Supporting Infant and Toddler Caregivers

Session 1 - Bonding and Attachment in Infant Toddler Settings: Reciprocal and responsive relationships with significant adults in a child’s life are critical for healthy social and emotional development.  During this PLC educators will identify strategies to create and develop these relationships with infants and toddlers in their care. Elements of the PLC will include psychosocial stages of development, components of quality interactions, and review of the importance of bonding and healthy attachment. 

Objectives:

•     Identify quality interactions that promote successful bonding and attachment.

•     Analyze the impact of attachment on child development.

•     Review information about ways to form a positive attachment.

Session 2 - Developmentally Appropriate Planning/ Activities for Infants and Toddlers: The early years of life form the foundation for lifelong learning. It is important that educators understand how children learn in order to support their self- concept and learning. This PLC guides educators in the design and use of developmentally appropriate curriculum and activities for children under two. Topic discussions will include infant and toddler development, understanding individual approaches to learning and how it impacts curriculum planning, and activities that support development.

Objectives:

• Recognize and describe infant and toddler development

• Identify Developmentally Appropriate Practices and how it relates to planning activities for infants and toddler

• Plan and implement open ended sensory experiences based on knowledge of infant and toddler development.

Session 3 - Responsive Environments for Infants and Toddlers: This interactive PLC will offer guidance and strategies that provide nurturing and supportive interactions within a responsive infant and toddler environment. Educators will reflect upon who they are as infant and toddler educators and be inspired to establish responsive and respectful, relationships with the children and families in their programs. The importance of developing emotional and social attachments and relationships with infants and toddlers will be examined.

Objectives:

• Identify and document strengths and challenges in working with infants and toddlers;
• Describe the impact of relationships, responsive and respectful interactions, on brain development;
• Identify an environment that supports responsive caregiving through curriculum, messages in the environment, and routines.

Session 4 - Terrific Toddlers: Building Self Esteem While Guiding Challenging Behaviors: As toddlers assert their independence and gain mastery over themselves and their environment, they often exhibit behaviors that pose challenges for early childhood educators. During this PLC strategies for guiding these behaviors will be identified. Topics will include toddler social/emotional development, typical toddler behaviors, educator strategies that guide behaviors while building self- esteem, and talking with parents.

Objectives:

• Discuss the social/emotional development of toddlers.

•   Identify “normal yet difficult” behaviors exhibited by toddlers.

•   Strategize behavior management techniques that promote positive self-esteem.

•   Define self-esteem and explore why developing a positive self-esteem is important.

 Session 5 -Temperament and Caregiving: Temperament is important because it helps caregivers better understand children’s individual differences. Caregivers can enhance the “goodness” of fit by adapting his/her approach to support positive social-emotional development in young children. Educators will explore how to implement strategies based on their understanding of temperament.

Objectives:

• Identify the important developmental concept of temperament and how it impacts social/emotional development.
• Discuss strategies that caregivers can use to enhance the "goodness of fit'
• Explore the nine temperament traits and how they impact a child’s approaches to learning.

 

More Information

EEC Training Hours: 10 Hours