Course Outline for Early Childhood Development 67, Page 1

ChabotCollege

Course Outline for Early Childhood Development 67, Page 1

Fall 2008

ChabotCollegeFall 2008

Replaced Fall 2011

Course Outline for Early Childhood Development 67

INFANT AND TODDLER DEVELOPMENT AND CAREGIVING

Catalog Description:

67 - Infant and Toddler Development and Caregiving3 units

Analysis of infant and toddler development and care, birth through 36 months. Study of current caregiving practices in infant\toddler centers and family day care homes. Examination of best practices, responsive caregiving techniques, environments, infant toddler learning foundations, health, safety, and licensing requirements. Prerequisite: Early Childhood Development 51 (completed with a grade of“C” or higher). 3 hours.
[Typical contact hours:

Prerequisite Skills:

Before entering this course, the student should be able to:

1. demonstrate knowledge of the basic developmental theories of prenatal, neonatal, infant, toddler, preschool, and early primary child development within a social cultural context;
2. articulate connections between child development knowledge and appropriate practices;
3. describe current trends in research about early childhood;
4. describe typical development milestones of children birth through eight years;
5. identify the strengths and exceptional needs of the child in the context of his/her family;
6. assess through observation and identify children’s unique qualities, behaviors, skills, traits, and developmental level;
7. identify techniques for studying children;
8. identify ethical responsibilities to children.

Expected Outcomes for Students:

Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1.describe the theories, characteristics and sequences of typical and atypical infant/toddler development with emphasis on best practices and individual, familial,and cultural differences;

2.identify skills of infants/toddlers in physical, cognitive, social emotional domains as wellas key elements of language development;

3.apply the principles of infant/toddler development to create safe and healthy environments which meet licensing requirements and are responsive to the needs of individual infants and toddlers;

4.apply and explain responsive caregiving techniques for infants/toddlers that enhance their optimum individual development;

5.develop a written plan, using observation and the infant/toddler learning foundations, to implement curriculum for individual infant/toddler needs;

6.describe behaviors of caregivers that model respectful communication, pro-social behavior and facilitate the development of empathy in infants/toddlers;

7.demonstrate an understanding of respectful relationships, communication, and interactions with families within a cultural context;

8.analyze qualities of team approach, collaboration, communication, professional and ethical behaviors in infant/toddler care environments.

Course Content:

1.Theories and principles of infant/toddler development

a.Sequence of development in social/emotional, cognitive, language, motor and perceptual skills

b.Milestones for typically developing children

c.Brain development

d.Basic signs of atypical development and “at risk” infants/toddlers

e.Theories of attachment and separation

f.Temperament and Individual uniqueness

2.Principles of responsive caregiving

a.Establishing relationships

b.Respect of the infant\toddler as an individual

c.Building of trust and attachment

d.Use of daily routines as a foundation for building trust and positive communication

e.Meeting individual needs in group care

f.Continuity of care, primary caregiving, small group size and ratio

g.Early intervention and inclusion of atypically developing infants/toddlers

3.Infant/Toddler learning foundations

a.Learning and development integrated across all domains

b.Using daily routines as an educational experience

c.Facilitating infant/toddler learning through play

1) Preparing the environment

2) Appropriate toys, materials and activities

d.Facilitating language and communication

e.Encouraging infant’s/toddler’s natural cognitive curiosity

f.Facilitating development of motor and perceptual skills

g.Identifying challenging behaviors and implementing positive guidance strategies to develop pro-social behavior

4.Observation of infants/toddlers

a.Techniques for observations

b.Documenting development

c.Using observation documentation to assess infants/toddlers and their environment

5.Components of a safe,healthyindoor and outdoor environment for infants/toddlers

a.Policies and procedures that protect health and safety of infants/toddlers and adults which reflect current best practices

b.Universal precautions, handwashing, cleaning, sanitizing, and emergency procedures

c.Recognizing signs of abuse in the nonverbal child

d.Community Care licensing regulations

6.Family relationships and interactions

a.Family as the primary relationship in the infant/toddler life

b.Understanding similarities and differences in families within a cultural context

c.Maintainingconfidential communication

d.Family goals, values and cultural background

e.Building respectful relationships and communication between families, staff, and program

7.Professional development

a.Team approach to meeting the individual needs of infants/toddlers

b.Fostering respectful and collaborative relationships among adults

c.Ongoing professional development

d.Ethical professionalism and conduct

e. Reflective practices

Methods of Presentation:

1.Lecture and discussion

2.Small group discussion and projects

3.Media resources

3.Observations in infant/toddler settings

Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:

1.Typical Assignments

1. Students will read assigned sections from the text and handouts and write reflective responses.
2. Students will observe and document infants/toddlers in group settings using specific assessment tools.
3. After observations, students will write a report which articulates the relationship between children’s individual needs and responsive caregiving.

2.Methods of Evaluating Student Progress

1. Class attendance and participation
2. Written assignments
3. Midterm
4. Final project

Textbook(s) (typical):

Infants, Toddlers and Caregivers, Mayfield Publishing Company, 5th Edition, 2001

Special Student Materials:

None