Simple Transitions for Infants and Toddlers - Gryphon House

1 S i m p l e Tr a n s i t i o n s f o r I n f a n t s a n d To d d l e r s b y K a r e n M i l l e r00-STfm_00-STfm 8/7/10 10:01 AM Page 1A c k n o w l e d g m e n t sAll books take shape as the result of an author s exposure to the ideas andtalents of many people. I wish I could acknowledge personally thehundreds of childcare teachers who are in my mind from the over 30 yearsI have spent observing and learning from them. And then there are thecountless dedicated infant and toddler teachers, administrators, andtrainers who have generously shared ideas and insights at professionalconferences and training workshops around the country.

2 It is thisprofessional caring and sharing that has made our field dynamic and ever-improving. Specifically, I would like to thank Leah Curry-Rood for helpingme to conceptualize this book and brainstorm its initial outline, as well asproviding the various lists of children s books provided in the , the magic touch and hard work of a good editor, in this case KateKuhn, make a book come together effectively. Thank you, all of you!D e d i c a t i o nThis book is dedicated, with respect and admiration, to infant and toddlerteachers everywhere. Your influence is 8/7/10 10:01 AM Page 22018 Reprint Title 12/2/18 11:30 AMC o p y r i g h t 2005 Karen Miller Printed in the United States of by Gryphon House , Inc.

3 10770 Columbia Pike, Suite 201, Silver Spring, MD ; (fax); (toll-free)Visit us on the web at rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Cover art: Comstock Images, February 2018 Librar y of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication InformationMiller, Transitions for Infants and Toddlers / by Karen Miller. p. bibliographical references and 978-0-87659-298-41. Child care. 2. Infants --Care. 3. Toddlers --Care. 4.

4 Child careservices. I. '2--dc222004022104B u l k p u r c h a s eGryphon House books are available for special premiums and salespromotions as well as for fund-raising use. Special editions or bookexcerpts also can be created to specification. For details, contact theDirector of Marketing at Gryphon i s c l a i m e rGryphon House , Inc. and the author cannot be held responsible for damage,mishap, or injury incurred during the use of or because of activities in thisbook. Appropriate and reasonable caution and adult supervision ofchildren involved in activities and corresponding to the age and capabilityof each child involved, is recommended at all times.

5 Do not leave childrenunattended at any time. Observe safety and caution at all effort has been made to locate copyright and permission 8/7/10 10:01 AM Page 4 TABLE OF CONTENTSTa b l e o f C o n t e n t sI n t r o d u c t i o n ..7C h a p t e r 1 : G e n e r a l P r i n c i p l e s a n d Te c h n i q u e s ..1 1 Develop Consistency in the Daily Flow of Activities ..11 Invent and Use Rituals ..12 Make Your Classroom Space Work for You ..12 Tell Children What s Going to Happen Next ..12 Offer Rehearsals ..13 Create Nonverbal Signals ..13 Use a Pet Puppet ..13 Entice Rather Than Command ..14 Just Do It.

6 14 Match Children s Development ..15 Help Children Re-Enter the Group ..15C h a p t e r 2 : C e n t e r Tr a n s i t i o n s ..1 7 Entering Childcare ..17 Primary Caregivers ..22 Continuity of Care ..23 The Hardest transition Moving From the infant Room to the toddler Room ..24 Moving from the toddler Room to Preschool ..27 Transitions When a Child Leaves the Program ..28 Staff Transitions ..29 Staff Changes ..30 Weekend-to-Monday transition ..31C h a p t e r 3 : D a i l y Tr a n s i t i o n s W i t h I n f a n t s ..3 3 Individualize Schedules ..33 Morning Separation From Parent ..35 Transitions Throughout the Day.

7 39 Diapering ..42 Playtime ..43 Some Developmental Transitions ..48 Going Outside ..50 Sleeping ..52 Pick-Up Time ..55` When the Child s Routine Changes ..57500-STfm_00-STfm 8/7/10 10:01 AM Page 5 Simple Transitions FOR Infants AND TODDLERSC h a p t e r 4 : D a i l y Tr a n s i t i o n s W i t h To d d l e r s ..5 9 Morning Separation ..60 Transitional Objects ..68 Establishing the Daily Schedule ..72 Morning Gathering Time ..73 Snack Time ..75 The transition Into Playtime ..77 Play Entry Skills ..79 toddler Friendships ..82 Moving From One Play Activity to Another ..86 Sharing and Taking Turns ..86 Cleanup Time.

8 92 Circle Time ..95 Story Time ..97 Diapering ..100 Toilet Learning ..102 Outside Time ..105 Hand Washing ..110 Lunchtime ..112 transition From Lunch to Nap ..115 Nap Time ..116 The Afternoon ..120 Behavior Transitions ..121 Dealing With Tantrums ..123 Bad-Weather Activities ..124 End of the Day ..126 Reunions With Parents ..128 Chapter 5: St af f Training for Succe ssf ul Transitions ..133 Personalize ..133 Nonverbal Communication ..133 Feding Infants ..134 Rituals ..134 Late Afternoon or Bad Weather Fun ..135 The Problem Hat Game ..135 Learning Transtion Songs ..135A p p e n d i x ..1 3 7 Developmental Notes.

9 138 How to Set Up a Positive Learning Environment ..148 Setting Up the Outdoor Environment ..153 Recommended Books ..157I n d e x ..1 6 1600-STfm_00-STfm 8/7/10 10:01 AM Page 6 INTRODUCTION7 IntroductionWhen I told a professional friend that I was writing a book abouttransitions with Infants and Toddlers , she said, Simple ! Transitions : as fewas possible. End of book! Of course, she is right! However, I do thinkthere is more to say on this the topics covered in this book usually are not addressed in earlychildhood education classes, new teachers often struggle to make itthrough the day and sometimes end up exhausted and discouraged.

10 Yet, itdoesn t have to be this way. The ideas and strategies in this book camefrom many years of observing real caregivers inhundreds of childcare settings who haddeveloped the knack of moving smoothlythrough the day with contented Infants andrelatively cooperative Toddlers . For the purposesof this book an infant is from birth to 18 monthsof age. A toddler , one who is up and toddling, is from 13 months to three years of age. Yes,there is an overlap. This is to allow for individualdifferences in maturation. In the context of childcare, the word transitionsimplies the in-between times, moving fromone part of the daily routine to anotherthroughout the day.