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Infant and Toddler Spaces - Community Playthings

Infant and Toddler Spaces DESIGN FOR A QUA L I T Y CL A SSROOM. Importance of the environment The first months and years of a child's life are the most formative in development of mind, body, and spirit. Sleep, emotional and physical nourishment, and sensory stimulation are more important in infancy than at any other time. The most vital need for these youngest children is warm, nurturing care. We must also provide them with secure surroundings, and equipment and Playthings that meet their needs and support their individual development. Quality childcare can be found in all types of Spaces . Still, we should remember that the physical environment , the space arrangement, and the equipment available will either promote or impede quality care. Both ..the child needs a safe world where he is encouraged to the adults and the children venture, rewarded for venturing his own acts, and against should find the environment distraction or premature needs a world rich welcoming and comfortable.

1 Importance of the Environment “...the child needs a safe world where he is encouraged to venture, rewarded for venturing his own acts, and against distraction or premature interference....He needs a world rich with opportunities to see, hear, feel, touch, and move....

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Transcription of Infant and Toddler Spaces - Community Playthings

1 Infant and Toddler Spaces DESIGN FOR A QUA L I T Y CL A SSROOM. Importance of the environment The first months and years of a child's life are the most formative in development of mind, body, and spirit. Sleep, emotional and physical nourishment, and sensory stimulation are more important in infancy than at any other time. The most vital need for these youngest children is warm, nurturing care. We must also provide them with secure surroundings, and equipment and Playthings that meet their needs and support their individual development. Quality childcare can be found in all types of Spaces . Still, we should remember that the physical environment , the space arrangement, and the equipment available will either promote or impede quality care. Both ..the child needs a safe world where he is encouraged to the adults and the children venture, rewarded for venturing his own acts, and against should find the environment distraction or premature needs a world rich welcoming and comfortable.

2 With opportunities to see, hear, feel, touch, and A well organized, conveniently arranged, and appropriately The child needs a setting where the world is literally at his equipped classroom gives fingertips to safely explore and enjoy. Jim Greenman Caring Spaces , the caregiver more time for Learning Places stimulating and supportive interactions with children. Special Thanks This booklet is a collaboration between WestEd's Program for Infant / Toddler Care (PITC) and Community Playthings . We thank PITC for their research contribution. They have developed the most widely used training system for Infant and Toddler caregivers in the United States, and their team is at the forefront of national efforts to improve Infant / Toddler care. More information is available at 1. Brain Development The first three years of a child's life are critical for brain development.

3 After birth, brain cells establish trillions of connections. These connecting synapses form the brain's maps . that govern thought, feelings, and behavior. Brain cells analyze, coordinate, and transmit information. The brain learns and remembers throughout life by constantly changing these networks as it receives input from its environment . Although parents pass on a variety of characteristics to their children through their genes, the environment plays a major role in developing a child's personality by shaping the expression of those genes. External influences, from conception onward, offer the brain the intellectual, emotional, social, and physical experiences that make learning and memory possible. great strides have been made in understanding how very young children learn and how their brains develop.

4 With our new knowledge comes new pressure to stimulate infants . in just the right ways earlier and earlier. But children learn more from the full complexity of their spontaneous interactions with parents than from any pre-packaged program.. T Berry Brazelton, MD. Author and Pediatrician 3. Stages of Development Infants experience three stages of on encouragement from caring development. The caregiver-help adults. They experience anxiety that children require changes as as they realize they are separate they progress through the stages people from their caregivers, or of infancy. It is important that the when meeting unfamiliar people. surrounding environ- Playing peek-a-boo or hiding and ment supports both the growing finding objects helps them learn infants and the teachers who care that things out of sight still exist.

5 For them. Toddlers (16-36 months). Young Infants (0-8 months) Toddlers are establishing their In the first year of life children identity. Who am I, and who is acquire a sense of trust a feeling in charge? The Toddler period is of safety and security. Basic trust often marked by conflict, and comes from warm and loving toddlers are easily overwhelmed relationships with caregivers. when unable to communicate When adults are responsive, or get their way. Yet with calm predictable, and nurturing, infants reassurance from adults, social gain the self-esteem and courage awareness grows, and children needed for further development. learn what actions are appropriate. Young infants who feel safe start It is a time of exploration, exploring the world. They need questioning, and discovery.

6 Ample opportunities to see, hear, Toddlers start using language to feel, and touch. Movement is communicate, learn to categorize, crucial, as well as positive inter- and constantly seek to understand actions between adult and child. A good Infant / Toddler the meaning of events, objects, and words. program is distinctly different Mobile Infants (6-18 months). Although a Toddler is gaining from a program designed for 3-5. Mobility opens up new horizons a sense of his identity, he still year olds. Group care requires for infants. They begin to scoot and needs security in order to both careful planning crawl in their quest to understand purposely explore the world. and explore the world. Mobile informed by knowledge of An environment that offers infants are fascinated with development in the earliest chances for independence, activities and objects of daily life and will repeatedly open and close, participation, and cooperation years, and the flexibility to helps toddlers develop respond to the individual needs fill and dump.

7 Repetition helps competence and a strong sense them learn sequencing, classifica- of each child and family. The of self. tion, and how things work. key to quality care is the Mobile infants are practicing quality of relationships.. independence, yet still rely heavily Zero toThree Caring for Infants & Children in Groups 4 5. Eight Considerations for Quality Infant and Toddler Environments Since surroundings have such a powerful influence on infants and toddlers, there are eight points to consider when setting up group care environments. These can be divided into two groups. Four relate to the needs of infants and their caregivers: Safety, Health, Comfort, and Convenience. The others support Infant development: Child Size space , Flexibility, Movement, and Choice. adapted from PITC's Infant / Toddler Caregiving: A Guide to Setting Up Environments 1.

8 Safety 2. Health Safety is one of the most Health is a fundamental issue important concerns in a group- when caring for infants and care setting. In a well-designed toddlers. A well-kept environ- environment , children move ment can protect both children about freely and explore without and adults from infection the caregiver worrying about and illness. children getting hurt. She can Separate the diapering and spend her time in positive toileting areas from food interaction with the children, preparation and feeding areas. rather than patrolling a Keep these and all areas clean. no environment . Have sufficient plumbing to Safe environments have: allow children and caregivers developmentally appropriate to wash hands regularly. equipment made of non-toxic Make sure surfaces are easy materials such as wood to clean and suitable for the non-slip floors activities in the area walls, stable shelves, objects, and floors, furniture, and toys.

9 Fixtures with rounded corners Heat, light, ventilation, and As soon as a baby starts steps toddlers can use to reach acoustics all have an impact on the changing table so that care- crawling, you can count on the the development of children's givers will not have to lift them health. Since smell is one of the fact that he will discover most important indicators of a every hidden danger in the healthy environment , clean floors environment . That means his and furnishings are of utmost importance. A child care center caregivers need to discover needs an efficient air exchange those hidden dangers first and system, as well as screened, open- eliminate them.. able windows, if at all possible. Dr. Thelma Harms 7. 3. Comfort Feeding, Washing, and Toileting Areas A comfortable environment creates a calming atmosphere and Feeding and toileting areas must allows both infants and caregivers be clean, bright, and convenient.

10 To function without stress, which That means the environment is injurious to brain development. must be easy to clean and easy to Reducing clutter, giving attention work in. The equipment should to attractive display, and intro- be scaled so that picking up, ducing nature into the room are bending over, and reaching are some ways to bring about a kept to a minimum. harmonious and relaxing mood. Storage and Shelves Try soft and natural colors on Storage is the caregiver's strong walls and furnishings. silent partner in a smoothly run Use natural light, lamps, and childcare program. An adequate full-spectrum lights rather than amount of open and closed fluorescent lights. storage and its proper placement Each room needs a steady flow builds ease and efficiency into of fresh air. your environment .


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