INFANTS and TODDLERS Pennsylvania Learning Standards for …€¦ · · 2012-05-15INFANTS and...

Infant-Toddler Standards 1 Final 4/5/07

INFANTS and TODDLERS Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood

Table of Contents

Introduction................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Uses for the Early Learning Standards ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 Infant and Toddler Learning: Essential Points to Consider ........................................................................................................................ 8 The Early Learning Standards for Infants and Toddlers Format .............................................................................................................. 11 Guiding Principles .................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Terms and Definitions............................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Birth to Three Months............................................................................................................................................................................... 18

Approaches to Learning and Cognitive Development.......................................................................................................................... 18 Standard AL 1: Demonstrate initiative, curiosity, and imagination. ............................................................................................ 18 Standard AL 3: Demonstrate reasoning, problem solving, and persistence. ................................................................................ 19

Communication and Emerging Literacy............................................................................................................................................... 20 Receptive Communication................................................................................................................................................................ 20

Standard RC 1.6: Develop and expand listening and understanding skills. ................................................................................. 20 Expressive Communication .............................................................................................................................................................. 21

Standard EC 1.6A: Engage in non-verbal communication........................................................................................................... 21 Standard EC 1.6B: Engage in verbal communication. ................................................................................................................. 21

Emerging Literacy ............................................................................................................................................................................ 22 Standard EL 1.1A: Respond to early literacy experiences such as storytelling, nursery rhymes, songs, and finger plays. ......... 22 Standard EL1.1B: Demonstrate interest in pictures, books, and environmental print.................................................................. 22 Standard EL 1.1 C: Demonstrate beginning book handling skills................................................................................................ 23

Creative Expression .............................................................................................................................................................................. 24 Standard CE 9.1: Respond to a variety of sensual art forms. ....................................................................................................... 24 Standard CE 9.2: Respond to music. ............................................................................................................................................ 24 Standard CE 9.3: Participate in a variety of dramatic play experiences. ...................................................................................... 25

Physical and Motor Development......................................................................................................................................................... 26


Standard PM 10.4: Develop gross motor coordination................................................................................................................. 26 Standard PM 10.5: Develop fine motor control............................................................................................................................ 26

Social, Emotional, and Personal Development..................................................................................................................................... 27 Standard SEP 3.2 a: Develop emotional expressions. .................................................................................................................. 27 Standard SEP 3.3: Exhibit pro-social behavior and develop social interactions with peers......................................................... 27 Standard SEP 3.2 b: Develop self regulation and self control skills. ........................................................................................... 27 Standard SEP 1: Demonstrate dyadic synchrony and reciprocity in interactions with adults. ..................................................... 28

Three to Nine Months ............................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Approaches to Learning and Cognitive Development.......................................................................................................................... 29

Standard AL 1: Demonstrate initiative, curiosity, and imagination. ............................................................................................ 29 Standard AL 3: Demonstrate reasoning, problem solving, and persistence. ................................................................................ 30



Standard EC 1.6 a: Engage in non-verbal communication. .......................................................................................................... 32 Standard EC 1.6 b: Engage in verbal communication. ................................................................................................................. 33

Emerging Literacy ............................................................................................................................................................................ 34 Standard EL 1.1 a: Respond to early literacy experiences such as storytelling, nursery rhymes, songs, and finger plays. ......... 34 Standard EL 1.1 b: Demonstrate interest in pictures, books, and environmental print. ............................................................... 34 Standard EL 1.1c: Demonstrate beginning book handling skills.................................................................................................. 35

Creative Expression .............................................................................................................................................................................. 36 Standard CE 9.1: Recognize a variety of sensual art forms.......................................................................................................... 36 Standard CE 9.2: Respond to music. ............................................................................................................................................ 36 Standard CE 9.3: Participate in a variety of dramatic play experiences. ...................................................................................... 37

Physical and Motor Development......................................................................................................................................................... 38 Standard PM 10.4: Develop gross motor coordination................................................................................................................. 38 Standard PM 10.5: Develop fine motor control............................................................................................................................ 39

Social, Emotional, and Personal Development..................................................................................................................................... 40 Standard SEP 3.2 a: Develop emotional expressions. .................................................................................................................. 40 Standard SEP 3.3: Exhibit pro-social behavior and develop interactions with peers. .................................................................. 41


Standard SEP 3.2 b and PS 2: Develop self-regulation, self control, and self help skills. ........................................................... 41 Standard SEP 1: Demonstrate dyadic synchrony and reciprocity in interactions with adults. ..................................................... 42

Nine to Eighteen Months .......................................................................................................................................................................... 43 Approaches to Learning Cognitive Development................................................................................................................................. 43

Standard AL 1: Demonstrate initiative, curiosity, and imagination. ............................................................................................ 43 Standard AL 3: Demonstrate reasoning and problem solving. ..................................................................................................... 44




Emerging Literacy ............................................................................................................................................................................ 48 Standard EL 1.1 a: Respond to early literacy experiences such as storytelling, nursery rhymes, songs, and finger plays. ......... 48 Standard EL 1.1 b: Demonstrate interest in pictures, books, and environmental print. ............................................................... 49 Standard EL 1.1 c: Demonstrate beginning book handling skills................................................................................................. 50

Creative Expression .............................................................................................................................................................................. 51 Standard CE 9.1: Use a variety of sensual art forms. ................................................................................................................... 51 Standard CE 9.2: Express self through music and movement. ..................................................................................................... 51 Standard CE 9.3: Participate in a variety of dramatic play experiences. ...................................................................................... 52


Social, Emotional, and Personal Development..................................................................................................................................... 56 Standard SEP 3.2 a: Develop emotional expressions. .................................................................................................................. 56 Standard SEP 3.3: Exhibit pro-social behavior and develop interactions with peers. .................................................................. 57 Standard SEP 3.2 b., PS 1, and PS 2: Develop self-regulation, self control, and self help skills................................................. 57 Standard SEP 1: Demonstrate dyadic synchrony and reciprocity in interactions with adults. ..................................................... 59

Eighteen Months to Two Years (24 Months) ........................................................................................................................................... 60 Approaches to Learning and Cognitive Development.......................................................................................................................... 60

Standard AL 1: Demonstrate initiative, curiosity, and imagination. ............................................................................................ 60


Standard AL 3: Demonstrate reasoning and problem solving. ..................................................................................................... 60 Communication and Emerging Literacy............................................................................................................................................... 63

Receptive Communication................................................................................................................................................................ 63 Standard RC 1.6: Develop and expand listening and understanding skills. ................................................................................. 63

Expressive Communication .............................................................................................................................................................. 64 Standard EC 1.6 a: Engage in non-verbal communication. .......................................................................................................... 64 Standard EC 1.6 b: Engage in verbal communication. ................................................................................................................. 64

Emerging Literacy ............................................................................................................................................................................ 66 Standard EL 1.1 a: Respond to early literacy experiences such as storytelling, nursery rhymes, songs, and finger plays. ......... 66 Standard EL 1.1 b: Demonstrate interest in pictures, books, and environmental print. ............................................................... 67 Standard EL 1.1 c: Demonstrates beginning book handling skills. .............................................................................................. 68

Creative Expression .............................................................................................................................................................................. 69 Standard CE 9.1 and 9.4: Recognize and use a variety of sensual art forms................................................................................ 69 Standard CE 9.2: Express self through music and movement. ..................................................................................................... 70 Standard CE 9.3: Participate in a variety of dramatic play experiences. ...................................................................................... 71


Social, Emotional, and Personal Development..................................................................................................................................... 74 Standard SEP 3.2 a: Develop emotional expressions. .................................................................................................................. 74 Standard SEP 3.2 b and PS 2: Develop self-regulation, self control, and self help skills. ........................................................... 74

Two Years (24 Mos.) to Three Years (36 Mos.)....................................................................................................................................... 75 Approaches to Learning and Cognitive Development.......................................................................................................................... 75

Standard AL 1: Demonstrate initiative, curiosity, and imagination. ............................................................................................ 75 Standard AL 3: Demonstrate reasoning and problem solving. ..................................................................................................... 77





Emerging Literacy ............................................................................................................................................................................ 82 Standard EL 1.1 a: Respond to early literacy experiences such as storytelling, nursery rhymes, songs, and finger plays. ......... 82 Standard EL 1.1 b: Demonstrate interest in pictures, books, and environmental print. ............................................................... 83 Standard EL 1.1 c: Demonstrate beginning book handling skills................................................................................................. 84

Creative Expression .............................................................................................................................................................................. 85 Standard CE 9.1: Use a variety of sensual art forms. ................................................................................................................... 85 Standard CE 9.2: Express self through music and movement. ..................................................................................................... 86 Standard CE 9.3: Participate in a variety of dramatic play experiences. ...................................................................................... 87

Physical and Motor Development......................................................................................................................................................... 88 Standard 10.4: Develop gross motor control. ............................................................................................................................... 88 Standard PM 10.5: Develop fine motor control............................................................................................................................ 89

Social, Emotional, and Personal Development..................................................................................................................................... 90 Standard SEP 3.2 a: Develop emotional expressions. .................................................................................................................. 90 Standard SEP 3.3: Exhibit pro-social behavior and develop interactions with peers. .................................................................. 91 Standard SEP 3.2 b and PS 2: Develop self-regulation, self control, and self help skills. ........................................................... 92 Standard SEP 1: Demonstrate dyadic synchrony and reciprocity in interactions with adults. ..................................................... 93

Family, Early Learning Settings and Community Partnerships................................................................................................................ 94 Standard PS 1: Help families advance infant/toddler learning. .................................................................................................... 94 Standard PS 2: Use screenings and assessments to advance infant/toddler development and learning. ...................................... 96 Standard PS 6: Connect parents with community services........................................................................................................... 97 Standard PS 4: Help parents transition their infants/toddlers. .................................................................................................... 100 Standard PS 5: Parents provide input on program services and procedures............................................................................... 101

Committee Participants........................................................................................................................................................................... 102 Resources ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 109


Introduction

Over 30 years of research confirms the foundational importance of early learning for children’s school and life success. As Pennsylvania seeks to emphasize its early learning programs, a standards-based approach to programs serving children birth to three years of age is vital. Infants are born with an incredible capacity and desire to learn. The largest portion of brain development occurs between birth and three years with approximately 85% of the brain’s core structure developed by the time a young child is three-years-old. It is critical that their first steps are in the right direction. Research-based standards are essential to building the foundation for a strong start—one that effectively provides infants and toddlers with skills and gives them the confidence to stay the course, graduate from high school or college, and contribute productively to communities and workplaces. The Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards for Infants and Toddlers were developed as a joint project of the Department of Education and the Department of Public Welfare’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) as part of Governor Rendell’s commitment to early childhood education and care. The Early Learning Standards for Infants and Toddlers are meant to guide the development of programs serving children birth to three years of age programs and were developed by a Task Force consisting of early childhood practitioners and administrators, policy analysts and researchers, and university faculty. The Task Force membership is listed in Appendix A. The document is meant to guide decisions about curricula and assessments but is not meant to be used as a curriculum or assessment as written. Support for the development of the standards was provided through the national Build Initiative, which is a multi-state partnership that helps states construct a coordinated system of programs and policies that responds to the needs of young children. The document includes early learning standards, indicators of early learning, examples of how infants/toddlers demonstrate the learning, and suggested practices that adults can use to support the development of the skills.


Uses for the Early Learning Standards The Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards for Infants and Toddlers are designed as a framework for quality in programs serving children birth to three years of age and to provide guidance about what infants and toddlers generally should know or be able to do within specific age ranges. The Standards are inclusive of all infants and toddlers. If an infant/toddler has a known disability, use a younger age range to identify what the child is capable of doing and Supportive Practices that practitioners can use to help the skills develop. The Standards can be used to:

• Inform teachers and administrators about curriculum and assessment and to guide the selection of program materials; • Inform parents of appropriate expectations for infants and toddlers; and

• Support community early learning partnerships by providing a common framework for discussions about curriculum,

assessment, and transition between programs. The Early Learning Standards are NOT meant to be used:

• As a specific curriculum or to mandate specific teaching practices and materials or • To assess the competence of infants/toddlers or teachers.


Infant and Toddler Learning: Essential Points to Consider

The Pennsylvania Infant and Toddler Standards outline the growth and development of the child by listing indicators that are skill- and age-specific. However, infants and toddlers are complex human beings whose potential for growth and development are impacted by a variety of factors. In order for early learning practitioners to create environments that maximize each child's potential for growth and development, practitioners need to have an understanding of the both the Standards and Indicators and these Essential Points to Consider. Most importantly, practitioners need to become highly skilled in adapting daily practices with infants and toddlers in response to the current knowledge base in the field and any future research. Excellent early learning requires practitioners to make judgments and decisions on how to interact with infants and toddlers with a profound respect for the complexity of human development. Therefore, Pennsylvania asks that you not only consider these essential points but also become knowledgeable enough about each of them to analyze how they impact every child in your care and subsequently, your methods and strategies for supporting each child's growth and development. Healthy at Birth Infants who are born healthy have a significant advantage to maximize early learning opportunities throughout their childhood. Thus, it is essential to provide good prenatal care as early and consistently as possible. Good prenatal care reduces the incidence of premature birth and low birth weight, which have been linked to learning challenges later in childhood. Children who are exposed to drugs, such as nicotine, alcohol, and illegal substances, in utero tend to fall behind their unexposed peers in social, behavioral, and academic domains later in childhood. In short, good prenatal development that results in healthy births is a key ingredient to help infants and toddlers meet early learning standards. Brain Research The infant/toddler period is the time of fastest brain growth and development in a human’s life. A newborn's brain is about 25 percent of its approximate adult weight, but by age three, the brain is at 80% of adult size. The formation of synapses (connections between brain cells) and myelination (myelin is a substance that covers brain cells to promote electrical transmission of impulses) provide the most significant aspects of brain development from birth to three years. Brain development requires numerous experiences to shape the way that the circuits connect to help infants and toddlers understand and manage in the world.


Temperament Temperament is an innate set of traits and characteristics that infants are born expressing as a preferred way of interacting with the environment. Many parents and professionals are familiar with the infant who readily jumps into a new activity as opposed to an infant who takes a while to “warm up” to a new experience. As such, it is essential to respond sensitively to an infant or toddler’s preferred way of interacting with the environment to promote early learning. Temperament is the lens through which infants filter their experiences. Parents and professionals must attune learning expectations and adapt suggested practices provided in these Standards to meet the needs of each individual infant or toddler in a unique way to maximize early learning. Attachment Relationships form the hallmark of the infant/toddler learning experience - the better those relationships, the better the early learning outcomes. Attachment is the strong, affectional tie that humans feel toward special people in their lives. For infants, attachment is the formation of a relationship in which the infant trusts primary caregivers to meet their needs, especially their need to feel safe and secure. Infants and toddlers that develop trusting, secure relationships with primary caregivers are better able to take advantage of early learning opportunities whereas infants and toddlers that experience instability in those primary caregiver attachments have a more difficult time engaging effectively in early learning opportunities. Being a sensitive, responsive caregiver helps infants and toddlers form secure attachments to benefit early learning; therefore, promoting secure attachments through the way parents and professionals interact with and respond to infants and toddlers is the primary “Supportive Practice” to promote early learning. The importance of the attachment relationship is capitalized in the inclusion of a Standard on “Dyadic Synchrony” in these Early Learning Standards for Infants and Toddlers. Health, Safety, and Nutrition Health involves more than the absence of illness and injury. To stay healthy, infants and toddlers depend on adults to make healthy choices for them and to teach them to make such choices for themselves over the course of a lifetime. Child development addresses physical growth and the development in many areas: gross and fine motor skills, language, emotional balance, cognitive capacity, and personal-social skills. Thus, health and safety issues overlap with those considered part of early childhood education and mental health. Such overlap is inevitable and indeed desirable.


Multiple Contexts for Infants and Toddlers Infants and toddlers exist in a wide variety of environments that include a network of parents, family members, and professionals, such as child care practitioners, pediatricians, librarians, etc. Parents universally are accepted as the first and most important teachers so the family environment becomes the first school in which early learning takes place. At the same time, professionals also contribute significantly to early learning. In the best circumstances, parents and professionals create consistent environments to support early learning, realizing that they are players on the same team. Learning in the Context of Routine Care – maximizing “teachable” moments Much of infant, and to a certain extent toddler, care revolves around routines (e.g., feeding, changing, and putting to sleep). Often, adults do not recognize the significant learning opportunities that these routine practices provide so fail to capitalize on them to promote early learning. A major “Supportive Practice” is to identify routines as “teachable” moments for infants and toddlers. For example, diaper changes provide a great time to engage infants/toddlers in meaningful social interaction. Children’s Learning Infants’ and toddlers’ individual development and learning is constructed on a continuum that builds on prior experience and knowledge. Each infant/toddler’s unique learning style, abilities, and experiences join together to support progress along the continuum. Infants and toddlers will make progress on the skills and abilities described in the standards at different rates. Further, infants and toddlers with disabilities and from different cultural and language backgrounds may manifest the specific learning Indicators in different ways and at different ages. Infants and toddlers also learn holistically. Physical, socioemotional, and cognitive learning work together to create the whole child; each influence the other and none operate independently. Play is the vehicle through which infants and toddlers build knowledge. Infants and toddlers need opportunities to develop new skills through active exploration of hands-on materials. They also need safe and comfortable environments where they can practice these newly acquired skills and build on them to learn new information. Teachers support infant/toddler’s individualized learning opportunities by providing meaningful experiences that engage their interests, abilities and culture. Effective classroom learning for young children, then, is a balance of self discovery and supportive and nurturing teachers’ construction of challenging, yet attainable tasks.


The Early Learning Standards for Infants and Toddlers Format

Pennsylvania’s Early Learning Standards for Infants and Toddlers are divided into two parts: 1. Preamble and Guiding Principles The Preamble and Guiding Principles describe the way in which infants and toddlers learn and the way that early learning classrooms, teachers, home visitors, and parents can support infant/toddler’s learning. Pennsylvania’s Guiding Principles encompass information about infants/toddlers and families, teachers, classrooms, curriculum and assessment and when combined, create a powerful definition for quality early learning programs that spell out essential elements that all practitioners should consider in their program design. 2. Standards for Infants/Toddlers and for Partnerships This section describes the expectations of learning and development for infants and toddlers (birth to 3 years of age). The Pre-Kindergarten Standards are aligned with Pennsylvania’s Continuum of Learning Standards for Early Childhood. The Key Learning Areas are color-coded throughout the continuum (for example, Creative Arts will be shaded blue in infant-toddler, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten documents) and the icons associated with each Key Learning Area will remain constant. Additionally, the numbering of the Early Learning Standards is aligned with the Kindergarten and Third Grade standards. For instance, the Approaches to Learning and Cognitive Development Standard of “Demonstrate Initiative and Curiosity” is numbered as 1.1, 1.2, etc. to match the Pre-Kindergarten numbering, and the Communication and Emergent Literacy Standard for receptive communication is numbered 1.6 to match language and literacy skills associated with the numbering in the third grade and kindergarten standards. As practitioners view young children’s development along the continuum, they will be able to move back and forth along the continuum to appropriately assess and design individualized learning programs that meet each child’s needs. The Standards for Infants and Toddlers are organized into five age spans: birth to 3 months, 3 – 9 months, 9 – 18 months, 18 – 24 months, and 24 – 36 months. The Standards also provide a framework for curriculum and assessment design. The learning areas, while separated into content areas, should not be taught in isolation or in distinct “units of learning.” Learning is an integrated process where various standards or key learning areas can be combined through balanced, active learning experiences to support infant/toddler’s skill development.


Key Learning Areas are specific areas of development that, combined, represent the whole child. They include: Approaches to Learning and Cognitive Development; Communication and Emerging Literacy; Creative Expression; Physical and Motor Development; Social, Emotional, and Personal Development; and Family, Early Learning, and Community Partnerships. Family, Early Learning, and Community Partnerships continue to be a unique Key Learning Area to Pennsylvania and emphasize the importance of the family-school-community partnership for infant/toddler’s successful learning and development. Information that might be classified as “General Knowledge” is included within other Key Learning Areas, such as Approaches to Learning and Cognitive Development and Communication and Emerging Literacy, to emphasize that such learning should occur in a developmental context rather than being rigidly “taught” to children in a less holistic manner.

Standards the general statements in each key learning area that identify what infants and toddlers should know or be able to do at particular ages. However, it is necessary to look at the expectations before and after a particular age span to have a more accurate understanding of what infants and toddlers are able to do because development can be highly variable at these young ages. For instance, a child may appear “advanced” and show skills normally demonstrated in a higher range for one key learning area yet appear “slower” in another key learning area, predominately demonstrating skills listed in a lower age range (e.g., advanced in communication skills but slower in fine motor development). This is quite normal during the infancy and toddler periods of development. Further, it is important to adjust expectations for infants who are born premature by calculating the actual gestational age and looking for early learning skills to manifest during the appropriate age range based on gestational age rather than chronological age. Indicators further define the standard and provide examples of knowledge and skills. The Indicators are presented in chronological order such that items listed later within an age span may not be evident until the older ages within the range. Generally, all Indicators identified within an age span should be evident by the time the child is at the end of the range for the child who is demonstrating typical development. Many Indicators overlap across multiple Key Learning Areas. For example, the Indicator for Cognitive Development - Reasoning/Problem Solving Standard AL 3.16 is the same as the Communication and Emerging Literacy – Receptive Language Standard RC 1.6o because understanding that words represent objects and actions is both a cognitive and a receptive language skill. Examples are a sampling of specific ways that infants/toddlers may demonstrate mastery of a standard. This is not an all-inclusive list; there are many other ways that could represent individual infant/toddler’s mastery, and infants and toddlers do not need to demonstrate all of the examples supplied to be skilled in a specific standard. These examples are good resources for teachers, home visitors, and parents to understand what mastery looks like.


Supportive practices describe experiences, materials, and teaching practices that will encourage learning in the classroom or home setting. “Red Flags” Committee members selected a few “Red Flag” items to help adults gain a sense of whether additional screening or evaluation should be sought if a particular skill has not been acquired within a specific developmental age span. While there is agreement that development is highly individualized, there can be early indications if infants and toddlers are having trouble in a Key Learning Area. These “Red Flags” are not a comprehensive list of everything that adults should be aware of as warning signs, and we recommend using a validated screening tool if concerned about an infant/toddler’s development. However, if there are a number of “Red Flag” skills that are not evident over time, we recommend that the adult seek further screening or evaluation via Early Intervention, Mental Health, or other services for the infant/toddler.

Companion Documents 1. Crosswalk: This document has been separated from the Learning Standards for easy access. Available at: http://www.pde.state.pa.us/early_childhood/cwp/view.asp?a=316&Q=123910&early_childhoodNav=|10698|&early_childhoodNav=|6356| , the crosswalk provides an alignment of the Learning Standards with national and state standards. Each Key Area has been crosswalked with the following: NAEYC Standards; Head Start Performance Standards and Outcomes Framework; National Math and Reading Standards; the Environmental Rating Scale for Preschool (ECERS), Pennsylvania’s Core Body of Knowledge, and Family Literacy Standards. 2. Childhood Assessment, Birth Through Age 8, Pennsylvania’s report, Early also available at: http://www.pde.state.pa.us/early_childhood/cwp/view.asp?a=316&Q=123910&early_childhoodNav=|10698|&early_childhoodNav=|6356| provides an overview and recommendations for authentic assessment of young children and includes publisher-designed alignments of many popular curriculum and assessment materials. Review these crosswalks to learn how the curriculum and assessment instruments you are currently using or considering align with the Learning Standards for Early Childhood and support the development of the whole child.

Additional Questions and Information


For more information about Pennsylvania’s Standards for Early Childhood, or to obtain additional copies of the Standards documents, please contact Wendy Etheridge Smith at Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Pennsylvania Department of Education, 333 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17126 or email her at [email protected].

These Standards may be downloaded, in their entirety, for additional printing, copying and distribution. http://www.pde.state.pa.us/early_childhood/lib/early_childhood/Early_Learning_Standards_August_05.pdf


Guiding Principles

1. All who care for and educate infants and toddlers, whether in formal or informal early learning settings, have a significant impact on children’s future successes.

2. Healthy attachment relationships are critical for successful early learning during the infant and toddler years and provide the

essential foundation on which all subsequent learning occurs.

3. All infants and toddlers can learn and deserve suitably high expectations that are age, individually, and culturally appropriate.

4. Infants and toddlers learn best through meaningful play, concrete sensory interactions and intentional activities, experiences, and active exploration of their environment as well as through interactions with adults in the context of routine care.

5. The multiple learning environments for infants and toddlers should stimulate and engage their curiosity of the world around

them and meet their needs in all domains so children are and feel healthy, safe, secure and nurtured.

6. Infants and toddlers learn best in language-rich environments where reciprocal communication is an integral part of the learning experience. OR Language and early literacy development must be supported and integrated throughout all aspects of formal and informal early childhood care and education programs for infants and toddlers.

7. Infants’ and toddlers’ learning, development, and opportunities are supported when their teachers are trained in early childhood development and education, including professional training and ongoing professional development specific to infants and toddlers; are intentional in their relationships; and work with families to increase knowledge and support of child development.

8. Early childhood care and education programs must address the individual needs of all infants and toddlers (e.g. with special

needs, from diverse cultural backgrounds, from all socio-economic groups, etc.) and respect their families.


9. Early childhood care and education programs are defined by a set of comprehensive standards that maximize an infant’s or toddler’s growth and development across all domains and that recognize that the domains are dynamically inter-related, especially during the infant and toddler years.

10. Effective support for infant/toddler development requires a system of assessment that documents infants’ and toddlers’ growth

and development in relationship to a defined set of standards and is used to inform practice.

11. Infants’ and toddlers’ learning is enhanced when families, early learning environments/settings, and communities work together to provide continuity of high quality care.


Terms and Definitions All Children – Pennsylvania promotes inclusion of, acceptance of, and respect for all children in the myriad programs and services provided to infants, toddlers, and their families. The Standards for Infants and Toddlers are to be used for “all children” and truly represent all children, including those with special needs, from diverse ethnic/racial backgrounds, from diverse communities, from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, etc. Infants and Toddlers – The following terms will be used to describe infants and toddlers to correspond with the specified age ranges covered by the Standards and Indicators:

• Infant - 0 to 9 months (Two time periods – birth to 3 months and 3 to 9 months – are reflected in these Standards.) • Young Toddler – 9 – 18 months • Toddler – 18 – 24 months • Older Toddler – 24 – 36 months

Dyadic Synchrony – The state of a dyad being able to work together to meet each other’s needs in a coordinated fashion; the quality of the adult-child relationship. Joint Attention - The process of sharing one’s experience of observing an object or event by following a gaze or pointing gestures. It is critical for much of developing including language acquisition, social development, and cognitive development. Object Permanence – The understanding that objects continue to exist when they are out of sight. Pro-social Behavior – Positive behaviors, such as sharing, helping, or comforting a peer. Reciprocity – When adults and children are able to respond positively to each other’s overtures. Self-regulation – The ability to control one’s emotions, reactions, and behaviors when there is an unmet need.


Birth to Three Months

Approaches to Learning and Cognitive Development

Standard AL 1: Demonstrate initiative, curiosity, and imagination. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

AL 1.1 - Follow objects or faces with eyes as they move. AL 1.2 - Respond to faces or objects seen by gazing at them. AL 1.3 - Continue to look in the direction of moving objects that have disappeared. AL 1.4 - Suck and gum fingers, hands, and objects that come near the mouth. AL 1.5 - Seek to identify the source of a sound.

The infant will: • Follow a toy with the eyes as an

adult moves the toy; move head as object is moved.

• Look at a familiar face or object. • Gaze or turn slightly to follow a

disappearing object. • Turn toward music, singing,

sounds, and voices.

The adult will: • Play tracking games by taking toys with

bright colors and slowly moving them back and forth within infants’ sights. Have mobiles that move or hang available.

• Maintain regular eye contact and present infants with interesting things to look at.

• Keep pacifiers accessible; provide teething rings and other objects, which can be sanitized and are safe for infants to gum.

• Talk, whisper, sing, play music, and make other sounds, moving to different areas around the infants and varying sound levels.

The first three months are a dance between caregivers, parents, and infants. Routines that include sleeping, feeding, and eliminating are being developed. Caregivers and parents are learning to understand the infant’s cues. Infants are learning that their cries, which are their early forms of communication, bring attention and comfort. Infants’ experiences help create a basis for their expectations about the world. Essential practices to support learning include being sensitive, responsive, and appropriate during interactions.


Standard AL 3: Demonstrate reasoning, problem solving, and persistence. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

AL 3.1 - Begin to recognize the proper position of familiar objects. AL 3.2 - Show interest in novel stimuli. AL 3.3 - Recognize a caregiver’s voice. AL 3.4 - Begin to coordinate eye and hand movements. AL 3.5 - Bring hands to midline (with hands together in the middle of the body). AL 3.6 - Reach for an object. AL 3.7 - Begin to notice things with the senses and react.

The infant will: • Attempt to appropriately position a

pacifier or bottle. • React with increased attention

when shown a new object after seeing the same object repeatedly.

• Turn the head or move the body to the sound of a caregiver’s voice.

• Look at caregiver and coo. Orient looking and hearing together, seeing and sucking.

The adult will: • Let infants play with and explore bottles

during feeding times or play with pacifiers, favorite objects, or toys.

• Change mobiles, toys, or pictures in the environment that the infants see on a regular basis to make the room more visually interesting.

• Talk to infants during routines of feeding and diapering.

• Carry on conversation while moving around infant. Encourage infants to respond to voices.

• Bring books or colorful toys to the infants’ midlines; play Pat-a-Cake.

• Provide objects within reach of infants to bat, grasp, and reach for.


Communication and Emerging Literacy Receptive Communication

Standard RC 1.6: Develop and expand listening and understanding skills. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

RC 1.6 a - Listen to sounds in the environment and demonstrate a preference to hear the speech sounds of language. RC 1.6 b - Show sensitivity to noise levels and sudden sounds. RC 1.6 c - Seek to identify the source of a voice. RC 1.6 d - Listen to sounds made with own mouth.

The infant will: • Attend to sounds in the immediate

environment. • Change body movement and may

startle to loud or sudden noises. • Show an alert response to sounds

made with own mouth.

The adult will: • Look directly at infants and talk with them

gently using an animated face during routine care activities, such as diaper changing and feeding, and throughout the day.

• Observe infants’ responses to noises and try to modify the environment to keep infants calm and engaged.

• Speak or shake a rattle gently to the side of infants’ faces.

• Allow infants to enjoy their own sounds by not interfering with the experience.

• Imitate cooing and gurgling sounds that infants make.


Expressive Communication

Standard EC 1.6A: Engage in non-verbal communication. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

EC 1.6 a1 - Begin smiling at familiar objects or people. EC 1.6 a2 - Begin mimicking adult facial expressions

The infant will: • Smile when an adult smiles at

him/her. • Stick his/her tongue out in

response to seeing an adult’s tongue out.

The adult will: • Use waking up times and feeding times to

have face-to-face verbal and non-verbal interactions with infants.

• Engage infants by repeatedly making simple mouth movements, such as sticking the tongue out or opening the mouth.

Standard EC 1.6B: Engage in verbal communication. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

EC 1.6 b1 - Begin to vary cries in pitch to communicate needs (i.e., hungry, upset, cold, bored, tired, over stimulated). EC 1.6 b2 - Make comfort sounds. EC 1.6 b3 - Coo open vowel sounds (“aah”), closed vowels (“ee”), and diphthongs (“oy”). EC 1.6 b4 - Squeal, laugh. EC 1.6 b5 - Engage in vocal exchanges.

The infant will: • Tend to cry more loudly when

hungry and less dramatically for a minor discomfort.

• Make sounds such as “k,” “mm,” “aaah,” or “nnnn.”

• Make high pitched sounds of delight.

• Coo back to an adult who has initiated conversation.

The adult will: • Take time to determine the cause of upset

and address infants’ needs by feeding, changing, calming, etc.

• Respond to infants’ vocalizations by making similar sounds, smiling, and attending.

• Play with infants by making funny noises and tickling them; repeat actions that delight infants, such as playing “Kissee- Kissee,” “I’m going to getcha,” or “Peek-a-Boo.”


• Describe the environment to infants. Wait for infants to respond. Repeat infants’ sounds, wait patiently for them to do it again, and repeat the sequence. (“I see a bird in the window.”)

Emerging Literacy

Standard EL 1.1A: Respond to early literacy experiences such as storytelling, nursery rhymes, songs, and finger plays.

Indicator Example Supportive Practice EL 1.1 a1 - Respond to rhythmic language from nursery rhymes, songs, and finger plays.

The infant will: • Become calm or excited when

hearing familiar songs.

The adult will: • Use the same songs for calming or play

times. Infants respond better to actual voices as opposed to taped voices.

Standard EL1.1B: Demonstrate interest in pictures, books, and environmental print. Indicator Example Supportive Practice

EL 1.1 b1 - Show interest in patterns, colors and familiar pictures on mobiles, toys and books.

The infant will: • Gaze briefly at colors on a page;

linger over a contrasting pattern; repeatedly return gaze to interesting objects.

The adult will: • Equip the environment with colorful and

patterned items such as mobiles, posters, toys, and books. Observe infants to determine what they find interesting and follow their cues.


Standard EL 1.1 C: Demonstrate beginning book handling skills. Indicator Example Supportive Practice

EL 1.1 c1 - At this stage, adults handle the books for the infants.

The infant will: • Be seated comfortably in an

adult’s lap for story time.

The adult will: • Hold infants in the lap when reading or

telling stories.


Creative Expression

Standard CE 9.1: Respond to a variety of sensual art forms. Indicator Example Supportive Practices

CE 9.1 a - Prefer to look at faces and pictures of faces. CE 9.1 b - Prefer to look at contrasting colors (e.g., black and white).

The infant will: • Look at, smile, or coo at faces and

simple designs.

The adult will: • Place large, brightly colored pictures of

people and familiar things where infants can see them at eye level within 12 inches.

• Expose infants to objects (toys, mobiles, blankets) that are different colors, shapes, patterns, forms, tones, textures, and sizes.

Standard CE 9.2: Respond to music. Indicator Examples Supportive Practice

CE 9.2 a - React to music. The infant will: • Turn the head and move the arms

and legs when hear loud and/or soft tones.

• May quiet when hears music or may become animated.

• Calm when gently sung to or when hear soft music.

The adult will: • Sing, hum, and chant to infants. Watch for

infants’ cues and signals, such as smiling and reaching. Allow infants to hear soothing music, birds singing, water babbling, etc.


Standard CE 9.3: Participate in a variety of dramatic play experiences. Indicator Example Supportive Practice

CE 9.3 a - Notice and show interest in and excitement with familiar objects, people, and events.

The infant will: • Focus on and respond to facial

expression and voice tones. Respond to adults’ initiations of play activities by smiling, cooing, etc.

The adult will: • Hold and talk to infants. Play interactive

games, such as “Little Piggy” and “Patty Cake.” Encourage expression by making faces, gestures, and sounds.


Physical and Motor Development

Standard PM 10.4: Develop gross motor coordination. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

PM 10.4 a - Move limbs reflexively (non-voluntary movement). PM 10.4 b - Lift head when on stomach. PM 10.4 c - Begin turning head from side to side when on back. PM 10.4 d - Move limbs voluntarily. PM 10.4 e - Begin to control and lift head when held in an upright position.

The infant will: • Move arms and legs freely and

randomly when not swaddled. • Move head to observe

surroundings. • Kick and stretch arms and legs;

push with legs against firm surfaces; bring hands to mouth.

• Hold head steady while being held in an upright position (e.g., during burping).

The adult will: • Allow infants opportunities to move arms

and legs freely. Place toys in crib/playpen at infants’ feet. Play tickle games and/or shake infants’ feet with toys to draw attention to them.

• Provide ample tummy time when infants are awake once they have learned to roll over. (When sleeping, infants should always be placed on their back to reduce risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.)

• Always support the infants’ heads.

Standard PM 10.5: Develop fine motor control. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

PM 10.5 a - Hold hand open or partially open rather than with a closed fist. PM 10.5 b - Grasp a toy placed in the hand.

The infant will: • Hold hand in a relaxed, open

position when resting. • Briefly hold or shake a rattle

placed in the hand.

The adult will: • Place age appropriate toys or rattles in

infants’ hands. • Ensure items placed in the hand meet

Federal Guidelines for safe toys for children under 3 years of age.


Social, Emotional, and Personal Development

Standard SEP 3.2 a: Develop emotional expressions. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

SEP 3.2 a1 - Express comfort and discomfort, enjoyment and unhappiness. SEP 3.2 a2 - Laugh spontaneously.

The infant will: • Cry when has a need and calm

when needs are met. • Begin to laugh after previously

only smiling as a reflex and later as a social response.

The adult will: • Respond immediately and consistently to

infants’ cries and cues. • Share smiles or laughs with infants.

Standard SEP 3.3: Exhibit pro-social behavior and develop social interactions with peers. Indicator: Examples Supportive Practices

SEP 3.3 a - Pay attention to faces; socialize by watching faces and exchanging looks. SEP 3.3 b - Show awareness of other children.

The infant will: • Watch an adult’s face intently. • Watch another infant or child

closely for short periods.

The adult will: • Be expressive facially and verbally during

interactions. • Allow infants to watch each other for short

periods without interruptions.

Standard SEP 3.2 b: Develop self regulation and self control skills. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

SEP 3.2 b1 - Move in response to direct stimulus from the environment.

The infant will: • Startle to noise.

The adult will: • Be responsive to crying infants by carefully


SEP 3.2 b2 – Begin to learn to self regulate sleep and activity periods. SEP 3.2 b3 - Stop fussing by self. SEP 3.2 b4 - Quiet when sees an adult’s face or hears a soothing voice. SEP 3.2 b5 - Withdraws when over-stimulated by an interaction.

• Learn to sleep through noise when living in an active household.

• Learn to calm or soothe self when upset or tired, such as by sucking a pacifier.

• Stop or pause crying when sees mother’s face or hears her voice or when hears a soothing voice.

• Look away, cry, arch back, frown, or try to break contact with the source of over stimulation.

modulating voice tone and volume while offering supportive phrases, such as “I know you’re upset. I’m here. It’s OK. You’re going to be alright.”

• Calm infants by picking them up and holding them close.

• Allow the environment to be active while infants sleep.

Standard SEP 1: Demonstrate dyadic synchrony and reciprocity in interactions with adults. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

SEP 1.1 - Accept physical contact and respond to cuddling. SEP 1.2 - Is comforted by an adult. SEP 1.3 - Initiate a response from an adult or respond to an action initiated by an adult. SEP 1.4 - Maintain eye contact during feeding and interaction with an adult. SEP 1.5 - Mirror each other’s affect with an adult partner.

The infant will: • Mold to an adult’s body when

held. • Stop fussing when needs are met

by adults (i.e., bottle provided; diaper changed, etc.).

• Show excitement when a familiar adult approaches by kicking or other motor movements.

• Be happy when an adult is happy and tense when an adult is tense.

The adult will: • Hold infants close to the body and allow

them to “snuggle” close. • Talk to, smile at, and allow infants time to

respond. • Look into infants’ eyes when interacting

with them, such as when feeding them. • Recognize one’s own emotional state and

try to be calm when interacting with infants.

• Provide a primary caregiver to interact with infants and avoid changes in primary attachment figures.


Three to Nine Months



AL 1.6 - Look from one object to another or one person to another. AL 1.7 - Explore objects with the mouth. AL 1.8 - Begin to hold objects on own and to manipulate objects to some extent. AL 1.9 - Use hand, mouth, and eyes in a coordinated manner to explore own body, toys, and surroundings. AL 1.10 - Follow a person’s gaze to establish joint attention.

The infant will: • Look back and forth between two

different toys, objects, or individuals.

• Begin to hold bottle and turn toy around in hand to explore.

• Explore fingers; touch the tongue; and pull lips, ear lobes, etc. Explore the environment by touching, feeling, mouthing, etc.

• Turn attention to focus on the same object or person that an adult is looking at.

The adult will: • Play “tracking” games by moving self and

interesting objects back and forth. • Provide appropriate mouthing items –

objects that can be washed and sanitized. • Provide opportunities for infants to hold

and grasp more than one toy or object. • Provide opportunities for infants to explore

bodies and identify parts; create stimulating environments that infants can explore.

• Verbalize actions and direct infants’ visual attentions to notice things, such as “Look, there’s daddy!” Turn infants’ attentions to establish a visual gaze and reinforce with

Infants between three to nine months of age transition from being immobile to learning how to get around in their environments. The infants progress from being passive recipients of external events to being individuals who can act on the environment and shape their own experiences. Caregivers and parents must become sensitive to ensuring environmental safety for mobile infants yet providing opportunities for exploration. Essential practices to support their learning focus on paying attention to the infants’ interests and appropriately expanding their understanding of the experience.



smiles. Reinforce interest by adding, “You found daddy!”

Standard AL 3: Demonstrate reasoning, problem solving, and persistence. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

AL 3.8 - Reach for an object purposely and grasp it. AL 3.9 - Use body and senses to engage in play alone. AL 3.10 - Begin to show anticipation of familiar routines. AL 3.11 - Search for a toy that has been hidden or dropped out of sight.AL 3.12 – Imitate simple actions, gestures, sounds, and words.

The infant will: • Repeat an action or movement to

cause action to occur, such as hitting a mobile to make the music play.

• Get excited when placed in a high chair or placed on a changing table. Settle down when placed in a crib.

• Search for toy under blanket. • Play “Pat-A-Cake” or “So-Big.”

Wave bye-bye and blow kisses.

The adult will: • Provide toys, mobiles, and other objects

that give infants opportunities to reach, grasp, and bat.

• Repeat caregiving routines on a regular/daily basis and time.

• Allow infants repeated opportunities to retrieve toys/objects after observing them being placed under a blanket. Encourage infants to find the toys/objects.




RC 1.6 e - Listen intently to sounds made with the mouth. RC 1.6 f - Look at the face and eyes when an adult talks to them. RC 1.6 g - Respond to sound stimulation by vocalizing or moving the body. RC 1.6 h - Respond to different voice tones and inflections. RC 1.6 i - React to familiar environmental sounds and voices. RC 1.6 j - Begin to link the sounds of words with their meaning. RC 1.6 k - Look for family members, peers, or pets when named. RC 1.6 l - Stop action temporarily when told “No.”

The infant will: • Look attentively at adults’ mouths

as they are speaking. • Make sounds in response to

conversation or songs. • Change facial expressions and

reactions to calming, excited, or serious tones.

• Recognize day-to-day sounds and anticipate certain things such as the telephone, a door bell, or a dog barking.

• Respond with anticipatory behaviors (leaning in, reaching up) when hears key words such as “up.”

The adult will: • Allow infants time to explore their own

vocalizations; interact only to try and extend the infants’ interests in sound play.

• Have face-to-face, one-on-one interactions frequently throughout the day; use an engaging voice when communicating by over annunciating and stretching syllables.

• Vary voice intonations to match situation (e.g., use a calming voice and tone to calm infants; use higher pitches for stimulated play time; use a serious monotone when redirecting infants for health or safety issues).

• Label sounds as they are occurring and point to the source of sounds.

• Initiate infant games with verbal clues such as “How big is the baby?,” “Pat-A-Cake,” “Peek-A-Boo,” or familiar games that represents infants’ home experiences.

• Use familiar names often to reinforce the


connection between names and faces. • Say “No” in a calm but serious tone when

needed to protect infants from harm. Physically intervene as required to protect infants from harm.


Standard EC 1.6 a: Engage in non-verbal communication. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

EC 1.6 a3 - Smile at familiar objects and people. EC 1.6 a4 - Respond to name with eye contact, smile. EC 1.6 a5 - Shake head “No.” EC 1.6 a6 - Use gestures to protest or reject object. EC 1.6 a7 - Point to people or objects to indicate a preference or desire. EC 1.6 a8 - Respond to “Bye-Bye.”

The infant will: • Look up when name is called. • Hold up hands in refusal. • Reach out entire hand in the

direction of a desired object. • Move hand for “Bye-Bye” first

with help, then by copying, later when asked, and finally initiated on own at older ages.

The adult will: • Pay attention to infants and note their

interests. Use names of people and objects. Keep familiar and favorite objects on hand.

• Use infants’ names frequently during play and daily activities. Wait until infants turn and then smile.

• Use head movements to indicate “No” and “Yes.” Pair gestures with words.

• Describe infants’ actions with words. • Model pointing when obtaining new

objects. • Exaggerate the use of “Bye-Bye” at all

opportunities, such as when someone leaves, when putting away toys in baskets, when going out to the playground, etc. Pair the words with the gesture. Encourage infants to wave bye-bye either verbally or by waving infants’ hands.


Standard EC 1.6 b: Engage in verbal communication. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

EC 1.6 b6 - Reduce crying and use a wider variety of vocalizations to express emotions. EC 1.6 b7 - Make “raspberries” or bubbles to experiment with new sounds. EC 1.6 b8 - Vocalize in response to own name. EC 1.6 b9 - Vocalize in conversational manner; babble with inflection similar to adult. EC 1.6 b10 - Produce a variety of vowel and single consonant sounds in babbling (e.g., p, d, t, n, g, k, w, h, f, v, th, s, z, l, r). EC 1.6 b11 - Babble double consonants (e.g., “baba”) and consonant chains (e.g., “ba-ba-ba-ba”). EC 1.6 b12 - Babble to people. EC 1.6 b13 - Say “dada” or “mama” nonspecifically. EC 1.6 b14 - Shout for attention. EC 1.6 b15 - Engage in turn taking – will respond vocally after adult speaks.

The infant will: • Indicate feelings with voice

quality, tone, and inflection. Begin to use other vocalizations such as grunting, whining, and squealing to communicate instead of crying.

• “Coo” when hears name called.

• Start to use sounds that sound like they are talking - as if giving a directive or asking a question.

• Use chains of vocalizations and loud sounds to get attention.

• Make a sound, then attend to the adult making the sound, and then smile and make the sound again.

The adult will: • Attend to infants’ vocalizations prior to

crying. Acknowledge the new sounds and the emotions that they convey saying, “Oh, you must want more.”

• Call infants’ names, wait until they look, and then talk to them.

• Repeat sounds back to infants. • Make infants’ productions of the sounds

“dada” and “mama” meaningful by repeating the sounds and using them meaningfully. Share photos of parents and refer to them as Mama and Dada.

• Respond to infants’ vocalizations. When they make sounds, say back to them what was meant, such as “Oh, did you want to be picked up?”

• Observe when infants are more “talkative” and encourage them to continue by saying things such as “Tell me more.”

• Wait for infants to finish speaking before talking. Be patient; take turns talking.


Emerging Literacy

Standard EL 1.1 a: Respond to early literacy experiences such as storytelling, nursery rhymes, songs, and finger plays.

Indicator Examples Supportive Practice EL 1.1 a2 - Respond to rhythmic language in nursery rhymes, songs and finger plays.

The infant will: • Bounce or dance to songs. • Hold out hands for some hand

motions.

The adult will: • Use familiar songs (“Twinkle, Twinkle,”

“Pat-A-Cake,” etc.) throughout the day.

Standard EL 1.1 b: Demonstrate interest in pictures, books, and environmental print. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

EL 1.1 b2 - Gaze at picture books. EL 1.1 b3 - Show interest in colors and shapes in pictures. EL 1.1 b4 - Reach and grasp for pictures or books. EL 1.1 b5 - Attend to an adult’s voice when being held and read to. EL 1.1 b6 - Smile or express pleasure when viewing pictures of familiar objects or people. EL 1.1 b7 - Begin to show a preference for favorite books or pages.

The infant will: • Focus on a picture in a book for

several seconds. • Reach for books while being held

and read to. • Sit and attend to a book for 1

minute. • Smile or gaze at faces in books or

photos. • Show a particular interest in one

specific book. • Reach for a book when could

The adult will: • Keep books in many locations (at the

changing table, toys corner, and stroller). Show infants board and plastic books and point to pictures.

• Use a variety of books. Feel free to use own words when pointing to pictures.

• Allow infants to handle books when interested in them.

• “Read” or talk about pictures using an interesting voice.

• Show photographs of infants and other


EL 1.1 b8 – Show interest in books from amongst a collection of toys.

choose other items, such as a rattle or toys.

family members to the infants. • Use the same books over and over again so

that infants become familiar with the books.

• Encourage infants to explore books by offering books throughout the day. When infants select a book, respond “You want to read, let’s read!” and sit and read the book with the infants.

Standard EL 1.1c: Demonstrate beginning book handling skills. Indicator Example Supportive Practice

EL 1.1 c2 - Explore books. The infant will: • Mouth or finger books. Investigate

books by turning them upside down, moving them from hand to hand, or shaking and throwing them.

The adult will: • Allow infants to hold books even if they

are just holding or mouthing them. Use books that are soft plastic or have thick cardboard pages.


Creative Expression

Standard CE 9.1: Recognize a variety of sensual art forms. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

CE 9.1 c - Enjoy feeling various textures and pleasant sensations. CE 9.1 d - Show curiosity and explore sensory materials.

The infant will: • Watch brightly colored mobiles.

Feel, handle, and explore various textures.

• Begin to touch, mouth, and hold objects.

The adult will: • Talk to infants about the shape, color, and

texture of things. Expose infants to a variety of fabrics, papers, toys, etc.

• Place infants on clean, textured surfaces, such as rugs, grass, etc. Begin to place rattles or appropriate toys with textures and sounds in infants’ fists.

Standard CE 9.2: Respond to music. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

CE 9.2 b - React actively to music. CE 9.2 c - Act upon objects to elicit sounds.

The infant will: • Respond to music with the entire

body by moving arms, kicking feet, and/or rocking. Sway and turn towards a sound. Indicate through movements or vocalizations that wants more of a pleasurable activity.

The adult will: • Include movement to music daily. Hold

infants and rock or move to music. Use different types of music with infants. Sing, hum, and chant to infants.

• Provide sound-making toys and musical instruments that infants can use independently.


Standard CE 9.2: Respond to music. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

• Touch a mobile to play music. Shake noisemakers or rhythm instruments.

Standard CE 9.3: Participate in a variety of dramatic play experiences. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

CE 9.3 b - Try out toys by grabbing, holding, dropping, and exploring. CE 9.3 c - Engage in social play with adults.

The infant will: • Respond to puppets and stuffed

animals manipulated by adults. • Smile and laugh during “Peek-A-

Boo.” • Smile and “talk” to self when

looking in a mirror.

The adult will: • Select toys that are safe and good for

simple exploration. Hand infants a toy, first to one hand and then to the other. Toys should be large enough so they are unable fit in infants’ mouths but small enough that infants can hold and manipulate them.

• Use some dramatic play props daily (e.g., soft dolls and animals, unbreakable mirrors). Use toys that make a noise like a squeaky stuffed animal or a ball with bells inside. Make sure the toys are safe to play with or put in the mouth.

• Get down on the floor with infants and give infants toys to play with. Be sure to make it fun so infants do not get frustrated.




PM 10.4 f - Roll back and forth from tummy to back and vice versa. PM 10.4 g - Extend and flex the legs. PM 10.4 h - Lift head and chest using forearms for support while on stomach. PM 10.4 i - Sit with assistance. PM 10.4 j - Sit without support. PM 10.4 k - Roll, scoot, or pull body with arms (creep). PM 10.4 l - Get into a crawling position. PM 10.4 m - Stand with support. PM 10.4 n - Crawl.

The infant will: • Roll from back to tummy first and

then within a few weeks, begin to roll from tummy to back.

• Lifts legs and bring feet to mouth while on the back.

• Sit in a high chair or stroller with props for short periods of time (e.g., 15 min).

• Sits in a high chair or stroller without props for short periods of time (e.g., 15 min).

• Stands with support of caregiver, furniture, or other stable object.

• Move toward a person or other object of interest while laying on the tummy on the floor.

The adult will: • Always monitor infants when on elevated

surfaces. • Use colorful socks to encourage

exploration of the feet. • Provide tummy time while they are awake

once infants are able to roll back and forth. • Place infants’ toys in slightly elevated

positions so infants are encouraged to look up during tummy time.

• Allow time to have infants sit with props as well as providing floor and tummy time.

• Change infants’ positions frequently throughout the day.

• Call to infants from a short distance away or place interesting toys a short distance from them to encourage movement.

• Child-proof the environment once infants are able to crawl.

• Hold hands against the soles of infants’ feet to provide a base.



• Avoid lifting infants’ feet off the floor while providing support to stand.

• Avoid over-extending or pulling the infants’ arms while providing support to stand.

• Provide safe and interesting environments for infants to explore.

• Gate stairs so infants cannot explore alone.


PM 10.5 c - Grasp and mouth objects. PM 10.5 d - Transfer objects from hand to hand. PM 10.5 e - Pick up small objects in the center of the hand with fingers around it (i.e., palmar grasp). PM 10.5 f - Clap or bang objects on a surface.

The infant will: • Pick up a variety of objects that

can be grasped and bring to mouth. • Scoop up objects as if wearing a

mitten. • Bang a spoon on high chair.

The adult will: • Allow access to objects that are larger than

1.5 inches in diameter. (If the object fits inside a toilet paper tube, the object is not safe for infants.)

• Provide a variety of age appropriate objects.




SEP 3.2 a3 - Smile purposefully to express pleasure. SEP 3.2 a4 - Use facial expressions to express emotions. SEP 3.2 a5 - Respond differentially to people. SEP 3.2 a6 - Cry or show discontent when familiar adults leave. SEP 3.2 a7 – Begin to respond with fear or anxiety to strangers or unfamiliar people (even relatives that has not spent much time with). Often called “Stranger Anxiety.”

The infant will: • Smile at an adult without the adult

smiling first. • Use a variety of facial expressions,

such as surprise, excitement, pouting, mild sadness, and happiness.

• Smile at mother vs. show facial concern when interacting with another adult.

• Cry or move toward a caregiver for safety, when an unfamiliar person is present.

The adult will: • Respond to infants’ smiles with a smile and

a happy voice. • Use facial expressions along with words to

express emotions. Comment on the infants’ emotions. “You must be happy. Look at your big smile.”

• Recognize the facial expressions of infants and respond appropriately.

• Speak to infants from another room, if possible, to reassure them.

• Touch or pick up infants in the presence of unfamiliar adults and reassure that they are safe.


Standard SEP 3.3: Exhibit pro-social behavior and develop interactions with peers. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

SEP 3.3 c - Repeat actions that elicit social responses from others. SEP 3.3 d – Enjoy active play.

SEP 3.3 e - Use the body and senses to engage in play with an adult and, at times, with or near other infants.

The infant will: • Repeat any action or vocalization

when an adult gives positive attention.

• Laugh when lifted above an adult’s head, swung around, etc.

• Reach out or up to touch an adult’s face; pat an infant nearby; grab for a toy another infant is holding.

The adult will: • Respond immediately, consistently, and

appropriately to infants’ behaviors. • Smile and do actions again in response to

infants’ expressed joy. • Provide opportunities for infants to explore

the human face; provide social experiences for infants with other infants. Encourage infants to use their bodies to get what they want.

Standard SEP 3.2 b and PS 2: Develop self-regulation, self control, and self help skills. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

SEP 3.2 b6 - Learn to self regulate sleep and activity periods. SEP 3.2 b7 - Show interest in and vocalize to the image in a mirror. SEP 3.2 b8 -Appear to be listening when spoken to. SEP 3.2 b9 - Learn to self-soothe.

PS 2.1 - Begin to self feed.

The infant will: • Establish a schedule of sleep and

wakeful states; show sleepiness through crying or fussiness.

• Look into a mirror and study the image intently for short periods of time. May get excited and reach out to touch a mirror image.

• Quiet, make eye contact, and have a serious look on the face when an

The adult will: • Recognize infants’ cries and rock or pat to

calm and help them sleep. • Allow infants time to explore their faces in

mirrors without interruption for a short time.

• Give food items larger than the size of a penny to avoid the risk of choking hazards. Avoid hard foods like raw carrots. Never leave an infant unattended while eating.


adult speaks. • Calm self with a pacifier. • Eat a cracker or cereal pieces by

picking them up and putting them into the mouth.

• Reassure infants when they are upset. • Provide a pacifier or familiar toy/blanket to

help infants calm down.


SEP 1.6 - Show preference for parents and other primary caregivers. SEP 1.7 -Become very interactive – may babble and express pleasure when socializing with familiar adults. SEP 1.8 - Delight in back and forth imitation games. SEP 1.9 - Communicate clearly a desire for closeness to or physical contact with adults.

The infant will: • Display recognition of primary

caregivers when see or hear them with increased motor movement or returning a smile.

• Enjoy games, like “Peek-A-Boo” with adults. Enjoy affectionate games; may reach out to touch an adult’s face.

• Lift arms in the air to show the adult that wants to be picked up.

The adult will: • Speak to infants when entering a room and

respond immediately, consistently, and appropriately to any verbalization by infants.

• Begin “Peek-A-Boo” games and play them each day for short periods. Allow infants to touch caregiver’s face.

• Allow infants to imitate caregiver’s actions and provide praise by smiling, laughing, and speaking to the infants.

• Consistently pick infants up when they lift their arms.

• Encourage consistency for infants (e.g., assign a primary caregiver, keep infants in in the same room rather than often changing rooms as enter different age periods).


Nine to Eighteen Months

Approaches to Learning Cognitive Development

Standard AL 1: Demonstrate initiative, curiosity, and imagination. Indicator Examples Supportive Practice

AL 1.11 - Develop the understanding that certain behaviors bring results (i.e., cause and effect) through trial and error.

The young toddler will: • Manipulate objects that give

responses. Choose to play with toys/objects that give responses, such as pop-up toys.

The adult will: • Provide toys and other objects that

encourage young toddlers to figure out how they work, such as busy boxes, pop-up boxes, and musical balls.

Crawling infants at nine months of age transition to being mobile young toddlers by eighteen months. Young toddlers start to use a few words meaningfully and communicate, primarily through gestures and vocalizations, to express their needs. Each child’s unique personality becomes more evident. Caregivers and parents must learn to create boundaries to help young toddlers understand the impact of their behaviors on themselves and others. Essential practices to support their learning should focus on talking to young toddlers, engaging them in “conversations” of word and gesture, and supporting their desires to affect their environments.


Standard AL 3: Demonstrate reasoning and problem solving. Indicator Indicator Indicator

AL 3.13 - Discover simple movements as solutions to problems through trial and error. AL 3.14 - Recognize that objects exist even when not in sight and seek to acquire them (i.e., object permanence). AL 3.15 - Use everyday objects in the way they are typically used during play (i.e., representational play). AL 3.16 - Understand that some words represent real objects or concepts.

The young toddler will: • Crawl or climb over obstacles to

get a toy; pull a string or blanket to get a toy.

• Place simple shapes in a shape sorter or turn a container upside down to get objects.

• Find a toy that has been hidden; find a ball that has rolled out of view.

• Feed a doll with a bottle; put a toy telephone to the ear; use a hammer to pound a toy workbench.

• Identify a few body parts, familiar objects, people, and animals. Recognize location words such as “in” or “under.”

The adult will: • Provide toys and activities that encourage

young toddlers to solve problems. • Play turn-taking games that offer

opportunities to respond to young toddlers’ sounds or actions.

• Play hiding games such as “Peek-A-Boo”; reveal hidden toys.

• Provide ample materials, model, and respond to young toddlers’ play efforts.

• Name or label objects, people, etc. during daily activities.




RC 1.6 m - Discriminate among a number of familiar environmental sounds. RC 1.6 n – Show interest in conversations.

RC 1.6 o - Understand that words stand for objects and actions. RC 1.6 p - Respond to simple questions non-verbally. RC 1.6 q – Look at what adult is pointing to and shares attention. RC 1.6 r - Follow familiar directions with words and gestures as well as without gestures. RC 1.6 s - Point to objects when named. RC 1.6 t - Point to actions when named.

The young toddler will: • Look toward a phone when ringing

is heard or toward a door when hears a doorbell or a knock.

• Look at speakers when they are talking.

• Begin to respond to an increasing amount of words. Understand many more words than can say.

• Shake head to indicate preferences such as “No” when done with food or “Yes” to indicate more food.

• Clap hands when an adult does “Pat-A-Cake.” Raise arms in anticipation of being picked up when an adult says “Up.” Follow directions to “Come here,” “Stand up,” “Get the ball,” or “Jump up and down.”

• Point to a toy dog when asked, “Where is the dog?” or to pictures of familiar actions such as sleeping,

The adult will: • Name sounds that the child hears in the

environment. • Acknowledge young toddlers’ attentions

with eye contact and engaging facial expressions.

• Talk aloud throughout the day, describing actions done by adults and young toddlers using a variety of vocabulary to continually introduce new words.

• Point to something exciting and encourage young toddlers to attend and then praise the responses.

• Ask parents about favorite games played at home.

• Do activities that use these phrases: o Put it in . . . o Hand me the . . . o Where is the . . . o Show me the . . . o Please get the . . .


eating, waving or clapping. o Show me your nose… • Ask young toddlers for a toy and say,

“Thank you,” when it is given. Offer choices such as “Do you want the car or the ball?” Show approval of responses.

• Use books that illustrate common actions.


Standard EC 1.6 a: Engage in non-verbal communication. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

EC 1.6 a9 – Use a variety of gestures to communicate needs and preferences. EC 1.6 a10 – May use gestures to label and refer to familiar objects, actions, and people.

The young toddler will: • Reach arms up to be lifted. • Wave Bye-Bye. • Point with a finger to indicate wants. • Shake head “No’ when asked a

question.

The adult will: • Label young toddlers’ gestures, linking

words to actions (e.g., “You want to come up?”).

• Use names for people and refer to names of items as young toddlers gesture.

• Learn and use some common signs from American Sign Language.



EC 1.6 b16 - Babble with long strings of sounds. EC 1.6 b17 - Vocalize during play. EC 1.6 b18 - Pair vocalizations with gestures. EC 1.6 b19 - Use single words meaningfully to label objects or persons. EC 1.6 b20 - Use names for family members and other familiar people. EC 1.6 b21 - Produce sounds of animals and familiar objects (e.g., cars, trains). EC 1.6 b22 - Imitate sounds and words after adults speak.

The young toddler will: • Combine more than one sound in a

string of sounds. Make repetitive sounds like “dada,” “gaga,” etc.

• Talk to toys. Talk to self in mirror. • Start to use words linked to

everyday experiences such as “bottle,” “Mama,” and “up.”

• Begin to use names of family members and other familiar adults.

• Make animal sounds like “moo” and “meow” when prompted.

• Make sounds right after they hear them.

The adult will: • Sing simple songs and rhymes. • Provide soft dolls and animal toys that

will encourage verbal responses. • Provide an assortment of familiar items

for young toddlers to point to and hear named by adults.

• Use names intentionally when addressing people familiar to young toddlers.

• Use appropriate sounds when reading books or playing with toys such as “Ruff-Ruff” for the dog and “Beep, Beep” for the car.

• Use the same word repeatedly and keep phrases simple such as “Nice dog” or “So big.”


Emerging Literacy


Indicator Examples Supportive Practices EL 1.1 a3 - Listen attentively to familiar stories, rhymes, and songs. EL 1.1 a4 - Make movements and sounds in response to cues. EL 1.1 a5 - Request favorite nursery rhymes, songs, and finger plays.

The young toddler will: • Perk up when hears nursery rhymes

and familiar songs. • Use approximate finger movements

to songs. • Ask to hear their favorite stories,

nursery rhymes, songs and finger plays over and over again.

The adult will: • Have one-on-one lap time with young

toddlers to do “This Little Piggy” and other hands-on rhymes. Do language games during routine care times.

• Tell a story about a shared experience such as, “When we went to the train station, the train went ‘choo-choo’.”

• Use hand motions when singing or reciting rhymes or songs; encourage young toddlers’ approximations of adult movements and words.

• Be attentive to requests. Label the request “You want to sing ‘The Wheels on the Bus” and when appropriate, comply with the request.



EL 1.1 b9 - Vocalize and pat pictures.

EL 1.1 b10 - Point at pictures.

EL 1.1 b11 - Make sounds for familiar pictures.

EL 1.1 b12 - Give a book to an adult and request it be read. EL 1.1 b13 - Show a preference for favorite books. EL 1.1 b14 – Recognize signs and symbols frequently seen.

The young toddler will: • Use an open hand to pat familiar

pictures. • Point to pictures in a book indicating

that they want the adult to name them. Point to pictures in books in response to an adult naming them.

• Make animal sounds when animals are pictured in a book.

• Point to signs or symbols indicating recognition or point in response to an adult naming objects.

The adult will: • Have a selection of books that use

photographs and realistic images of familiar items.

• Point to pictures in books with excitement and interest. Show excitement at pictures and ask “Show me the ….” If young toddlers do not point, demonstrate.

• Set the stage for cozy reading time. • Make books available and accessible

throughout the day; respond positively when young toddlers select books; comment on the book - “You picked the doggy book!”

• Point to, read, or identify signs, such as stop signs, store names, favorite cereal boxes, etc.


Standard EL 1.1 c: Demonstrate beginning book handling skills. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

EL 1.1 c3 - Turn pages of thick paged books. EL 1.1 c4 - Hold book and look at pictures as if reading.

The young toddler will: • Turn pages of board books. • Will look at book even if upside-

down or backwards.

The adult will: • Start to turn page and allow young

toddlers to finish. • Respond positively to attempts to handle

books and picture read. Do not worry if books are held upside-down or pages are turned from the back to the front. Allow young toddlers to explore the books as they wish. Use times when you read to model appropriate book handling.


Creative Expression

Standard CE 9.1: Use a variety of sensual art forms. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

CE 9.1 e - Experiment with their world and use their senses to understand everything by touching, seeing, and hearing. CE 9.1 f - Show interest in handling art materials.

The young toddler will: • Become more deliberate and

purposeful in responding to people and objects.

• Hold large crayons, move them between hands, and engage in random scribbling.

The adult will: • Talk to the young toddlers about the shape,

color, and texture of things. • Expose young toddlers to a variety of

fabrics, papers, and toys. • Use non-toxic materials. Keep art materials

stored out of reach. Provide supervised opportunities to explore safe and appropriate media in visual arts (e.g., finger-painting with water, drawing with crayons, etc.).

Standard CE 9.2: Express self through music and movement. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

CE 9.2 d - Enjoy producing music and other sounds. CE 9.2 e - Delight in new abilities to produce sounds.

The young toddler will: • Respond to familiar songs. Tell

tunes apart. • Start to discover musical pulse and

create sounds by banging everyday objects.

The adult will: • Provide musical experiences in a variety of

ways (e.g., singing, musical toys, recorded music, etc.). Encourage young toddlers’ interest and participation in musical activities. Expose young toddlers to a



• Attempt to sing, following a familiar melodic pattern.

variety of types of music (e.g., lullabies, classical children’s songs, classical, jazz, folk music, etc.) from a variety of cultures, languages, and backgrounds.


CE 9.3 d - Know the meaning of objects during play. CE 9.3 e - Play interactive games with adults to explore concepts. CE 9.3 f - Relate to dolls and stuffed animals in realistic ways.

The young toddler will: • Show interest in handling and

playing with objects such as hats, belts, shoes, etc.

• Lift a cup to the lips, pull a comb through their hair, and put a telephone receiver to the ear during play.

• Bang blocks together or against a hard surface but stroke or pat pillows or plush animals.

• Pretend to be objects with associated noises.

• Enjoy having an audience and receiving applause for actions.

• Hold and burp a baby doll, sit stuffed animals at the table for

The adult will: • Put together a household “gadgets” box

with cups, wooden spoons, pans, etc. Put together an "everyday junk box" of items that are fun to feel, poke, and squeeze with supervision. Store items on low shelves so young toddlers can reach them.

• Provide large pictures that show people in community roles and families from diverse cultures and genders.

• Sit on the floor together. Crawl around together. Pretend socks are puppets or animals while dressing young toddlers.

• Recreate young toddlers’ favorite stories or routines. Provide materials representing various cultures (pictures, food, dolls, books, clothes, music, toys, etc.). Avoid



lunch, diaper a doll, or put a cup to a doll’s mouth.

interrupting when young toddlers are concentrating. Young Toddlers need playtime to explore and imitate. Stand back and watch them play. Try to understand what concept they are working on.




PM 10.4 p - Pull to stand. PM 10.4 q - Walk with help. PM 10.4 r - Throw an object using a forward arm motion. PM 10.4 s - Walk without support. PM 10.4 t - Climb objects. PM 10.4 u - Squat and return to standing position without support. PM 10.4 v - Walk down stairs with support.

The young toddler will: • Grasp the side of a couch and pull

to a standing position. • Take a few steps after letting go of

a support object or person. • Climb from the floor onto the sofa

or other low furniture. • Bend or squat to pick up an object

from the floor and stand up again without any support.

• Walk down a few stairs while holding an adult’s hand.

The adult will: • Provide stable furniture for young toddlers

to pull up on. Cover corners of tables and other sharp edges. (The American Medical Association does not recommend the use of walkers.)

• Provide balls, bean bags, and other small, soft objects for young toddlers to throw.

• Provide close supervision as young toddlers explore the environment.

• Place interesting objects on the floor for young toddlers to explore.

• Have young toddlers imitate up and down movements to music.

• Provide close supervision as young toddlers navigates stairs.



PM 10.5 g - Pick up objects with the thumb and index finger (i.e., pincer grasp). PM 10.5 h - Turn pages of a stiff book. PM 10.5 i - Hold crayon in the hand and make marks on paper. PM 10.5 j - Stack toys. PM 10.5 k - Spoon feed self.

The young toddler will: • Pick up cheerios, thread, crumbs,

etc. • Lift and turn pages without help. • Hold a crayon in a fisted hand and

use the tip to make marks on paper.

• Get a spoon into the mouth right side up so that food usually does not spill.

The adult will: • Provide opportunities to self feed with

finger food that is cut in small pieces so young toddlers cannot choke.

• Provide young toddlers with age appropriate writing instruments, e.g. chunky crayons.

• Provide an assortment of different sized plastic containers or stacking/nesting toys.

• Provide child-sized eating utensils. • Avoid firm, sticky foods, such as hard

vegetables, nuts, hard candies, and peanut butter, which present choking hazards.




SEP 3.2 a8 - Show joy, pleasure, and excitement in new things that learns to do. SEP 3.2 a9 - Express a variety of pleasurable and non-pleasurable emotions. SEP 3.2 a10 - Begin to show fear or dislike of previously accepted activities/things. SEP 3.2 a11 - Begin to show sense of humor. SEP 3.2 a12 - Express emotions impulsively without understanding of impact on others.

The young toddler will: • Smile, laugh, or show excitement by

body expression and want to repeat new activities.

• Exhibit fear of strangers; may become fearful of other more familiar things and may lose interest in some old toys.

• Laugh at funny faces made by an adult; may imitate faces and show that wants to do it again.

• React by biting or hitting when another child takes a toy away.

The adult will: • Show pleasure in young toddlers’

accomplishments by smiling back or clapping hands.

• Label young toddlers’ emotions (e.g., “You are happy, angry,” etc….) and respond appropriately.

• Repeat activities when young toddlers show that they want them to occur again.

• Help young toddlers find positive ways to express frustration.



SEP 3.3 f - Participate in simple back and forth interaction/play. SEP 3.3 g - Recognize and respond differently to younger children. SEP 3.3 h - Imitate the behaviors of peers. SEP 3.3 i - Respond to the actions of peers.

The young toddler will: • Play simple games like rolling a ball

back and forth. • Approach a younger infant and

behave in a very gentle and kind way, such as gently touching the baby.

• Giggle, cry, or have a concerned look on the face in response to another infant/toddler’s behavior.

The adult will: • Allow young toddlers to touch younger

infants but supervise closely. • Allow young toddlers to mimic each

other and verbally describe actions. • Acknowledge young toddlers’ awareness

of others and verbally discuss (e.g., “Yes that little boy is sad.”).

Standard SEP 3.2 b., PS 1, and PS 2: Develop self-regulation, self control, and self help skills. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

SEP 3.2 b10 - Develop a sense of trust of adults. SEP 3.2 b11 - Interest or amuse self independently. SEP 3.2 b12 - Develop a sense of autonomy and consequence of actions. PS 1.1 - Recognize self in mirror. SEP 3.2 b13 - Show comfort in daily routines and activities. SEP 3.2 b14 - Enjoy exploring all

The young toddler will: • Show the expectation that an adult

will respond to needs by crying or moving toward an adult for comfort when upset.

• Initiate play with a mobile; will like to move toys or make a toy “work.”

• Show comfort in having the same routine, i.e. naptime - after lunch, change diaper, read story, have a designated spot to sleep, and have

The adult will: • Respond immediately, consistently, and

appropriately to young toddlers’ needs for comfort.

• Allow young toddlers time to play alone and explore while keeping close supervision at all times.

• Establish routines for daily activities and do them consistently.

• Vary play activities and allow young toddlers to experience something new


aspects of activities and environments so changes play activities often. PS 2.2 - Attempt to perform self care activities independent of adult help. SEP 3.2 b15 - Test adult authority/limits by resisting adults’ attempts to place boundaries regarding safety of self and others. SEP 3.2 b16 - Insist that a particular adult meet needs. SEP 3.2 b17 - Demonstrate an individualized response to environmental surroundings.

the adult rub the back when falling asleep.

• Begins to take care of needs by doing things like feeding his/her self or expressing a desire to take off own shoes.

• Resist help offered by others when preferred adult is present; may not want anyone else to take care of them, put on coat, feed, etc.

• May throw an object in reaction to displeasure to see adult’s reaction.

• Run around when loud and excitable sounds are heard or cry and seek adult for comfort when noise becomes overwhelming.

periodically. • Verbally encourage efforts to self feed or

dress and provide activities to help develop the emerging skills. Be patient and allow young toddlers to try.

• Verbally request desired behaviors and physically redirect, if needed. Be consistent with consequences.

• Allow young toddlers to have preferred adults help, if possible.



SEP 1.10 - Use a parent or caregiver for emotional security. SEP 1.11 - Display pleasure when interacting in an activity with an adult. SEP 1.12 - Enjoy being the center of attention; will perform to maintain adult attention. SEP 1.13 - Enjoy imitating adult behavior. SEP 1.14 - Like to be close to and in constant sight of caregiver.

The young toddler will: • Crawl or walk around furniture but

will come back to an adult often before moving away again; want a brief contact to gain the confidence to move away again.

• Enjoy being held, read, sung and talked to by at least one adult.

• Do an action or make a noise that will get attention.

• Follow a caregiver around the house, center, etc. Prefers to have the caregiver in sight.

The adult will: • Allow young toddlers freedom to explore

while being nearby to keep them safe. • Respond to young toddlers’ requests for

attention by smiling, laughing, or talking. • Follow the young toddler’s lead in

communication and activities.


Eighteen Months to Two Years (24 Months)



AL 1.12 – Demonstrate preferences and make independent choices. AL 1.13 – Use all senses to explore the environment.

The toddler will: • Choose when offered a choice of

snacks. • Bang items, look at toys that light

up, and listen intently to sounds that objects make.

The adult will: • Provide limited choices of items such as

songs to sing, games to play, and snacks to eat.

• Provide a variety of items that make sounds, light up, or move when toddlers play with them.

Standard AL 3: Demonstrate reasoning and problem solving. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

AL 3.17 - Demonstrate more complex imitation skills, including

The toddler will: • Experiment with more complex

The adult will: • Model more complex gestures, songs,

Toddlers in this stage generally experience an increase in language, gaining vocabulary words on a daily basis. Toddlers will copy many of the activities and words spoken by parents and caregivers. The toddlers start to evidence increasing attempts to do things independently rather than depending on adults. Caregivers and parents must learn to appreciate and support early attempts to be independent but remain highly available to the toddlers. Essential practices to support their learning focus on talking, talking, and talking about everything done with the toddlers!


imitation of peers. AL 3.18 - Understand that specific motor behaviors cause effects and purposely repeat those behaviors to produce the effect. AL 3.19 - Engage in more complex play sequences based on an understanding of everyday events. AL 3.20 - Use a variety of problem-solving skills. AL 3.21 - Understand that objects exist even if not in sight over increasingly long time periods (i.e., object permanence). AL 3.22 - Understand that objects can be represented by symbols.

cause-and-effect play; use wind up toys or start musical instruments as well as household objects such as the washer and dryer or remote control.

• Play with items in ways that they are intended to be used, such as using a dump truck to haul something.

• Turn a knob to make a toy radio work and push buttons to make doors on pop-up toys open. Take objects apart and actively try to put them back together, such as simple non-interlocking puzzles or nesting cups. Put items in a container to carry them from one place to another.

• Know where items belong to be able to retrieve them and put them away. Know where favorite toys or snacks are kept, even when out of view. Find items or persons when playing Hide-and-Seek games without needing to see them being put away or hidden first.

• Use a banana for a phone during pretend play. Identify pictures of familiar objects and people, familiar words (own name, names on cereal boxes, McDonalds), and begin

and games for toddlers that encourage imitation and respond to toddlers’ actions, songs, and play.

• Provide toys that give toddlers opportunities to have effects on objects.

• Provide opportunities and materials toddlers to engage in pretend play. Toddlers typically will engage in play that involves scenes they have witnessed, such as a mother taking care of a baby brother or sister.

• Provide toys with buttons, switches, or cranks and books with moveable parts that allow toddlers to figure out how to produce a movement or sound. Encourage problem solving during the course of everyday activities (e.g., “What can we use to scoop up the sand?”) and provide simple suggestions or cues as needed.

• Provide activities (e.g., reading, block play, nature, art, cooking, mealtime) that introduce and encourage toddlers to begin to sort and/or match objects on a simple characteristic, such as basic shape or primary color.

• Keep items in a designated place, such as books on the bookshelf, toys in the toy box, etc. Ask the toddlers to get items by directing them to the location if


counting. necessary. Play hiding games. • Provide materials such as boxes or blocks

that can be used to represent other objects. Provide opportunities for toddlers to name pictures in books, photo albums, or in the environment. Describe objects by their color, shape and/or size. Count with toddlers and point out familiar words, such as their names in print.




RC 1.6 u - Follow a two-part direction from an adult. RC 1.6 v - Understand action verbs (words like “come,” “stop,” and “sit”). RC 1.6 w - Begin to understand a few pronouns (“me,” “mine,” “you”) RC 1.6 x - Begin to understand complex and compound sentences. RC 1.6 y - Understand simple “Where” and “What” questions.

The toddler will: • Demonstrate understanding by

following directions like, “Pick up the book and give it to Daddy.”

• Indicate understanding with a “knowing” facial expression but may or may not follow through with the request.

• Indicate understanding by following through with the appropriate response.

• Look for something when asked “Where?” and name or point to something when asked “What?”

The adult will: • Give simple two-part directions related to

everyday routines throughout the day for toddlers to listen to and follow.

• Use pronouns purposefully when talking to toddlers rather than proper names (e.g., “You can do it.” “That’s for me.”).

• Engage toddlers in more sophisticated conversations as they acquire increased understanding of verbs, pronouns, and complex sentence structures using clauses (if, first, then, after, before, when) and conjunctions (and, but).



Standard EC 1.6 a: Engage in non-verbal communication. Indicator Example Supportive Practice

EC 1.6 a11 - Uses facial expressions to express emotions. EC 1.6 a12 - Uses gestures to communicate.

The toddler will: • Use conventional gestures to

express desires such as shaking the head for “No.”

The adult will: • Describe toddlers’ facial expressions or

gestures with words.


EC 1.6 b23 - Use some nouns, verbs, pronouns and a few adjectives to express themselves. EC 1.6 b24 - Begin to use the “Where?” question form. EC 1.6 b25 - Ask for names of objects. EC 1.6 b26 - Attempt to relate experiences using their own words and some real words. EC 1.6 b27 - Refer to self using their own name. EC 1.6 b28 - Begin to combine words into simple 2- to 3- word

The toddler will: • Label toys; has names for

important people; uses the root form of verbs to express action (e.g., “stop, go, wait”); uses a few adjectives such as “more” and “dirty.” May use the pronoun “mine.”

• Ask, “Where ball?” when wants something they do not see.

• Point to an object they do not yet have a name for and ask the adult to name it.

• Talk with adult intonation and

The adult will: • Provide labels for the things toddlers are

interested in; use verbs to label actions; use adjectives to describe things. Toddlers need to hear language throughout the day many times before they are ready to use it on their own.

• Encourage toddlers to say, “Where?” if they indicate a question about the location of something by using an arm gesture or quizzical look.

• Encourage toddlers to be curious by modeling the question “What’s that?” and then naming it for toddlers.


combinations. EC 1.6 b29 -Use consonants “p, m, h, n, w, b, d” in the initial position of words. EC 1.6 b30 – Has a vocabulary of 200 or so words.

language patterns using a few real words and a lot of jibber jabber.

• Describe what they are doing by using their name, such as “Sammy jump!”

• Use words for getting needs met, toys, clothing, food, body parts, names, animals, getting adult attention, characters from TV or books, action words, etc.

• Listen attentively as toddlers attempt to communicate and help provide words for their experiences.

• Support emerging language by being a good listener and providing praise (“Good job, Sammy!”).

• Expand language by adding more information for toddlers to hear. If a toddler says “Mommy?” the adult may add, “Mommy went to work.”

• Repeat words correctly for toddlers to hear but do not make them imitate the word. Improper grammar is developmentally appropriate (e.g., “Me go!” or “I runned!”).

• Keep track of how many words toddlers know and use by keeping word lists and adding new words as they are learned.


Emerging Literacy


Indicator Examples Supportive Practices EL 1.1 a6 - Listen as adults tell stories. EL 1.1 a7 - Sing along and approximate hand movements to familiar songs, rhymes, and finger plays. EL 1.1 a8 - Sing and/or do familiar songs, rhymes, and finger plays independently.

The toddler will: • Indicate pleasure as an adult

sings or tells stories. • Use a singing voice combined

with some words and hand movements.

The adult will: • Provide opportunities to hear rhymes and

songs (tapes and CD’s) and sing and do finger plays with toddlers. Toddlers gain more from interacting with adults than from tapes or CD’s.

• Encourage toddlers to sing songs or repeat finger plays. Begin a song and pause at key places to allow toddlers to fill in the words and/or gestures.

• Respond positively to approximations of adult’s singing and finger plays.

• Tell stories to children even without books. Use gestures and an animated voice and facial expressions to make the story interesting.



EL 1.1 b15 - Enjoy looking at books. EL 1.1 b16 - Listen attentively as adults read books. EL 1.1 b17 - Request that favorite stories be read over and over again. EL 1.1 b18 - Request the names for objects they notice while looking at books.

The toddler will: • Look at books, turn the pages,

and mimic adult reading. • Sit and listen as adult reads to

them for brief periods of time. Attend to a book and indicate that is following along with the story by smiling, laughing, clapping, or filling in key words.

• Point to an unfamiliar picture and say, “That?” requesting an adult to name the picture.

The adult will: • Take toddlers to the library and help pick

out books to borrow. • Read to toddlers a number of times each

day for brief periods of time. Make story time enjoyable by using character voices and encouraging interaction by pointing to or labeling familiar pictures.

• Honor requests by reading favorite stories many times knowing that adults may get tired of reading the story but that toddlers are benefiting from it. Try to build on interests by asking toddlers to fill in key words, think about what might happen next, or by calling attention to different things about the illustrations.

• Encourage curiosity by requesting that toddlers look for unfamiliar pictures when reading a story.


Standard EL 1.1 c: Demonstrates beginning book handling skills. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

EL 1.1 c5 - Hold book more conventionally. EL 1.1 c6 - Turn pages in a book randomly. EL 1.1 c7 - Able to turn increasingly thinner pages

The toddler will: • Turn a book around to put it in

the right direction. • May turn to favorite pages and

linger. • Turn pages of paper books, one

at a time.

The adult will: • Allow toddlers to explore books as they

like; comment on actions (e.g., “You’re looking at the page with the purple cat. You like that page?”). Model appropriate book handling skills.

• Provide books of varying thickness, including board books, cardstock, and paper.


Creative Expression

Standard CE 9.1 and 9.4: Recognize and use a variety of sensual art forms. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

CE 9.1 g - Begin to show extended interest in familiar artwork. CE 9.4 a - Make aesthetic choices.

The toddler will: • Touch and label objects, such as

flowers, boy, girl, etc. used in artwork or pictures.

• Enjoy exploring a variety of art materials and tools by turning and inspecting materials and tools.

• Begin to become intensely involved in the process of changing and rearranging art materials. Select and show preference for particular materials, colors, or tools.

The adult will: • Talk with toddlers about their work

as they finish, helping them remember what they did.

• Display toddlers’ works where they can see them.

• Activities such as murals and collages are appropriate for groups of toddlers. Talk to toddlers about the shape, color, and textures of things that they experience and what they are doing as they use the art materials. Allow toddlers to explore and experiment with materials with supervision.



CE 9.2 f - Show excitement when exposed to music.

CE 9.2 g - Show pleasure in hearing familiar songs and will attempt to sing along. CE 9.2 h - Use instruments to create rhythm and sound.

The toddler will: • Move, dance, clap, or sway to

music (movements may not match rhythm). Learn about feelings through songs, poems, and stories.

• Join in singing the refrains of favorite songs.

The adult will: • Make songs personal by using toddlers’

names and by singing about daily events. Encourage imagination and pretending by prompting toddlers to dance like imaginary characters to music.

• Introduce new songs regularly and repeat old favorites often.

• Set up a music area with sound-making toys and instruments that toddlers can use independently.



CE 9.3 g - Bring other people into play. CE 9.3 h - Participate in a variety of dramatic play activities.

The toddler will: • Ask to comb an adult’s hair.

Initiate “Peek-A-Boo,” “Hide & Seek,” etc.

• Imitate what they see in “real life” using their imagination. Use toys as substitutes for real objects.

• Use toys to begin acting out familiar scenes, such as “Baby eats!”

• Play multi-step imaginary games (e.g., goes shopping, buys food, puts the food away, and cooks the food).

• Begin to take on roles such as “monster” or “roaring lion.” Pretend to be another person, such as a familiar character in a book.

The adult will: • Interact with toddlers to encourage their

involvement in dramatic play activities, but increasingly encourage toddlers to engage in free play with adults at a distance.

• Avoid having specific expectations for toddlers’ performances. Allow toddlers to take the lead in choice of toys and activities.

• Encourage imagination and pretending by prompting toddlers to move like a cat through a jungle, etc.

• Provide spaces where toddlers can spend time alone (an old cardboard box or a blanket over a card table works great).

• Establish a pretend play area with objects such as dolls, dress-up clothes, and objects and appliances that adults use (e.g., old telephones, briefcases, steering wheels, etc.).

• Supply materials that, with the encouragement of adults, can be used in a variety of ways, such as boxes and cloth with different textures and patterns.




PM 10.4 w - Walk without supports. PM 10.4 x - Climb on an object to reach something. PM 10.4 y - Kick a large ball. PM 10.4 z - Increase balance and muscle strength.

The toddler will: • Seldom fall when walking. • Climb on a chair to reach a

cupboard. • Straddle riding toys and push with

the feet. • Walk up or down two steps

holding a hand or railing. • Jump with both feet leaving the

floor at the same time.

The adult will: • Encourage outdoor play and exploration.

Provide opportunities to walk on a variety of surfaces.

• Have a variety of large balls available. • Put on music on and dance, jump, and

twirl. • Provide toddler-powered riding toys. • Walk behind toddlers as they climb stairs. • Make sure medicines and harmful

substances are out of a toddler’s reach. • Check safety latches regularly to make sure

they are still working.



PM 10.5 l - Hold large writing tools and scribble. PM 10.5 m - Twist the wrist to turn hands. PM 10.5 n - Create simple block structures. PM 10.5 o - Increase eye-hand coordination as pincer grasp develops.

The toddler will: • Manipulate door knobs, wind up

toys, twist tops, and screw lids. Complete 3-4 piece puzzles. Wind a music box; spin the blades of a toy helicopter; brush a doll’s hair.

• Stack 2-4 blocks or objects. • Turn the pages of books with

paper pages; thread a shoelace through a bead or eyelet.

The adult will: • Provide materials that require different

hand and finger movements for toddlers to operate them.

• Provide an assortment of objects with which toddlers can build – spools, boxes, etc.

• Provide toddlers with large beads with shoelaces or lacing cards.




SEP 3.2 a13 - Act appropriately when others are happy, sad, angry, or afraid. Begin to demonstrate empathy with others.

The older toddler will: • Smile or laugh in response to

others. Try to comfort others who are hurt or mad.

The adult will: • Discuss emotions and help toddlers

understand how others are feeling.


SEP 3.2 b18 - Explore the environment on own but want an adult close. SEP 3.2 b19 - Demonstrate a sense of autonomy and consequences of actions. PS 2.3 - Understand that tooth-brushing initiated by an adult is a self-help skill. PS 2.4 - Understand that hand washing initiated by an adult is a self-help skill. PS 2.5 - Recognize and repeat disease prevention skills demonstrated by adults.

The toddler will: • Walk away and indicate with

gestures or words that want an adult to come where is playing.

• Allow teeth to be brushed by opening the mouth for adult.

• Indicate to an adult that wants to wash hands when they are dirty by showing the dirty hands to the adult.

• Show an adult that needs a tissue for the nose or intermittently cover the mouth when coughing.

The adult will: • Be attentive as toddlers speak and verbally

discuss responses and consequences of actions.

• Establish a routine of tooth brushing. Do it at the same times each day. Allow toddlers to hold the brushes with assistance.

• State that hands are dirty and assist toddlers in accessing soap and water. Allow toddlers to attempt to clean on their own and then assist as needed.

• Give toddlers tissues. Allow them to practice alone and then assist. Explain why tissues are needed.


Two Years (24 Mos.) to Three Years (36 Mos.)



AL 1.14 - Engage in pretend and symbolic play and games that require several, sequential actions.

AL 1.15 – Choose to participate in an increasing number of experiences.

The older toddler will: • Perform several actions in

appropriate order when acting out familiar scenes (e.g., feeds doll, burps doll, puts doll to bed).

• Play multi-step imaginary games (e.g., goes shopping, buys food, puts the food away, and cooks the food).

The adult will: • Provide multiple opportunities to engage in

pretend play. Read books and act out the parts in sequence. Demonstrate using available objects to represent other objects (e.g., a table as a bridge).

• Demonstrate games with simple rules. • Respond to older toddlers’ curiosity about

how the world works by answering

Toddlers in this stage are full of a zest for active learning in all domains. They are proud to share new accomplishments with adults and to spend as much time as possible playing with adults, which is their best way of learning. Peers become more interesting, which leads to early conflicts and increased demands to learn how to regulate emotions. Caregivers and parents must take time to let children attempt solutions to problems and laugh with every new discovery. Essential practices to support their learning focus on broadening experiences to give toddlers lots of opportunities to make new discoveries and continue mastery of language skills.



AL 1.16 – Ask “Why?” to develop a greater understanding of the world.

• Participate in arts and crafts, recognizing the sequence of events.

• Can begin to play simple board and playground games.

“Why?” questions.


Standard AL 3: Demonstrate reasoning and problem solving. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

AL 3.23 - Understand the relationship between a behavior and its consequences. AL 3.24 - Demonstrate more complex concept knowledge. AL 3.25 - Recognize categories of objects and similarities among objects. AL 3.26 - Understand and can use multiple steps to achieve goals. AL 3.27 - Demonstrate a more complex level of object permanence.

The older toddler will: • Choose to play with games and

toys that allow causing an effect. • Identify shapes and colors.

Identify letters in their name and others that are seen often.

• Count using one-to -one correspondence. Point to small details in picture books. Identify animals and their sounds, body parts, and objects and their use.

• Pick out the red blocks from the block pile when asked. Select circle cookies when have circle and square shaped cookies for snack. Point to a ball in the room that is the same as the ball in the picture during story time. Pull a shoe and toy bunny out of a bag containing other objects by feel as part of a game.

• Follow step-by step directions to locate a toy.

• Get placemats for table at snack time. Get cups for water play table. Play “Hide & Seek,” finding

The adult will: • Provide ample opportunities to experience

and develop concepts of cause and effect by exposing to games and toys that allow older toddlers to experience the effects of actions (e.g., popcorn popper push toy, ball tube, bed bugs game, color mixing with paint, using a mixer in shampoo to create bubbles).

• READ! Books with different colors, shapes and pictures are a great learning tool. Write older toddlers’ names on belongings and point out the letters. Use descriptive words (especially colors) throughout the day. Provide small manipulatives that can be used in play to count, match, and sequence. Provide opportunities to count (“Please give a napkin to each toddler. How many will you need?”).

• Provide activities and games in which older toddlers have opportunities to pick out or match similar items or items with particular characteristics (shape, color, size, feel) during art activities, outdoor play, reading time, etc. Start with characteristics with which older toddlers are familiar (circles,


a few different peers. things that are red) and progress to more complex traits (triangles, things that are long).

• Play different types of hiding games (treasure hunt, nature hunts) that provide opportunities for older toddlers to find multiple objects, other toddlers, or adults.

• Begin to provide opportunities for older toddlers to help in routines where they have to get items from their locations (snack helper, art helper).




RC 1.6 z - Point to some pictures and/or body parts when asked. RC 1.6 aa – Respond appropriately to social questions such as “What is your name?” RC 1.6 bb - Follow a multi-step direction. RC 1.6 cc - Respond correctly to “Show me one block or finger.” Understand the difference between “one” and “all.” RC 1.6 dd - Understand questions beginning with “Who” or “Where.” RC 1.6 ee - Understand “another.” RC 1.6 ff - Respond to questions or comments about objects/events outside of the immediate context. RC 1.6 gg - Follow other people’s conversations. RC 1.6 hh - Respond to most prepositions (i.e., “in, out, on, in

The older toddler will: • Tell first name when asked. • Pick out one item from a small

group of items when requested or give an adult all items when requested.

• Tell where something is and who someone is in a picture.

• Communicate what happened during the day or answer questions about who did something.

• Attend to a conversation and will add to it.

• Follow commands/requests, such as “Put this on the table; under the table; in front of, behind,” etc.

The adult will: • Talk to older toddlers about body parts and

ask them to point to parts as you name them when dressing older toddlers.

• Use play time and/or songs to involve older toddlers’ names.

• Ask older toddlers to follow directions with more than one part such as “Go get the ball and give it to your friend.” (2 steps)

• Use number words whenever there is an opportunity for counting such as during snack time or when playing with blocks.

• Help older toddlers become familiar with “who” or “where” questions through conversation or when reading books together.

• Create opportunities for older toddlers to participate in conversations with adults and other children by retelling stories, holding conversations at meal time about food, etc.

• Use varied and rich descriptions and


front of, toward, behind”). language with older toddlers.


Standard EC 1.6 a: Engage in non-verbal communication. Indicator Example Supportive Practices

EC 1.6 a13 – Use familiar gestures to communicate.

The older toddler will: • Show anger on face when angry;

raised brows when confused, smile when happy, etc.

• Use gestures such as putting finger to the lips for quiet or waving hand motion to ask someone to come.

• Use hand gestures to indicate specific songs.

• Make a sweeping motion when asked what a broom does.

The adult will: • Ask older toddlers to show what people

look like when angry, happy, sad, etc. • Use hand gestures for songs and other

communication. • Learn and use some common signs from

American Sign Language.



EC 1.6 b31 - Refer to self by name. EC 1.6 b32 - Name 3 objects. EC 1.6 b33 - Ask for “another.” EC 1.6 b34 - Use pronouns (“I, you, me”) but not always correctly.

EC 1.6 b35 - Ask for things at the table during mealtime. EC 1.6 b36 - Use 2- to 3-word phrases, some simple sentences, and questions to inform, obtain information, or make a request. EC 1.6 b37 - Uses plurals and past tense correctly usually. EC 1.6 b38 - Repeat sentences or ideas that has heard adults say. EC 1.6 b39 - Use four words to make a sentence. EC 1.6 b40 - Use speech that is intelligible to familiar adults at least half of the time. EC 1.6 b41 - Talk about past and future events.

The older toddler will: • Say “Billy wants this” or be able

to tell others their name. • Use “I,” “you,” and “me” but may

say “Me want.” • Make a siren sound when asked,

“What noise does a police car make?”

• Answer questions such as “What do we brush our teeth with?”

• Ask for milk when wants a drink, a cookie for dessert, etc.

• Use phrases, such as “Me do;” “Toy mine;” or “My doggy runs.”

• Ask questions, such as “Me go, too?”

• Add “s” to words to make plurals, “ed” to make past tense, and “ing” some of the time.

• Use phrases used by adults often during play.

• Begin to use longer sentences such as “I want big ball.”

The adult will: • Say the names of objects regularly during

routines. Ask older toddlers to name objects once they begin to hold conversations.

• Incorporate the practice of naming items and then saying what they are used to do into routines.

• Before older toddlers are able to speak, ask if they want specific items. Later, when speech is developed, give older toddlers a chance to ask for items before providing them.

• Keep track of the phrases, sentences, questions, and answers used.

• Repeat the correct form of the word, phrase, or statement after older toddlers phrase it incorrectly without drawing undue attention to the correction.

• Be aware of how language is used in front of older toddlers.

• Depending on the situation, rephrase demands by saying, “May I have it now, please?”

• Keep track of how much of an older toddler’s speech is understandable.


• Encourage older toddlers to ask for things using words and phrases.

Emerging Literacy


Indicator Examples Supportive Practices EL 1.1 a9 - Participate in songs and finger plays. EL 1.1 a10 - Join in nursery rhymes. EL 1.1 a11 – Fill in repetitive phrases of familiar stories, nursery rhymes, songs, and finger plays.

The older toddler will: • Sing along with favorite songs,

recite along with favorite nursery rhymes, and do actions for known songs or finger plays.

• Fill in the word when an adult stops reciting a familiar song, rhyme, or finger play.

The adult will: • Regularly repeat songs, finger plays, and

nursery rhymes so older toddlers can learn the routines.

• Sing and recite nursery rhymes daily. Incorporate these activities into the daily routine and transitions. Pause at key times to allow older toddlers the opportunity to fill in missing words, phrases, and movements.

• Tell stories regularly. Use props such as flannel boards to keep children’s interest.



EL 1.1 b19 - Describe pictures in books. EL 1.1 b20 - Choose and look at books independently. EL 1.1 b21 - Ask an adult to read specific books or parts of a book. EL 1.1 b22 - Recognize logos and other environmental print. EL 1.1 b23 - Recognize books by their covers. EL 1.1 b24- Identify action in pictures. EL 1.1 b25 - Relate story to self and share information. EL 1.1 b26 - Watch when others write. EL 1.1 b27 - Imitate the act of writing during play. EL 1.1 b28 - Scribble with writing tools. EL 1.1 b29 - Experiment with writing tools.

The older toddler will: • Name pictures as adults read a

story. • Choose to look at a book alone. • Ask an adult to read favorite

passages by pointing to a page and saying “Read this!”

• Learn the logos for certain toys, cereals, etc. or “Mr. Yuck” stickers.

• Describe what someone/thing is doing in a picture.

• Share personal information during a story when feel it relates to the story.

• Show interest in watching someone write or print.

• Pretend to be writing during play. • Pick a crayon and “draw a picture”

by scribbling on paper.

The adult will: • Create a print rich environment by labeling

familiar objects in the room; give older toddlers symbols to associate with their belongings and space; place logos in appropriate places throughout the room to familiarize older toddlers with environmental print; praise older toddlers for recognizing any environmental logos.

• Pause when reading to ask older toddlers to talk about what they notice in the pictures.

• Comment on the elements of a book cover to draw older toddlers’ attentions to titles and illustrations when reading books.

• Ask older toddlers to anticipate what is coming next based on the illustrations.

• Allow older toddlers to tell their stories and show interest in the information. Ask older toddlers if they have ever experienced anything similar or how they would feel in a similar situation when reading stories.

• Encourage writing play by discussing it; make writing materials available.

• Allow supervised exploration with different writing instruments.


Standard EL 1.1 c: Demonstrate beginning book handling skills. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

EL 1.1 c8 - Orient books correctly when “reading” them. EL 1.1 c9 - Treat books as special. EL 1.1 c10 - Turn pages that are increasingly thinner one at a time.

The older toddler will: • Hold a book right side up. • Place books back in their

designated place such as a basket or on a bookshelf.

The adult will: • Change the position if it is incorrect and

show how it is easier to see the pictures right side up.

• Reinforce the importance of books and their proper care; model appropriate care of books.


Creative Expression

Standard CE 9.1: Use a variety of sensual art forms. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

CE 9.1 h - Create representations of real objects/concepts in artwork. CE 9.1 i - Tell about pictures drawn or painted.

The older toddler will: • Start to use drawing materials,

finger-paints, and play dough with greater control.

• Painting, drawing, and play dough forms take shape and are given names. Draw a simple picture to represent something.

• Begin to take pride in sharing artwork with adults.

• Tell about a picture drawn – what it is and what the action might be.

The adult will: • Let older toddlers use art materials in their

own way. Expose them to more than just coloring books.

• Provide materials that can be easily adapted for independent use. Make materials easily accessible to encourage use. Adapt the environment to promote participation, engagement, and learning, using a variety of textures.

• Activities should be concrete and hands-on to provide meaningful learning experiences.

• Display older toddlers’ works with their names to show ownership where they can see the works.

• Encourage parents to display older toddlers’ works at home.

• Praise the artwork and show interest in stories about it.



CE 9.2 i - Demonstrate increased coordination in movements and gestures. CE 9.2 j - Sing songs in ways that the song can be recognized by others.

The older toddler will: • Develop the coordination needed to play

simple instruments (e.g., simple drums or bells).

• Be aware of a beat in music. Distinguish between loud and quiet, fast and slow. Begin to move to music with more awareness of the rhythm.

• Attempt to imitate dance movements. • Use instruments more purposefully to

produce specific rhythms and musical sounds. Experiment with a variety of sound-making objects.

• Learn words to simple songs. Participate in group singing activities for short periods of time.

• Understand when songs come to an end and will clap in appreciation and ask for it again. Choose and play music using CD, tape recorders, and/or videos.

The adult will: • Encourage older toddlers to dance to

music. • Provide opportunities to mimic

movement sequences. • Provide ample opportunities to sing

and learn songs. • Provide opportunities to select songs

and song games for the group.



CE 9.3 i - Plan dramatic activities.

CE 9.3 j - Rely increasingly on use of language and communication as important components of play activities.

The older toddler will: • Initiate make-believe play

independently. Enjoy playing dress-up. Invite adult attention to the pretend play.

• Use toys to begin acting out less familiar scenes, such as going to the doctor. Begin the use of imaginary objects.

• Begin to treat dolls as if they were alive or human.

• Begin to include peers in play. • Act out stories.

The adult will: • Plan for and provide opportunities for

older toddlers to engage in dramatic play activities both indoors and outdoors.

• Provide materials to encourage dramatic play, including duplicates of popular toys to minimize conflict. Props should focus on what older toddlers know and see around them. Create simple costumes for drama and theater activities (e.g., dress-up in old clothes).

• Take older toddlers to toddler-friendly museums, libraries, and live performances to introduce them to different aspects of their community.

• Tell and act out family stories about grandparents, aunts and uncles, and others.



Standard 10.4: Develop gross motor control. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

PM 10.4 aa - Demonstrate muscle control and balance. PM 10.4 bb - Demonstrate eye-hand coordination and muscle control. PM 10.4 cc - Ride and move a toy with pedals.

The older toddler will: • Walk up or down stairs by self

alternating feet. • Jump forward three to six inches

with both feet leaving the ground at the same time.

• Stand on one foot for about a second without holding onto anything. Stand on tip toes.

• Walk backwards. • Catch a large ball.

The adult will: • Provide daily outdoor play as weather and

safety permit. Make sure outdoor play equipment meets the American Society for Testing and Materials(ASTM) standards.

• Provide opportunities for active indoor play.

• Provide a variety of toys for catching and throwing.

• Ensure that older toddlers wear bicycle helmets to comply with Pennsylvania law.



PM 10.5 p - Hold an object with one hand and manipulate it with the other.

PM 10.5 q - Increase strength and control of small muscles in the hands.

The older toddler will: • Copy a simple line or circle.

Pound objects with intent and precision. Pour liquid or sand from small pitcher or cup.

• Use a paintbrush and gradually learn to control dripping. Hold a pencil between the thumb and forefinger.

• Cut into paper and begin to cut paper into pieces.

• Snap, Velcro, and button clothing. Pull up a zipper if started by an adult and unzip.

• Fold blankets and paper. Roll and flatten play dough. Use plastic tools to screw and hammer.

The adult will: • Provide a variety of writing materials. • Provide opportunities for older toddlers to

play drums with pots, pans, and spoons and with buckets and shovels in the sandbox. Put measuring cups in the bathtub. Provide building toys.

• Encourage use of eating utensils. • Draw and paint on paper. • Provide safety scissors to practice cutting

paper. • Allow extra time for older toddlers to dress

themselves. • Play dress-up. Play “house.”




SEP 3.2 a14 - Express own ideas, interests, and feelings. SEP 3.2 a15 - May express jealousy when affection is shown to other toddlers; can become possessive or jealous of loved ones. SEP 3.2 a16 - Display dependent behaviors though wants to be independent.

The older toddler will: • Smile or laugh in response to

others. Try to comfort others who are hurt or mad.

• Try to sit on an adult’s lap when another toddler is on the lap; demand equal attention or adult attention when an adult is showing attention to another toddler.

• Continue to whine and cling to an adult’s legs when wants something.

The adult will: • Support verbal discussions and encourage

individuality. • Reassure older toddlers by saying, “You

can sit next to me” or reassure physically by hugging or patting on the back.

• Remind older toddlers to use words to express their needs and desires.



SEP 3.3 j - Play briefly with other toddlers but likely to still prefer to play with caregiver. SEP 3.3 k - Participate in circle games. SEP 3.3 l - Like to play with dolls.

SEP 3.3 m – Like to act like “taking care” of others. SEP 3.3 n - Know own possessions; uses “mine.”

The older toddler will: • Show a toy to a peer and then

immediately go to an adult to interact.

• Hold dolls, pretending to be comforting them or changing their diapers, feeding them, etc.

• Hold a toy tightly and say “Mine” when a peer approaches.

The adult will: • Encourage peer-to-peer play - intervene

only when necessary. • Ask questions like, “Is your baby hungry?”

“Why is the baby crying?” “You are making the baby feel better by giving him a clean diaper.”

• Try to provide duplicates of toys when in group settings with older toddlers. If conflict arises, redirect toward another activity.



SEP 3.2 b20 - Express emotions with increasing control. SEP 3.2 b21 - Does not like change in routines; prefer rules and routines but can adjust. SEP 3.2 b22 – Develop a greater sense of autonomy and consequences of actions. PS 2.6 - Begin the process of using the toilet. SEP 3.2 b23 - Demonstrate autonomy by saying “No,” but will submit/cooperate. SEP 3.2 b24 - Show a strong sense of self as a powerful doer. SEP 3.2 b25 - Able to follow and respect simple rules but will frequently break those rules to test boundaries. SEP 3.2 b26 - Has difficulty with transitions or changing activities. SEP 3.2 b27 - Take pride in achievements; want to do things in own way, at own pace, and may resist help.

The older toddler will: • Attempt to self sooth when tired,

upset, angry, or frustrated. • Protest and tell you it is time to do

the regular thing if there is a change in the routine.

• Poke a peer and then look down, ashamed, prior to adult intervention.

• Show interest, sit on potty chair, and not use potty. Over time, use the toilet sometimes and later, all of the time with fewer accidents.

• May say “No” when told it is time to clean up toys.

• Stand instead of sitting in a chair. • Refuse to stop one activity when it is

time to move to another. The refusal may be ignoring the direction, saying “No,” or saying “I’m not done.”

• Say “Me do” and push an adult away.

The adult will: • Create a quiet place (cozy corner) for

older toddlers to go to independently as needed and allow comfort toys.

• Tell older toddlers if there is going to be a change in the routine and what is going to happen next.

• Praise older toddlers for sitting and state, “You are sitting on your new potty chair!”

• Encourage older toddlers to explore the environment and support them in forming positive senses of self.

• Remind older toddlers about rules and physically assist as necessary. Remind older toddlers of the consequences of breaking rules and explain the rules and reasons behind the rules.

• Give prior warning about upcoming transitions.

• Allow older toddlers to try to do activities independently and assist as needed.


Standard SEP 1: Demonstrate dyadic synchrony and reciprocity in interactions with adults. Indicator Examples Supportive Practice

SEP 1.15 - Relate best to one adult at a time.

The older toddler will: • Ignore another adult when

interacting with one adult. • Give attention to one adult only and

then may switch.

The adult will: • Include other adults, if appropriate, by

asking older toddlers to show the other adult what they were doing. Then, the first adult can move away.


Family, Early Learning Settings and Community Partnerships

Standard PS 1: Help families advance infant/toddler learning. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

PS 1.1 - Programs must develop partnership relationships with parents. PS 1.2 - Programs must provide parents with opportunities to share information about their infant/toddler. This would include their stage of development, interests, skill levels and health. PS 1.3 - Programs must share information with parents on infant/toddler development and health. PS 1.4 - Programs must share information with parents on parenting and transitions. PS 1.5 - Programs must provide parents with opportunities to enhance: • their parenting skills, • their knowledge and

understanding of the

• Parents and program staff will have a pre- service meeting before the child starts program.

• The program will communicate with parents on a regular basis through strategies such as journals, newsletters, and/or daily notes. This could be done via email, phone calls, and regular meetings/open houses.

• Parent meetings are held at times convenient to the families.

• Upon admission and regularly thereafter, program staff regularly ask parents what they are observing at home across key learning areas. This will include what they are celebrating and possibly concerned about.

• Provide parents with articles, activities to do at home that are age appropriate, and information about community events.

• Schedule opportunities for parents to join in play time and feeding.

The program will: • Communicate regularly and have

an open door policy for parents and families.

• Ask parents if infant/toddler has had a screening/assessment and if would share the results.

• Share information on what is developmentally appropriate for infants/toddlers on screening tests, immunizations, etc.

• Share information on parenting in unique situations, e.g., foster children, step-children, trauma, death, special needs.

• Provide opportunities to observe how staff relates with infants and toddlers.

• Make time for parents to ask for advice on parenting and infant/ toddler development.


developmental needs and activities of their children,

• their observation skills, and • their ability to provide

nurturing, supportive environments and relationships.

PS 1.6 - There will be at least 3 parent conferences per school year. This may include discussing assessments.

• Make it clear that parents are welcome to “drop in” and spend time whenever they would like.


Standard PS 2: Use screenings and assessments to advance infant/toddler development and learning. Indicator Examples Supportive Practices

PS 2.1 - Programs must conduct, within 45 calendar days of the infant/toddler’s entry, an age appropriate screening or assessment process to identify strengths and concerns. The process must be sensitive to the family’s cultural background and delivered in the language spoken by the infant/toddler. PS 2.2 - Programs must work collaboratively with parents to understand the purpose of screening and include the parents in the screening as well as in interpreting the results. PS 2.3 - Programs must work collaboratively with the parents to use the results from screenings or assessments to:

• Inform their services, • Identify and obtain

additional services if indicated, and

• Support the parents in their role as the infant/toddler’s

• Ask parents if the infant/toddler demonstrates developmental tasks at home (e.g., letter recognition) that are not demonstrated at the program.

• Criterion-referenced tools can be

used to determine if an infant/toddler has achieved a specific skill.

• Norm-referenced tools can be used

to assess infant/toddler skills relative to peers.

The program will: • Those implementing the screening or

assessment process of the infant/toddlers’ strengths and challenges will have appropriate background and knowledge in infant and toddler development.

• In conjunction with the standardized assessments, observational and play-based assessments will enhance understanding of the infant/toddler for program planning.

• If the infant/toddler has had a screening or assessment within the past six months, the assessment need only be conducted if there is a need.

• The screening and assessment processes will include parents to the maximum extent possible and at a minimum to provide input and feedback.

• Information is used to develop individualized program plans. If the infant/toddler has had another assessment, this information should also be incorporated in the program plan.

• The staff should ask parents to be able to share their information with other


primary teacher.

The results should be discussed with the parents no less than 14 days after screenings or assessments are completed.

PS 2.4 - Child assessments will be an ongoing process while the infant/toddler is being served. The recommended practice is to administer an assessment three times per year that are sensitive to the child’s cultural and language background and aligned with the Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood.

providers, e.g. Early Intervention. • If the assessment warrants, the program

should assure communication with parents about other community resources that would benefit the infant/toddler.

Standard PS 6: Connect parents with community services. Indicator Supportive Practices

PS 6.1 - Programs must have current contact and referral information for Early Intervention and Mental Health services for infants and toddlers and provide parents with that information when indicated. PS 6.2 - Programs must have current contact information and provide parents with information on medical, dental

• The program director will contact the Early Intervention and Mental Health contacts in the area to ask if there are any changes every six months.

• Establish liaisons with relevant Regional Key staff. • Invite Early Intervention and Mental Health staff to new staff

orientation and open houses and include them in mailings.


and nutrition programs in the community when indicated. • Share the latest recommendations for medical screening tests, immunizations, and general health requirements (e.g., vision, dental, etc.) required by the Pennsylvania Department of Health with parents.

• If warranted, share information about the Department of Agriculture Child and Adult Care Food program (CACFP), the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP and expanded CHIP) with parents.

• Be aware of State Health Improvement Projects (SHIP) serving the community as a resource for families.

PS 6.3 - If parental consent is provided, program personnel must support families in evaluating the responsiveness and effectiveness of the health, Early Intervention, and Mental Health services to which they were referred and in identifying next steps.

• Have written information from the child’s medical source of care about accommodations in early learning programs as well as any instructions for medication administration or emergency care.

• Establish procedures to support parents through various steps in accessing and/or using Early Intervention and Mental Health services.

PS 6.4 - Programs must identify, through family and staff observation and dialogue, the infant/toddler’s need for and family’s interest in additional services.

PS 6.5 - Programs must have community resource and referral phone numbers to share with families when there is an interest and/or need for other resources. This will include Child Care Information Services information.

PS 6.6 - Provide information about quality improvement initiatives (such as Keystone Stars).

• Orient staff to subtle cues that might suggest challenges the family is encountering as part of new staff orientation and performance evaluations. Provide staff with guidance on sharing concerns about family challenges with the director.

• The director will develop approaches to engage families to explore possible needs and assistance that might be offered. Other support services might include adult mental health, social services, family support services, and adult education services (including family literacy), housing assistance, and cultural resources (such as libraries, museums, and parks).

• Liaisons should be established with the County agency in charge of training on mandatory reporting.


PS 6.7 - Provide information about proposed or final-form regulatory or policy changes affecting the program.

Infant-Toddler Standards 100 Draft 12/16/06

Standard PS 4: Help parents transition their infants/toddlers. Indicator Supportive Practices

PS 4.1 - Programs must offer parents at least one individual meeting to address the parents’ questions and concerns and to provide written information about their infants/toddlers’ strengths and needs related to transitioning from or to another infant or toddler program area, classroom, or early learning setting. To facilitate the partnership with the parent, the conversation with the parent and the process of possible transitions should begin 90 calendar days in advance of a transition. PS 4.2 - Programs must assist parents as they receive new infants/toddlers and as parents prepare their infants/toddlers for any new early learning setting. PS 4.3 - Programs must work collaboratively with sending and receiving programs to enhance continuity of experiences for infants/toddlers. PP 4.4 - Programs must work collaboratively with sending and receiving programs to determine the content and format of transition information to be documented. PP 4.5 - Programs must receive and use relevant information from sending programs and transfer relevant infant/toddler records, with consent of the parents, to receiving schools or programs in time for the new teachers to adequately meet the parents and infant/toddler to assure continuity of experiences.

• The reasons programs are interested in transitioning are shared with parents well in advance of any transitions. This information should be shared when parents enroll as well as in advance of an individual infant/toddler’s transition.

• The program’s transition goals are shared with parents and discussed in the context of the infant/toddler’s unique strengths and needs.

• Staff who have the confidence of the parent may introduce parents to staff in the new setting.

• Upon enrollment, begin portfolios for each infant/toddler to be able to share pertinent information during transitions.

• Make use of Community Engagement Groups or receiving programs’ transition materials. Share unique information (e.g., nicknames, favorite food and activities, what makes child happy) with the receiving program.

Final 4.5.07 101

Standard PS 5: Parents provide input on program services and procedures. Indicator Supportive Practices

PS 5.1 - Provide parents with opportunities to have input on program policies and procedures at least annually. PS 5.2 - Provide parents with opportunities to participate in annual assessments of program progress. PS 5.3 - Provide parents a means of asking questions, expressing concerns, and resolving differences. PS 5.4 - Provide parents information about the program philosophy, curriculum, operating procedures, volunteer, and governance opportunities.

• Survey parent expectations of the service at the time of enrollment. Program should assess disparities in expectations and services.

• Implement an annual, anonymous survey and evaluation based on services received.

• Provide a Parent Handbook.

Final 4.5.07 102

Committee Participants


Gail Addison Guss Bennett Family Center The Pennsylvania State University

Nancy Hill Pittsburgh Public Schools

Lou Ann Humphrey Bonnett Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Linda Kern Capital Area Early Childhood Training Institute The Pennsylvania State University

Paula Margraf Community Services for Children

Janice Obringer Early Connections

Lola Rooney YMCA of Philadelphia and Vicinity

Mary Shiffer U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/ACF

Shirl Smith Cen-Clear Child Services, Inc.

Janell Smith-Jones Early Childhood Partnerships – Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

Final 4.5.07 103

Communication and Emerging Literacy

Wendy Bertoli Lancaster County Career and Technology Center

Mary Sheila Coyne Delaware County Intermediate Unit

Leslie Eslinger Becker’s School Supplies

Dr. Marsha Gerdes The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Karen Grimm-Thomas Pennsylvania Head Start Association

Susan Mitchell Office of Child Development and Early Learning Pennsylvania Department of Education

Kathy Mosley Special People in Northeast, Inc.

Michele Myers-Cepicka The Alliance for Infants and Toddlers, Inc.

Susan Pannebaker Office of Commonwealth Libraries, PDE

Final 4.5.07 104

Creative Expression

Michelle Amodei YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh

Diane Barber Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children


Linda Kern Capital Area Early Childhood Training Institute The Pennsylvania State University


Shirl Smith Cen-Clear Child Services, Inc.

Final 4.5.07 105


Becky Blue Center for Schools and Communities

Carrie Collins Office of Child Development and Early Learning Department of Public Welfare

Frank Miller Office of Child Development and Early Learning Department of Public Welfare

Becky Pettit Shippensburg University

Kelli Thompson Pennsylvania Key

Final 4.5.07 106


Beth Delconte, M.D. Pennsylvania Academy of Pediatrics

Chris Dunkerley University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development

Carol L. Erb Hildebrandt Learning Centers, LLC


Paula Margraf Community Services for Children


Michele Myers-Cepicka The Alliance for Infants and Toddlers, Inc.

Roxie Nestlerode The Pennsylvania State University

Janice Obringer Early Connections, Inc. Shirl Smith Cen-Clear Child Services, Inc. Melinda Wright Theraplay, Inc.

Mary Shiffer U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/ACF Emie Tittnich University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development

Final 4.5.07 107

Family, Early Learning Settings, and Community Partnerships

Ray Firth University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development

Debra Forsha AccessAbilities, Inc.


Jodi Gerson Miscannon United Cerebral Palsy of Philadelphia and Vicinity

Cathy Shabtai Early Connections, Inc.

Jeanne Taylor University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development

Final 4.5.07 108

General

Denise Cressman Pennsylvania Home-Based Child Care Providers

Maureen Guth Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network

Christine Kennedy Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network

Suzanne O’Connor United Way of Southeaster Pennsylvania

Wendy Etheridge Smith Office of Child Development and Early Learning Department of Public Welfare

Natalie Sondheimer Maternity Care Coalition

Kathy Stennett Capital Area Early Childhood Training Institute The Pennsylvania State University

Terry Thomas Northampton Community College

Carla D. Thompson Office of Child Development and Early Learning Department of Public Welfare

Special Review

Joan Erney Stan Mrozowski Deputy Secretary Director of Children’s Bureau Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Department of Public Welfare Department of Public Welfare

Final 4.5.07 109

Resources Allen,K.E. & Marotz, L.R. (2000). By the ages: Behavior and development of children pre-birth through eight. Albany, NY: Delmar. Bricker, D. & Squires, J. (with assistance from Mounts, L., Potter, L., Nickel, R., Twombly, E., & Farrell, J. (1999). Ages & Stages Questionnaires: A Parent-Completed, Child-Monitoring System - Second Edition. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Inc. Cryer, D., Harms T, & Bourland B.(1987). Active Learning Series. Parsippany, NJ: Dale Seymour. Eastern Pennsylvania Early Intervention Programs. A Scope and Sequence of Early Childhood General Education Curricula: A Developmental Continuum. Furuno, S. (2004). Hawaii Early Learning Profile (HELP) Checklist (0-3). Palo Alto, CA: VORT Corporation. Newborg, J. Battelle Developmental Inventory II Screening Test. Rolling Meadows, IL: Riverside Publishing. Prizant, B.M., Wetherby, A. M., Roberts, J.E. (1993). Communication Disorders in Infants and Toddlers in Handbook of Infant Mental Health. Zeanah, C.H. (Ed.) Table 17.1: Checklist of Expected Communication Behaviors, p 270. NY: Guilford Press. Schafer, D. & Moersch, M. (Eds.) (1981). Developmental Programming for Infants and Young Children: Volumes 1-3. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press. Zero to Three Posters and Information accessed via http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=homepage

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