Infant/Toddler Curriculum:Planning, Observation and Documentation

EDUU 326 Resources from:PITC and WestEd (2009)Lally (2009) Zero to ThreeCalifornia Infant/Toddler Curriculum Draft

Play as Curriculum• Interest areas to support

child-initiated learning through play

• Uninterrupted time for exploration and play in the environment

Interactions and Conversations as Curriculum • Teachers act as guides,

listeners, and problem-posers for infants and toddlers – through verbal and nonverbal

interaction • The teacher’s role is to

observe children’s responses and to watch and listen for children’s ideas– may come through gestures,

body movements, facial expressions, sounds, or words.

Caregiving Routinesas Curriculum• Daily routines

– provide natural opportunities for children to apply emerging knowledge and skills.

• Routines – Offer opportunities for children

to build language skills, – Help children learn the rituals of

sharing time with others– Help children relate one action

in a sequence to another.

New Approaches in Infant-Toddler Care1. Help Infants Form and

Prolong Secure Attachments– Infant–toddler care is now being

structured to support attachments between parents and child, and caregivers and child.

2. Help Infants with Positive Identity Formation

– Infant care teacher training is now being structured to help teachers understand their role in the child’s development of her first sense of self.

Lally, J. Ronald (2009). The Science and

Psychology of Infant–Toddler Care: How an Understanding of Early

LearningHas Transformed Child

Care. Zero to Three

New Approaches in Infant-Toddler Care3. Include Family Child-Rearing

Practices as Part of Care– Infant care teachers structure

care to keep the child’s connection to family strong.

4. Treat Babies Differently at Different Points Along Their Developmental Trajectory– Infant care teachers alter their

behavior in relation to the transitions infants go through.

(Lally, 2009)

New Approaches in Infant-Toddler Care5. Engage in Responsive Practice

– The infant care teacher should be facilitative, responsive, reflective, and adaptive.

6. Use a Reflective Curriculum Process

– Planning is also done to explore ways to help

– Teachers (a) get “in tune” with each infant

they care for(b) learn from the infant what he

needs, thinks, and feels, (c) find ways to deepen their

relationships with the children.

(Lally, 2009)

Planning the Infant/Toddler Curriculum• Observe, Reflect• Document, Reflect• Reflect, Discuss, Plan• Implement, Reflect• Partner with

Families in Planning Curriculum

CDE CA IT Curriculum Draft

Curriculum Planning Graphic

West Ed

Observation and Documentation• Important part of a

curriculum planning process• Teachers mindfully watch

infants while actively engaging with them.

• Teachers use their knowledge and all their senses as they observe, take notes, reflect on, and interpret children’s behavior.

Infant Care Teacher Observations• Actively participate in

care of the children• Remain emotionally and

physically available to the children

• Are responsive to children • Interact with children• Continue to provide care

while observing

Watch, Ask, and Adapt• PITC’s “Watch, Ask, and Adapt”

process • Work hand in hand with

curriculum planning that includes observation, documentation, and assessment.

• Infant/toddler care teachers – observe to be responsive – build relationships with infants – deepen their understanding of

children’s development and learning– discover ways to support children’s

development and learning

Tools for Documentation• Use notepads (both paper and

electronic devices), audio-recording devices, video or DVD recorders, and cameras.

• Include in their documentation items produced by older children such as drawings.

• Each documentation method yields different information.

• Combine information from different documentation tools for a more complete picture of a child’s learning and development.

Planning Based on Observation,Documentation, and Assessment

• Helps teachers plan for the next steps in the child’s learning.

• Informs curriculum plans since teachers are able to predict what each child is likely to focus on over the next days or weeks.

• Information from assessment results pertinent to the child’s developmental level in different areas may inform a plan.

• Plans can be brief and flexible - not written in stone.

• ‘The general principle of responsiveness to the child’s moment-to-moment interests and needs applies to this part of the curriculum planning process