Infant (Pooh Bears) PDF Print E-mail
As children grow, teachers work with a variety of “hands-on” activities that reflect age appropriateness. Play is essential for social and cognitive growth in early childhood. The following are focal points for each stage:

INFANCY (MOBILE & NON MOBILE  6 WEEKS—17 MONTHS)

This stage is marked most radically with the infants’ need to develop as a unique individual with behavior and growth changes ever present. Each infant has different schedules which are reflective of their own personalities. It is the caregiver’s role to accept each infant as an individual and to provide a safe and stimulating environment from which to thrive and grow.  Non-mobile infants absorb and organize a great deal of information about the world around them.  Therefore, caregivers must sing and talk to them about things going on around them, and bring objects to them for exploration and manipulation, as well as moving the non mobile infant around in his/her surroundings for enhanced sensory stimulation. As children grow, teachers work with a variety of “hands-on” activities that reflect age appropriateness. Play is essential for social and cognitive growth in early childhood. The following are focal points for each stage:

INFANCY (MOBILE & NON MOBILE  6 WEEKS—17 MONTHS)

This stage is marked most radically with the infants’ need to develop as a unique individual with behavior and growth changes ever present. Each infant has different schedules which are reflective of their own personalities. It is the caregiver’s role to accept each infant as an individual and to provide a safe and stimulating environment from which to thrive and grow.  Non-mobile infants absorb and organize a great deal of information about the world around them.  Therefore, caregivers must sing and talk to them about things going on around them, and bring objects to them for exploration and manipulation, as well as moving the non mobile infant around in his/her surroundings for enhanced sensory stimulation.
 

The Infant Program provides for the following goals:
  1. To care for infants in a warm, safe and affectionate way that lets each child know that he/she is a special person, including the physical affection and cuddling that is so important during this stage of development.
  2. To meet all of the child’s physical needs in an immediate fashion.
  3. To implement strict sanitation procedures that are adhered to continuously.
  4. To provide opportunities for exploration, learning and social interaction through a variety of daily activities.
  5. To prepare activities to stimulate the senses, recognizing that infants learn through the use of their eyes, ears, fingers, sense of taste and smell.
  6. To care for children in small groups; to prevent over stimulation and disorder, and to provide opportunities for one on one interactions between children and staff.
  7. To provide the opportunity for the use and development of large and small motor skills by way of indoor and outdoor activities.
  8. Always provide a safe atmosphere for exploration.
  9. Provide consistency between daycare and home care practices that will most benefit the child.  This will be accomplished by constant and open interaction with the parents. We are to encourage the parents to influence our manner of care for their child.
  10. Always be supportive of parent involvement, encourage open and honest communication while using tact and discretion.
  11. Establish an observation system in which daily milestone reports can be kept.
Adults play a vital socialization role with infants. Warm, positive relationships with adults help infants develop a sense of trust in the world and the feeling of competence. These interactions are critical for the development  of the child’s healthy self esteem. The trusted adult becomes the secure base from which the infant will then explore his/her surrounding environment.

The most appropriate teaching technique for this age group is to give ample opportunity for the child to use repetition to practice newly acquired skills and to experience feelings of autonomy and success. Infants will bat at, grasp, bang and drop their toys. Imitation , hiding and naming games are also important for learning at this age.

Play opportunities are essential throughout early childhood. For infants this means sensory experiences and adults who cuddle and talk with them. It means careful selection of toys and materials that stimulate and challenge them, but that are not frustrating or over stimulating. As the infant becomes more mobile, they should be able to count on a safe and interesting environment to explore. Such activities might include: scooting along the floor, playing face games in reflective mirrors, reaching for objects to grasp. Language activities that begin as Ma Ma  or Da Da, will soon become opportunities to develop large muscle skills such as walking, climbing up & down, pushing toys, etc. Small muscle skills include sensory play—water, sand, etc. stacking blocks, nesting toys, etc.
 
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