional, cognitive, and language development, andapproaches toward learning; planning of space to be bothsafe and conducive to active engagement and exploration,and geared to the interests and abilities of all the infants andtoddlers in the group, either in a center or a home setting
A safe space is always a plus when it comes to an infants development.
pporting andextending infant/toddler learning. These activities must bebased on the child’s interests, abilities, and internal sleep/wake/feeding schedule
Learning infants is a super hard task but once you do, its so worth it
n order to inform policy makers, research is needed tostudy the effectiveness of the curricula that are currentlymost widely used. The curricula currently being used ininfant/toddler settings are evidence-derived, that is, basedon what is known from research about the developmentof young children. However, the curricula are generallynot evidence-based: their effectiveness in improving childoutcomes has not been evaluated.Just as important, research is needed to understandthe supports and teacher competencies needed tosuccessfully implement a curriculum. We have notedabove the need to extend new research approaches forverifying curriculum implementation to the infant/toddlerperiod. However, research is needed not just aboutwhether a curriculum is being implemented, but to identifythe most important features of infant/toddler curriculaand the aspects of implementation that are most criticalto supporting development. Finally, studies are neededto examine which combination of features, drawingupon both the what and the how (safe and engagingenvironments; individualized planning for activities toextend learning; implementation of planned activities inthe context of secure and responsive relationships) aremost beneficial to infant/toddler development.
I feel that it should be evidence based because it makes me wonder how any of this research is true if it hasn't really been proven through evidence.
However, the curricula are generallynot evidence-based: their effectiveness in improving childoutcomes has not been evaluated
So if it has not been evaluated then how do we know that it works?
Planning infant and toddler curriculum requires that teachers understand and respect how infantsand toddlers learn... Infants and toddlers have an inborn drive to seek information and experience.When they play, they often initiate learning, actively building skills, concepts, and connectionsbetween ideas
Agreed. Teachers have to respect & encourage infants & toddlers to learn & the ways that they learn. No one child learns the same way, maybe similar but not exactly the same.
Pedagogy, the lived experiencein the teaching process within the context of relationships,is referred to as the how of the infant/toddler curriculum,including responsive interactions and the process ofindividualizing
Pedagogy..... Does this mean like the process of building relationships between teacher & student?
Clearly, infants and toddlers are far from schoolentry, and the behaviors and skills that are precursors ofsuccess in school are very different from what is seen inchildren as they enter formal schooling at age 5
I agree. Every child learns differently. And a lot of the times they are learning how to regulate their behavior, what is acceptable & what isn't in a classroom setting, & many other behaviors & skills. With time those behaviors & skills will get better as they get older & prepare to start formal schooling.
there is growingrecognition among researchers, practitioners, andpolicy makers that the first three years are a distinctdevelopmental period characterized by rapid braindevelopment, reliance on relationships with adults,extreme responsiveness to environmental variation,and great opportunity for long-term impact on futureoutcomes across a range of developmental domains
True. Studies, statistics, & research can potentially change daily due to children's development & the fact that children don't all develop the same nor at the same pace.
Should be based on following the interests andabilities of the child: they are not a prescribed,invariant, or scripted series of adult-initiated and-directed activities or lesson plans. Infant/toddlercurricula involve the planning of environments andexperiences that are responsive to the abilities andinterests of the individual child
I agree with this statement because it's a good way to make the curriculum fit for each individual child & their abilities.
Appropriately developed plans are strategies to broaden the caregiver’s understanding of, anddeepen their relationship with, each child and family. Good planning should:} reflect activities that orient the caregiver to the role of facilitator of learning rather than the role of“director” of learning
During activities the teacher/caregiver should step back & let the child do them on their own to get a clear view of the child can do, cannot do, and/or may need help learning how to do it better. It lets the child learn to do certain activities independently while the teacher/caregiver just oversees what the child is doing.
as the developmentalchart about curriculum suggests, curriculum for babies and toddlers looks very different from curriculumfor preschoolers or first grade children. High quality infant/toddler programs have clear goals, andthey base their curriculum on knowledge of very early development.
I am not surprised that the curriculum is different because infants/toddlers have different developmental goals than preschoolers. I agree with the curriculums being different because younger children do have certain goals & developmental milestones that need to be met at their age. Also they comprehend topics differently than older kids. Younger children may not fully understand a curriculum that is set for preschool aged children.