California Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Foundations

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. 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. (See Educa tion Code Section 33308.5.)

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

Iam delighted to present the California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations, a publication I believe will contribute to providing high-quality care and educa tion for our youngest children.

The first three years are a crucial time of development. Research on brain development indicates that the brains of infants and toddlers are twice as active as those of adults. By the time children reach the age of three, they have become competent in at least one language, formed a sense of self, learned about basic concepts such as cause-and-effect and quantity, and developed numerous large- and small-muscle skills.

More than half of California's infants and toddlers are cared for in child care centers, in family child care homes, and by relatives or neighbors outside the home. Research shows that good care and education contribute to children's social-emotional, language, cognitive, and perceptual and motor development. High-quality infant/tod dler programs provide children with caring relationships, environments, and materials that enrich learning and development. Those programs also develop partnerships with families to connect children's home experiences with experiences in the infant/toddler setting. Partnerships with families are the cornerstone of culturally sensitive

care, which is critically important for children's social-emotional well-being and overall learning. With a goal of ensuring that all infant/toddler pro grams in California offer high-quality care, the California Department of Education collaborated with lead ing early childhood educators and researchers to develop these learning and development foundations.

The foundations focus on four domains: social-emotional develop ment, language development, cognitive development, and perceptual and motor development. The foundations provide a comprehensive understand ing of young children's learning and development during the first three years of life.

It is my hope that these foundations will help all California infant/toddler programs to offer developmentally appropriate and supportive care for our youngest children. By fostering the learning and development described in this publication, infant/toddler care professionals will contribute to children's well-being and lay the foun dation for children's future success.

JACK O'CONNELL State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Acknowledgments

T he following people contributed to this publication or helped to develop the ideas:

Panel of Experts

Marc Bornstein, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Linda Brault, Sonoma State University Deborrah Bremond, Alameda County

Children and Families Commission Vera Guttierez-Clellan, San Diego State

University Christopher Lonigan, Florida State

University Tammy Mann, Zero to Three Lucia Palacios, Los Angeles Universal

Preschool Jeree Pawl, Clinical Psychologist Todd Risley, University of Alaska Ross Thompson, University of Califor

nia, Davis Marlene Zepeda, California State

University, Los Angeles

WestEd, Center for Child and Family Studies

Content development: Ron Lally, Program Codirector Peter Mangione, Program Codirector Charlotte Tilson, Senior Program

Associate Cathy Tsao, Senior Program Associate Sara Webb-Schmitz, Program Associate Osnat Zur, Senior Program Associate

Research assistance: Amy Schustz-Alvarez, Program

Assistant

Katie Monahan, Program Assistant Teresa Ragsdale, Program Assistant

University of California, Berkeley Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research Center

Stephen Moore, Center Associate Director

Mark Wilson, Center Director; Professor, UC Berkeley

California Department of Education

Meredith Cathcart, Consultant, Special Education Division

Tom Cole, Consultant, Child Development Division

Cecelia Fisher-Dahms, Administrator, Quality Improvement Office

Michael Jett, Former Director, Child Development Division

Camille Maben, Director, Child Development Division

Anthony Monreal, Deputy Super intendent, Curriculum and Instruction Branch

Mary Smithberger, Consultant, Child Development Division

Gwen Stephens, Former Assistant Director, Child Development Division

Maria Trejo, Administrator, Child Development Division

Note: The names and affiliations of individuals were current at the time of the development of this publi cation.

ii

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