Congregations Caring for Children

Curriculum Factors to Consider

Curriculum Factors to Consider

Curriculum Factors to Consider

Curriculum Factors to Consider

Curriculum Factors to Consider

1. Infants learn holistically.  Infants do not experience

social, emotional, intellectual, language, and physical

learning separately.  Adults are most helpful to the

young child when they interact in ways that reflect an

understanding of the fact that the child is learning from

the whole experience, not just the part of the experience

that the adult gives attention.

2. Infancy has three stages.  Between birth and age

three, a child goes through three distinct developmental

stages: young infant, mobile infant, and toddler.  The

type of care and experiences given should change when the child's stage changes

and should also take into consideration transitions between stages.

3. Relationships are primary for development.  The infant is dependent on

close, caring, ongoing relationships for positive physical, social, emotional, and

intellectual growth.  Infants develop best when they are sure of having trusted

caregivers who can read their cues and respond to their needs.  Infant toddler

care policies must ensure that these relationships exist and thrive, because they

are the essence of quality care.

4. Infants are developing their first sense of self through contact with others.

An infant or toddler learns most of how he or she thinks and feels by imitating

and incorporating the behaviors of those who care for her or him   how they

first see themselves, how they think they should function, how they expect

others to function in relation to them.

5. Home culture is an important part of a child's developing identity.  Because

an infant's sense of self is such a crucial part of a child's make up, early care

must, in addition to carefully selecting and training caregivers, ensure that links

with family, home culture, and home language are a central part of program

policy.

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