Swim ppt ch09

Chapter 9

Designing the Curriculum

©2014 Cengage Learning.All Rights Reserved.

Infant-Toddler Curriculum

• Curriculum is everything that you do with a child or that a child experiences through her interactions with the environment from the time she enters the classroom until the time she leaves it (Greenman et al., 2008)– Plan based upon each child’s development– Caregiving strategies scaffold or challenge each

child to reach the next level– Children involved in selecting and initiating

activities©2014 Cengage Learning.

All Rights Reserved.

Infant-Toddler Curriculum

• Curriculum involves the whole child• There is no single curriculum for all infants• Early childhood educators need to continually

gather observational data, analyze it, and use it when selecting materials and planning curricular experiences


Influences on the Curriculum

• Influences from Cultural Expectations– Parental attitudes and expectations are shaped by

various sources– Cultural variations are evident even within a family– Caregiver cultural experiences and expectations are

also brought to the caregiving role• Cultural Diversity– Shared, learned symbolic system of values, attitudes

and beliefs– Avoid unknowingly acting on your biases– Create partnerships with families to bridge cultural

gaps©2014 Cengage Learning.

All Rights Reserved.


• The Anti-Bias movement (King):– Culture is learned– Culture is characteristic of groups– Culture is a set of rules for behavior– Culture is learned to different degrees– Cultures borrow and share rules– Members of cultural groups may not be able to

describe the rules



Influences from the Care Setting• Family Child Care Home

– A familiar, home-like setting and 1:1 relationship• Child Care Center

– The caregiver works closely with the family to meet infant and family needs

• Time– Schedule, number of children and age range affects planning

• Educational Philosophy of Program and Teachers– Program philosophy, personal philosophy come into play



• Influences from the Child– Every child has an internal need to grow, develop,

and learn– Children look, touch, taste, listen, smell, reach,

bite, push, kick, smile, and take any other action they can in order to actively involve themselves with the world

– Infants learn from the responses they get to their actions


Routine Care Times

• Our traditional notion of teaching is inappropriate for very young children

• Using the 3 As while meeting basic needs promotes optimal development and learning

• Flexible Schedule– Your schedule depends on the infants or toddlers

you are caring for– The daily schedule must be individualized in infant

and toddler care– Schedules and routines change over time


Routine Care Times

• Arrival Time– Listen and document details, comfort child

• Sleeping– Coordinate home and school routines– Provide safe sleep environments

• Eating– Infants and toddlers eat when they are hungry

• Toothbrushing• Diapering and Toileting

– Engage in positive learning experiences• Handwashing• End of the Day


Planned Learning Experiences

• Plan learning activities for times when children are alert, aware, and interested

• Observe and stop before the child tires• Allow time for self-directed play • Follow NAEYC’s guidelines for DAP• Evaluate rituals and practices to meet learning

needs of infants and toddlers


Planned Learning Experiences

• Daily Plans– For each child using developmental profile– Balance reinforcing skills with introducing new

• Weekly Plans– Focus on appropriate materials and equipment

• Learning Centers• Projects– Open-ended experiences to construct knowledge

• Feedback– Use data to make changes to curriculum


Spotlight on Research

• Infant Brain Development– Infants and toddlers use everything within their

realm—people, materials and equipment—to develop their brains (Lewin-Behnam, 2010)


Checkpoint Discussion Questions

• List and explain 3 influences on the curriculum. Make sure that your answer provides examples from three different types of influences.

• Write a brief newsletter article for a child care center explaining its approach to cultural diversity.

• Write a statement that could be included in a policy handbook describing why flexibility in schedules is important in an infant and toddler program.


Checkpoint Discussion Questions

• Choose 3 routine care times. Explain how each event can be used to promote the development of the child.

• How is toilet learning a complex developmental accomplishment?

• List 3 reasons for creating daily plans for infants and young toddlers.

• How can a project be used to involve a child physically? emotionally? socially? cognitively?


Self Improvement

Swim ppt ch09