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"Chock full of specific ideas for infants and toddlers at each stage of development, this curriculum guide will be very helpful for educarers whether they work in centers or provide in-home care. Vivid examples of infants with varying birth situations, culture groups, temperaments, and learning styles bring to life the importance of a keen understanding of early development. The authors offer guidelines on how to individualize programs and sensitive ideas to help educarers truly work in partnership with parents."
Dr. Alice Sterling Honig,
Syracuse University"Finally, a book that clearly explains what a curriculum for infants and toddlers should look like. After decades of caregiving confusion during which infants and toddlers were treated as either preschoolers or brainless blobs, a path has been charted that honors both the infants vulnerability and competence."
J. Ronald Lally, Ed.D., Director, WestEd
With the number of infants and toddlers in group care increasing, this important work offers a timely contribution to early childhood learning practices. Expanding on the idea of curriculum as a dynamic, responsive experience rather than a rigid learning structure, the authors stress the need for education along with nurturing for very young children. They focus on play as the basis for curriculum and show how infant/toddler "educarers" can combine theory and practice, taking into account both the physical and social environments. Through case descriptions of actual children, this insightful volume discusses how to accommodate children with different development levels, backgrounds, personalities, and special needs. Finally, the authors examine infant/toddler curriculum in the context of family, community, and society, and explore ways to enhance curriculum quality. Based on up-to-date research, this book is an essential tool for early childhood educators and educarers, administrators, parents, and all involved in the care and development of young children.
Click here for a free, printable study guide.
Also by Doris Bergen:
Assessment Methods for Infants and Toddlers
Young Children in Action (Video)