California Infant/Toddler Learning & Development …

1 California Infant/Toddler Learning & Development foundations California department OF education SACRAMENTO, 2009. California Infant/Toddler Learning & Development foundations California department of education Sacramento, 2009. Publishing Information The California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Founda . tions was developed by the Child Development Division, California department of education . It was edited by Faye Ong, working in cooperation with Tom Cole, Consultant, Quality Improvement Office. It was prepared for printing by the staff of CDE Press: the cover and interior design were created and prepared by Juan D.

2 Sanchez; typesetting was done by Jeannette Reyes. It was published by the department , 1430 N Street, Sacramento, CA. 95814-5901. It was distributed under the provisions of the Library Distribution Act and Government Code Section 11096. 2009 by the California department of education All rights reserved ISBN 978-0-8011-1693-3. Notice The guidance in the California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development foundations is not binding on local educational agencies or other entities. Except for the statutes, regulations, and court decisions that are referenced herein, the document is exemplary, and compliance with it is not mandatory.

3 (See Educa . tion Code Section ). Contents A Message from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction v Acknowledgments vii Introduction ix The Early Months 1. Social-Emotional Development 7. Language Development 43. Cognitive Development 59. Perceptual and Motor Development 89. Appendix: Summary of Infant/Toddler foundations 103. iii A Message from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction I. am delighted to present the care, which is critically important for California Infant/Toddler Learning children's social-emotional well-being and Development foundations , a and overall Learning . With a goal of publication I believe will contribute to ensuring that all Infant/Toddler pro.

4 Providing high-quality care and educa grams in California offer high-quality tion for our youngest children. care, the California department of The first three years are a crucial education collaborated with lead . time of Development . Research on ing early childhood educators and brain Development indicates that the researchers to develop these Learning brains of infants and toddlers are and Development foundations . twice as active as those of adults. By The foundations focus on four the time children reach the age of domains: social-emotional develop . three, they have become competent in ment, language Development , cognitive at least one language, formed a sense Development , and perceptual and of self, learned about basic concepts motor Development .

5 The foundations such as cause-and-effect and quantity, provide a comprehensive understand . and developed numerous large- and ing of young children's Learning and small-muscle skills. Development during the first three More than half of California 's years of life. infants and toddlers are cared for in It is my hope that these foundations child care centers, in family child care will help all California Infant/Toddler homes, and by relatives or neighbors programs to offer developmentally outside the home. Research shows that appropriate and supportive care for good care and education contribute to our youngest children.

6 By fostering the children's social-emotional, language, Learning and Development described cognitive, and perceptual and motor in this publication, Infant/Toddler Development . High-quality infant /tod care professionals will contribute to dler programs provide children with children's well-being and lay the foun . caring relationships, environments, dation for children's future success. and materials that enrich Learning and Development . Those programs also develop partnerships with families to connect children's home experiences JACK O'CONNELL. with experiences in the Infant/Toddler State Superintendent of Public Instruction setting.

7 Partnerships with families are the cornerstone of culturally sensitive . Acknowledgments T. he following people contributed Katie Monahan, Program Assistant to this publication or helped to Teresa Ragsdale, Program Assistant develop the ideas: University of California , Berkeley Panel of Experts Berkeley Evaluation and Marc Bornstein, National Institute of Assessment Research Center Child Health and Human Development Stephen Moore, Center Associate Linda Brault, Sonoma State University Director Deborrah Bremond, Alameda County Mark Wilson, Center Director;. Children and Families Commission Professor, UC Berkeley Vera Guttierez-Clellan, San Diego State University California department Christopher Lonigan, Florida State of education University Tammy Mann, Zero to Three Meredith Cathcart, Consultant, Lucia Palacios, Los Angeles Universal Special education Division Preschool Tom Cole, Consultant, Jeree Pawl, Clinical Psychologist Child Development Division Todd Risley, University of Alaska Cecelia Fisher-Dahms, Administrator, Ross Thompson, University of Califor Quality Improvement Office nia, Davis Michael Jett, Former Director, Marlene Zepeda.

8 California State Child Development Division University, Los Angeles Camille Maben, Director, Child Development Division Anthony Monreal, Deputy Super . WestEd, Center for Child intendent, Curriculum and and Family Studies Instruction Branch Content Development : Mary Smithberger, Consultant, Ron Lally, Program Codirector Child Development Division Peter Mangione, Program Codirector Gwen Stephens, Former Assistant Charlotte Tilson, Senior Program Director, Child Development Associate Division Cathy Tsao, Senior Program Associate Maria Trejo, Administrator, Sara Webb-Schmitz, Program Associate Child Development Division Osnat Zur, Senior Program Associate Research assistance: Note.

9 The names and affiliations of individuals were Amy Schustz-Alvarez, Program current at the time of the Development of this publi . Assistant cation. ii Introduction T. he California Infant/Toddler children's experiences at home with Learning and Development their experiences in the infant /tod . foundations represents part of dler program. These partnerships with the Califor nia department of Educa families are the cornerstone of cultur . tion's (CDE's) comprehensive effort to ally sensitive care. Connections with strengthen young children's Learning children's early cultural and linguistic and Development through high-quality experiences are critically important early care and education .

10 The founda for their social-emotional well-being, tions describe competencies infants the Development of their identity, and and toddlers typically attain during the Learning . In addition, children may birth-to-three-year period. In order to have a special need that requires par . make developmental progress, young ticular accommodations and adapta . children need appropriate nurturing. tions. To serve all children, infant /tod . Both supportive home environments dler programs must work to provide and high-quality early care and educa appropriate conditions for each child tion programs can facilitate children's and individually assist each child's attainment of the competencies speci movement along a pathway of healthy fied in the foundations by providing Learning and Development .