California Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Foundations

xioperates within social relation ships Recognition of Ability: The child’sdeveloping understanding of theability to take action to influencethe immediate social and physi cal environmentsLanguage Development Domain.The language development foundationscover the following competencies: Receptive Language: The child’sdeveloping ability to understandwords and increasingly complexutterances Expressive Language: The child’sdeveloping ability to produce thesounds of language, and speakwith an increasingly expansivevocabulary and use increasinglycomplex utterances Expression of Emotion: The child’sdeveloping ability to communi cate various emotions throughfacial expressions, movements,gestures, sounds, or words Empathy: The child’s developingability to share in the emotionalexperiences of others Emotion Regulation: The child’sdeveloping ability to manage orregulate emotional responseswith and without assistance fromadultsCommunication Skills and Knowl edge: The child’s developing abil ity to communicate nonverballyand verbally Interest in Print: The child’s devel oping interest in engaging withprint in books and in the environ ment Impulse Control: The child’s devel oping capacity to wait for needsto be met, to inhibit behavior,and to act according to socialexpectations, including safetyrulesSocial Understanding: The child’sdeveloping understanding of theresponses, communication, emo tional expressions, and actions ofother peopleThe many competencies coveredby the social-emotional developmentfoundations underscore the promi nence of this domain during the firstthree years of life. The emotional secu rity that infants seek to develop withothers and their ability to interacteffectively with both adults and otherchildren support their learning anddevelopment in all domains.Many early childhood experts con sider language development to be oneof the greatest accomplishments inthe first three years of life. There aremany specific milestones and dimen sions of language development, suchas phonology and syntax. As to prac tice, the four foundations provide alevel of detail that is accessible to fami lies and infant care teachers seekingto enhance children’s early languagedevelopment and communication.Cognitive Development Domain.The following foundations make up thecognitive development domain: Cause-and-Effect: The child’sdeveloping understanding thatone event or action brings aboutanother Spatial Relationships: The child’sdeveloping understanding of howthings move and fit in space

xii Problem Solving: The child’s devel oping ability to engage in a pur poseful effort to reach a goal or todetermine how something works Imitation: The child’s developingcapacity to mirror, repeat, andpractice the actions of others,either immediately or at a latertime Memory: The child’s developingability to store and later retrieveinformation. Number Sense: The child’s devel oping understanding of numberor quantity Classification: The child’s devel oping ability to group, sort, cat egorize, and form expectationsbased on the attributes of objectsand people Perceptual Development: Thechild’s developing ability tobecome aware of the immediatesocial and physical environmentsthrough the senses Symbolic Play: The child’s devel oping ability to use actions,objects, or ideas to representother actions, objects, or ideas Gross Motor: The child’s develop ing ability to move and coordinatelarge muscles Attention Maintenance: Thechild’s developing ability toattend to people and things whileinteracting with others or explor ing the environment and playmaterials Fine Motor: The child’s developingability to move and coordinatesmall muscles Understanding of Personal CareRoutines: The child’s developingability to understand personalcare routines and participate inthemAs the above list suggests, the foun dations for the cognitive developmentdomain cover a broad range of knowl edge and skills. For infants and tod dlers, these various competencies areinterwoven and develop together. Aschildren move out of the birth-to-threeperiod, some of the cognitive compe tencies become differentiated and canbe aligned with traditional preschoolcontent domains such as mathematicsand science. In effect, infants’ and tod dlers’ playful exploration and experi mentation in the cognitive domainrepresent an early manifestation ofmathematical and scientific reasoningand problem solving.Perceptual and Motor Develop ment Domain. Infants’ and toddlers’perceptual and motor competenciesare receiving increasing attention inresearch and practice. The perceptualand motor development foundationsare defined as follows:Infant/toddler programs can fosterchildren’s perceptual and motor learn ing and development through environ ments that offer safe and appropriatephysical challenges.Organization of theFoundationsThe publication begins with achapter that focuses on the first fourmonths of life. Separate foundationsin each domain were not written forthe first four months because everyaspect of early development relates toall domains simultaneously. Althoughdevelopment during the first fourmonths is undifferentiated, it has a

xiiiprofound influence on subsequentdevelopment in every domain. Thechapter on the early months highlightsthe inborn behaviors that enable chil dren to orient toward adults and beginto communicate needs. At the sametime, the chapter describes how, rightfrom the beginning of life, children are“active participants in their own devel opment, reflecting the intrinsic humandrive to explore and master one’s envi ronment” (National Research Counciland Institute of Medicine 2000, 1).For each of the 28 foundations,a description is specified at threepoints of development: at around eightmonths of age, at around 18 monthsof age, and at around 36 months ofage. In addition, behaviors are listedthat lead to the level of competencydescribed for each of those three agelevels. The behaviors leading up to anage level reflect the ongoing changethat occurs during each age period.At around eight months of age, 18months of age, and 36 months of age,children move to a different way offunctioning and have different devel opmental needs. For most founda tions, the change from one age level(from eight months to 18 months orfrom 18 months old to 36 months) isquite pronounced. The foundationsare designed to give a general senseof development at these three pointsalong the developmental continuum.The subtleties of individual children’sdevelopmental progress at any giventime are presented in the CDE’sDesired Results Developmental Profile(DRDP) (2005). This teacher observa tion tool for infants and toddlers showsfive or six developmental levels span ning the birth-to-three age range foroutcomes that will be aligned to thefoundations. When alignment of theDRDP to the infant/toddler founda tions is complete, the DRDP will pro vide additional detail about the devel opmental progression of a foundation.For each foundation at each of thethree age levels, broad informationon infant development summarizeschildren’s competencies. Together, thethree descriptions define the devel opmental progression of a founda tion. Underneath each description areexamples of possible ways that chil dren may demonstrate a foundationin a particular age range. The diver sity of examples gives a sense of thevariation among infants and toddlers.A foundation for a particular childshould be considered on the basis ofhow the child functions in differentcontexts—at home, in child care, andin the community. An individual childmay not function like any of the exam ples listed under a foundation, yet shemay already be able to demonstratethe level of competency described bythat foundation. The examples suggestthe varieties of contexts in which chil dren may show competencies reflectedin the foundations. Infant care teach ers often think of alternative exampleswhen they reflect on how a particularfoundation applies to the young chil dren in their care.Guiding PrinciplesSeveral guiding principles influencedthe creation of the infant/toddlerlearning and development foundations.These principles stem from both devel opmental theory and research andfrom best practice in the infant/toddlercare field.1. The family and its culture andlanguage play a central role inearly learning and development.

xi 2. Infancy is a unique stage of lifethat is important in its own right.Development in infancy can bedescribed by three age periods—birth to eight months, eightmonths to 18 months, and 18months to 36 months. Each ageperiod is distinct, although thereis often overlap from one to thenext.3. Infants and toddlers are compe tent yet vulnerable at every stageof development. Nurturing rela tionships provide the foundationfor emotional security and opti mal learning and development.4. Emotions drive early learning.Infants and toddlers are active,curious learners who are inter nally driven to interact withsocial and physical environ ments. Infants and toddlers learnin a holistic way rather than onedomain at a time.5. Early development includesboth quantitative and qualitativechange. With quantitative shifts,the infant extends or adds com petencies to similar existing com petencies. With qualitative shifts,the infant combines new knowl edge and abilities with existingknowledge and abilities to func tion in a different and more com plex way.6. Early development reflects aninterplay of differentiation andintegration. For example, younginfants typically use their mouthsto explore all objects to learnabout them (less differentiatedbehavior), whereas older childrenmainly use their mouth to tasteor explore different kinds of food(more differentiated behavior).An example of integration is thatolder children may be able toengage in several behaviors suchas talking, walking, and carryingan object simultaneously (moreintegrated behavior), whereasyounger children may need tofocus all of their energies ondoing one behavior at a time (lessintegrated behavior).Those principles apply to the foun dations, curriculum planning, andassessment practices aligned to thefoundations.Universal Design for LearningThese foundations support infant/toddler programs in the effort to fosterthe learning and development of allyoung children in California, includingchildren with disabilities or other spe cial needs. In some cases, infants andtoddlers with disabilities or other spe cial needs will reveal their developmen tal progress in alternative ways. It isimportant to provide opportunities forchildren to follow different pathways tolearning. Therefore, the infant/toddlerlearning and development foundationsincorporate a concept known as uni versal design for learning.Developed by the Center for AppliedSpecial Technology (CAST), universaldesign for learning is based on therealization that children learn in dif ferent ways. In today’s diverse infant/toddler programs, making the environ ment, play materials, activities, andexperiences accessible to all children iscritical to successful learning. Univer sal design is not a single approach thatwill accommodate everyone; rather, itrefers to providing multiple approachesto learning in order to meet the needs

x of diverse learners. Universal designprovides for multiple means of repre sentation, multiple means of engage ment, and multiple means of expres sion (CAST 2007). “Multiple meansof representation” refers to providinginformation in a variety of ways so thelearning needs of all children are met.“Multiple means of expression” refersto allowing children to use alternativeways to communicate or demonstratewhat they know or what they are feel ing. “Multiple means of engagement”refers to providing choices within thesetting or program that facilitate learn ing by building on children’s interests.The examples in the infant/toddlerlearning and development foundationshave been worded to portray multiplemeans of representation, expression,and engagement. A variety of examplesare provided for each foundation, andinclusive words are used to describechildren’s behavior. For example,rather than stating “The child looksat an object” or “The child listens to aperson,” the more inclusive wording of“A child attends to an object” or “Thechild attends to a person” is used.When reading each foundation, aninfant care teacher needs to considerthe means by which a child with a dis ability or other special need might bestacquire information and act compe tently. To best meet a child’s needs, aparent and an early intervention spe cialist or related service provider arevitally important resources.The Foundations and Infant/Toddler Care and Educationin CaliforniaThe CDE’s learning and develop ment foundations are at the center ofCalifornia’s infant/toddler learningand development system. The founda tions describe how children developand what they learn and are designedto illuminate the competencies thatinfants and toddlers need for later suc cess. Together the components of theinfant/toddler learning and develop ment system provide information andresources to help early childhood pro fessionals support infants, toddlers,and their families. In the Infant/Toddler Learningand Development Program Guide lines there are recommendationsfor setting up environments,providing infants a secure basefor learning and exploration,selecting appropriate materials,and planning and implementinglearning opportunities. The Infant/Toddler DesiredResults Developmental Profile(described earlier in this chapter)is an observational assessmentinstrument that allows teachersto document individual children’sdevelopmental progress. The infant/toddler curriculumframework will provide generalguidance on the kinds of environ ments and interactions that sup port learning and development. The Program for Infant/Tod dler Care is a comprehensiveapproach to professional develop ment that provides infant/toddlerprofessionals with opportuni ties to become informed aboutthe infant/toddler learning anddevelopment foundations andother components of California’sinfant/toddler system.As a unifying element of California’sinfant/toddler learning and develop

x iment system, the foundations offer acommon language for infant/toddlerprogram directors, teachers, and fami lies to reflect on children’s develop mental progress and plan experiencesthat support children’s learning anddevelopment during the first threeyears of life.Professional development is anotherkey component in fostering infant/tod dler learning and development. Pro fessionals now have opportunities tobecome informed: through the infant/toddler learning and developmentfoundations, the CDE’s Infant/ToddlerLearning and Development ProgramGuidelines, the CDE’s Desired ResultsDevelopmental Profile (DRDP), and theProgram for Infant/Toddler Care (thecomprehensive approach to trainingcollaboratively developed by the CDEand WestEd). The foundations canbecome a unifying element for bothpreservice and in-service professionaldevelopment efforts. For infant/tod dler programs, directors and teacherscan use the foundations as a basisto reflect on children’s developmentalprogress and to plan experiences thatsupport children’s learning and devel opment from birth to three years. Thefoundations are designed to provideinfant care teachers with knowledgeof the competencies necessary duringthe first three years of a child’s life andlater on in preschool and school.

x iiReferencesCalifornia Department of Education (CDE).2007. Infant/Toddler Learning andDevelopment Program Guidelines. Sacra mento: CDE Press.Center for Applied Special Technology(CAST). 2007. Universal Design forLearning.National Association for the Educationof Young Children (NAEYC) and Asso ciation of Early Childhood Specialistsin State Departments of Education(NAECS/SDE). 2002. Early LearningStandards: Creating the Conditions forSuccess. Washington, DC: NationalAssociation for the Education of YoungChildren.National Research Council and Institute ofMedicine. 2000. From Neurons to Neigh borhoods: The Science of Early ChildhoodDevelopment. Committee on Integratingthe Science of Early Childhood Develop ment. Edited by J. Shonkoff and D. Phil lips. Washington, DC: National AcademyPress.

The Early MonthsWith regard to very young infants,Magda Gerber commented:Everything they see, they hear, theyfeel, they touch is new. . . . They areadapting to all that newness, adapt ing to their inner physiological needs,which are plenty. . . . A very youngbaby is busy being a very young baby.(Respectfully Yours 1988, 5)During the first four months of life,babies begin to engage the world andthe people in it (Advances in AppliedDevelopmental Psychology 1995).Infants’ motivation to explore andcommunicate drives them to movetheir bodies, focus their attention, andsend and receive signals—the basisfor development and learning in alldomains. These early behaviors markthe start of a child’s developmentalprogress (Emde 1990).Young babies seek relationships andbuild knowledge. They actively explorewhat they can do with their bodies,people close to them, and the envi ronment. They are not empty vesselswaiting to be filled with information,but rather “active participants in theirown development, reflecting the intrin sic human drive to explore and masterone’s environment” (National ResearchCouncil and Institute of Medicine2000, 1). Their active engagementwith the social and physical worldworks hand in hand with the care theyreceive from adults, especially whenthe adults are responsive to them.The NewbornFrom birth babies learn to connectinternal sensory experiences to move ments of their bodies. They repeatedlyattend to sensory experiences andexplore movements they can make. Indoing so, they make discoveries abouttheir bodies—how to use their head,eyes, mouth, arms, and legs. Youngbabies also use their senses to learnabout people and things.Much of the earliest learning of typi cally developing infants comes throughtheir use of vision. Even very youngbabies watch their mothers’ and otheradults’ faces intently, and what theysee influences their behavior (Schore1994). Babies also seek eye-to-eyeconnection with adults. They use theireyes to both send messages and togain information. In the first monthsof life, babies are aroused by socialengagement and quieted by mutualgazing experiences (Stern 1977).Both the arousal and the calmingpositively affect the development of the

THE EARLY MONTHS child’s brain and stimulate the onsetof self-regulation (Emde 1988). Read ing and understanding babies’ gazesand showing interest and warmth bygazing in return benefit the childrengreatly.Babies develop quickly by extendingtheir abilities in all domains and bycreating more complex ways of relat ing to people and things. They sendmessages to adults in various waysand come to expect responses fromadults. For example, when looking intothe faces of adults, infants may seeenlarged dilated pupils—a commonsign of interest and p

and development foundations. The foundations focus on four domains: social-emotional develop ment, language development, cognitive development, and perceptual and motor development. The foundations provide a comprehensive understand ing of young children's learning and development during the irst three years of life.