Active Learning For Infants and Toddlers

1. Active Learning For Infants and Toddlers Day 1

2. Objectives • Identify the components of the HighScope Infant and Toddler “Wheel of Learning.” • Characterize sensory-motor learners. • Identify the Ingredients of Active Learning and discuss why it works. • Distinguish the Key Developmental Indicators (KDIs) as outcomes of active learning. • Discuss Brain 101.

3. Oh, You Beautiful Baby! • Listen to this story by Jamie Lee Curtis called “When I was Little” • Think back when you were little and with the materials on the table, create your own birth announcement (name, date, weight, length, etc.) • Consider these questions: • When you were under the age of 2, what did your parents or other adults say about you? What words have people used to describe you as an infant/toddler? • As an infant/toddler, what were your favorite things to do? Who were your favorite people? What were your favorite play things? Your first words?

4. Summary • Get “in touch” with when we were Infants ad Toddlers. • Babies are real human beings. • Totally dependent on us. • Needing love and security. • We are privileged. • We have real intimate relationships with them. • We have the most important job!

5. What Do You Know, What Have You Heard?

6. HighScope’s Infant and Toddler “Wheel of Learning” Adult-Child Interactions Observation Active Learning Learning Environment Schedules and Routines

7. HighScope’s Infant and Toddler “Wheel of Learning” When we use a comprehensive curriculum, we become intentional teachers and our plans and interactions are more purposeful!

8. Infant-Toddler vs. Preschool

9. Summary • Caregiving routines should not be the driving force of our work with infants and toddlers. • Caregiving routines are perfect opportunities for establishing strong relationships. • We can choose to provide only custodial care or provide high-quality experiences throughout the day.

10. Let’s Discuss • What elements contribute to a high-quality infant and toddler program? • Or what is it that we need to do to provide the best high- quality experiences for infants and toddlers? • Record your answers on page 9 in TB.

11. Elements of High-Quality Early Childhood Programs • A child development curriculum • Low enrollment limits • Staff trained • Supervisory support and inservice training • Parent Involvement • Developmentally appropriate evaluation procedures (child and program) • Sensitivity to non-educational needs of children

12. Characteristics of High-Quality EC Programs • Interactions are most important: Need warm friendly and respectful relationships between child and caregivers and parents. This contributes to healthy social-emotional development. • Child development curriculum grounded in child initiated activities. • Small group sizes means, lower staff child ratio and limited number of children per classroom. • Thoughtful and purposeful planning for infants and toddlers.

13. On the Floor • In the infant seat • In the play pen • Out and about What did you learn from this experience?

14. Points to consider… Active learners need direct physical actions: stretching, reaching, grasping, mouthing, banging, rolling, sitting, crawling, pulling, walking, climbing, carrying… • Learning occurs when children can manipulate and choose materials and can freely use their whole bodies (all senses). • This is different for non-mobile and mobile infants and toddlers. • Non-mobile infants learn just as much as mobile infants if they are not confined in a seat or play pen and interesting materials are within reach.

15. Key Developmental Indictors (KDIs) • Take a look at page 3 of your TB. • These are HighScope’s curriculum content areas for infant and toddler development. • They are statements of what young children do when they are actively engaged. • Which KDIs were evident as “children” in each of the three experiences?

21. Summary of KDIs • Describe the kinds of discoveries young children make as they strive through their own actions and interests to make sense of their world. • Framework for interpreting child development based on child observations, developmental theory and research. • A series of statements describing all areas of ITs’ development– essential to their construction of knowledge.

22. SummaryCont.’ • Provides us with a child development “filter” for observing and choosing appropriate interactions and activities. • Helps us interpret what infants and toddlers say and do. • Helps us maintain reasonable expectations. • Legitimizes children’s play. • Allows us to daily plan more purposefully.

23. Active Learning Supports Brain Development

24. A Handy Brain Brains are built over time and from the bottom up. Early experiences determine whether the brain circuits are strong or weak for all learning, health and behavior that follow. The Science of Early Childhood Development • Cortex • Cerebrum • Limbic System • Reptilian Brain

25. Brain Facts • The brain grows in the way it is nurtured. • The brain is two and half times more active from birth to three than it will ever be again in a lifetime. Pam Schiller, Ph.D.

26. The Early Years • We are born with over 100 billion brain cells, but have relatively few connections. • Neurons form and re-form connections at a rapid rate in response to experiences

27. Brain Cells • Neurons • Brain Cells, “Building Blocks” of the Brain • Dendrites • Receives Incoming Electric Signals • Axon • Sends Out Electric Signals

28. Synapses:The connection between brain cells

29. Neural Pathways Synapses Brain Cell Brain Cell Brain Cell Brain Cell

30. Neural Pathways Brain Cell Brain Cell Brain Cell Brain Cell Brain Cell Brain Cell Brain Cell Brain Cell Brain Cell Brain Cell Brain Cell

31. How Do We Learn? • We have some sort of stimulus: Something new • Make new neural pathways Something we already knew • Neural pathways become more and more efficient – mylenation

32. “Emotional well-being and social competence provide a strong foundation for emerging cognitive abilities” The Science of Early Childhood Development More About Synapses: • The synapses that are not used die out • The synapses that are used repeatedly are strengthened • Prolonged stress can destroy neuron synapses • Being cared for in a loving & consistent relationship can reverse the effects of stress

33. Neuro-Developmental Principles • Sequential development • Use-dependent development (Use it or lose it) • Windows of opportunity

34. “The richer our sensory environment and the greater our freedom to explore it, the more intricate will be the patterns of learning, thought and creativity.” Carla Hanaford, PhD “Smart Moves”

35. Watch the following videotape… Why is choice such a part of doing for infants and toddlers in this setting or in general? The HighScope Approach for Under Threes— Choosing and Doing

36. Characteristics of Infants and Toddlers • With your group, discuss words and phrases that describe infants and toddlers. • Discuss as a whole group. Infants and Toddlers are Sensory-Motor Learners!

37. Summarize • Infants and toddlers need to have real experiences with real objects. • We need to keep these characteristics in mind when we plan for infants and toddlers: • Environments • Daily schedules and routines • Developmental levels • We don’t want to push preschool down on infants and toddlers. • Structure our goals around the developmental needs of this age.

38. Principles Guiding HighScope IT Curriculum • Infants and Toddlers are sensory-motor learners. • Learning develops over time. • Key developmental indicators describe what infants and toddlers learn.

39. Active Learning Ingredients • Materials • Manipulation • Choice • Child Communication Language, and Thought • Adult Scaffolding

40. Some thoughts… • Choice is not typically offered to infants and toddlers – as “good caregivers” we tend to make most of the choices for them. • In doing so, we set ourselves up for power struggles with toddlers who are establishing autonomy. • Choice helps to reduce many frustrations and “discipline” problems we experience with nonverbal children, (with any age).

41. Identifying Active Learning • With a partner, look through Tender Care. • Choose 2 pictures that represent the ingredients of active learning. • Share 1 picture with the whole group: Describe what is happening and give what ingredients of active learning are represented.

42. What is something that you as an adult have done recently that you enjoyed, learned from, and will continue to do?

43. What is something that you as an adult have to do but don’t enjoy doing?

44. Motivation? Which activity is an example of… Intrinsic Motivation Drive comes from within Extrinsic Motivation Drive comes from outside What are some ways adults typically motivate young children to do something? • Bribes • Rewards • Stickers • Verbal manipulation

45. Intrinsic Motivation There are 5 factors of Intrinsic Motivation: • Interest • Enjoyment • Sense of control • Probability of success • Feelings of competence

46. The Learning Cycle Repeat Play Enjoy Play Risk taking Mastery All is well

47. Thoughts About Active Learning • Part of active learning is to recall and think about what you are learning. • Individually, turn to page 17. • Reflect on today discussions on Active Learning • Record what you have learned and want to remember about our discussions. • Remember to use Parking Lot