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knowledge, building a unique school culture that values

communication,
problem-solving and community.
As early childhood
education teacher, we are designed to be flexible, our early education
From the youngest age, infants and toddlers philosophy
tap their natural curiosity and begin to learn through play and should put children at the center. Learning emerges from children’s
investigation. theories
As infant and toddler educators we should draw from current research and ideas as they experiment, investigate, question and explore. This
that module
supports the idea that young children need experiences and interaction will help you to use extended blocks of time for discovery, play and
to learn group
and grow. projects that feed and inspire children’s curiosity.
Every day,
children experience and learn through small group projects, large group
explorations, and individual learning opportunities. Each experience is
designed to help children make connections and express their own
thoughts,
understanding, and creativity. Throughout the day children co-construct
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Table of Contents:
Unit 1 What is an Infant? What is toddler?.................................................................................................4
Unit 2 Theories of Development as they Apply to Infant and toddler………………………………………..…………..20
Unit 3 Skills and Techniques how to maximize Infant and Toddler Growth and Development………………..35
Unit 4 Components of Teacher/Child Interactions…………………………………………………………………………………..55
Unit 5 Positive Guidance Techniques……………………………………………………………………………………………………….68
Unit 6 Design Learning Environments………………………………………………………………………………………………………84
Unit 7 Materials and Activities for Infants and Toddler…………………………………………………………………………….99
UNIT 1
What is an infant? What is a toddler?

How teachers use and apply the developmental theories depend not only on their understanding of those theories and associated research but
also on their personal be-liefs and dispositions. Being unable to attend to every aspect of an interaction, our mind filters and categorizes
information at astonishing speeds. Our beliefs impact not only how our brain does this work but also how we make sense of the information
once it is available. Matusov,DePalma, & Drye (2007) suggest that adults’ responses constantly andactively impact the trajectory of
development of children. Thus, teachersparticipate in “ co-constructing the observed phenomenon of development” such that “development
defines an observer no less than the observed”. In other words, what we observe and what we think the observations mean are as much a
reflection of us (our beliefs and knowledge bases) as it is areflection of the child we observed. This is illustrated in conversations

between two adults after observing the same event. They each describe the actions, behaviors, and implications of the phenomenon
differently. Thus, recognizing how teachers shape the development of children must subsequently result in the opening of dialogue and
communication. These points are made so that you will take an active role in reflecting on your own beliefs and how they are changing as you
read this module and interact with infants and toddlers. Developing the “habit of mind” for careful professional and personal reflection will
assist you in thinking about your role as an educator.

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 3.What are the stages
and major milestones of
1. What is an infant and prenatal development?
a toddler?
3. What are the
2. What are the reasons
why we need to study importance of proper
infants and Toddlers pre-natal and post natal
care?

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5. T□ F□ The amount of alcohol that a woman consumes

while she is pregnant doesn’t matter because all amounts
of alcohol are equally harmful to the infant.

6. T□ F□ Adolescents who were exposed to marijuana

prenatally are no more likely to use marijuana than
T/F Test your knowledge of child development by deciding adolescents who were not exposed.
whether each of the following statements is true or false, and 7. T□ F□ Infants who are born to women who are HIV-
then check your answers as you read the chapter. positive are almost certain to develop AIDS.
1. T□ F□ When a child is conceived, there is a 50-50 chance 8. T□ F□ An infant born prematurely will have
the child will be a male. developmental problems and lag behind other children of
2. T□ F□ More than half of all conceptions never implant the same age.
in the woman’s uterus. 9. T□ F□ When a woman gives birth, she instinctively
3. T□ F□ Research has shown that exposing a fetus to extra knows what to do to care for her new baby.
stimulation (for example, playing music near the pregnant 10. T□ F□ Following the birth of a baby, couples today
woman’s stomach) can stimulate advanced cognitive pretty much share household and child care
development. responsibilities.
4. T□ F□ Using techniques that are available today, it is
possible for some parents to choose the sex of their baby
with 100% accuracy.
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What is an infant? What is a toddler?

Though the terms "baby," "newborn," and "infant" are frequently used As the name implies, a toddler is classically defined by the Merriam-Webster
synonymously, the exact definition depends on the source you consult. dictionary as a child who is just learning to walk or one who toddles. This is often
around 1 year of age.
Definitions
Toddlers may be considered children that range from 1 year to 4 years of age,
• Newborn usually refers to a baby from birth to about 2 months of age. though others may have different definitions of these terms. There's no official
• Infants can be considered children anywhere from birth to 1 year old. definition of the upper limit of toddlerhood. However, most people consider the end
• Baby can be used to refer to any child from birth to age 4 years old, thus of the toddler age to be around the time a child is ready to transition into preschool.
encompassing newborns, infants, and toddlers.
Encyclopedia Brittanica defines a toddler as a child who is between 12 and 36
The Merriam-Webster dictionary simply says a newborn is a child who is recently months old (1 to 3 years old), as does the Centers for Disease Control and
born and does not put an upper limit to the term. Merriam-Webster also defines an Prevention (CDC).2
infant as a child in the first stage of life but doesn't give any age specifics and
describes a baby as "an extremely young child." The World Health Organization The CDC considers children who are ages 3 to 5 years old to be preschoolers.
(WHO) defines a newborn infant, or neonate, as a child that's under 28 days old. 1
Stages of Prenatal Development

While you might think of child development as period is also considered an important part of the
something that begins during infancy, the prenatal developmental process. Prenatal development is a
time of remarkable change that helps set the stage
for future psychological development. The brain
develops over the course of the prenatal period, but

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it will continue to go through more changes during making a journey down the fallopian tube to the
the early years of childhood. uterus.
The process of prenatal development occurs in three Cell division begins approximately 24 to 36 hours
main stages. The first two weeks after conception are after conception. Through the process of mitosis, the
known as the germinal stage, the third through the zygote first divides into two cells, then into four, eight,
eighth week is known as the embryonic period, and sixteen, and so on. A significant number of zygotes
the time from the ninth week until birth is known as never progress past this early part of cell division,
the fetal period. with as many as half of all zygotes surviving less than
two weeks.
Germinal Stage
Once the eight-cell point has been reached, the cells
begin to differentiate and take on certain
characteristics that will determine the type of cells
they will eventually become. As the cells multiply,
they will also separate into two distinctive masses: the
outer cells will eventually become the placenta, while
The germinal stage begins at conception when the the inner cells form the embryo. The placenta is a
sperm and egg cell unite in one of the two fallopian transporter of oxygen, nutrients, waste material, and
tubes. The fertilized egg is called a zygote. Just a few carbon dioxide between mother and fetus. Whether a
hours after conception, the single-celled zygote begins substance may pass through the placenta between
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mother and fetus depends on its molecular size, nourishment for the developing being for the next
shape, and charge . The substances not likely to pass nine months. Implantation is not always an automatic
in significant amounts include bacteria, heparin, and sure-fire process.
sIgA, and IgM.
Researchers estimate that approximately 60% of all
Cell division continues at a rapid rate during the natural conceptions never become properly
approximately week-long journey from fallopian implanted in the uterus, which results in the new life
tube to uterus wall. The cells develop into what is ending before the mother is ever aware she is
known as a blastocyst. The blastocyst is made up of pregnant.
three layers, each of which develops into different
structures in the body.1 When implantation is successful, hormonal changes
halt the normal menstrual cycle and cause a whole
1. Ectoderm: Skin and nervous system host of physical changes. For some people, activities
2. Endoderm: Digestive and respiratory systems they previously enjoyed such as smoking and
3. Mesoderm: Muscle and skeletal systems drinking alcohol or coffee may become less palatable,
possibly part of nature’s way of protecting the
Finally, the blastocyst arrives at the uterus and growing life inside them.2
attaches to the uterine wall, a process known
as implantation. Implantation occurs when the cells
nestle into the uterine lining and rupture tiny blood
vessels. The connective web of blood vessels and
membranes that form between them will provide
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Embryonic Stage of two ridges that form along each side of the neural
plate.
Over the next few days, more ridges form and fold
inward until a hollow tube is formed. Once this tube
is fully formed, cells begin to form near the
center.3 The tube begins to close and brain vesicles
form. These vesicles will eventually develop
into parts of the brain, including the structures of the
At this point, the mass of cells is now known as forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain.
an embryo. The beginning of the third week after
conception marks the start of the embryonic period, Around the fourth week, the head begins to form,
a time when the mass of cells becomes distinct as a quickly followed by the eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.
human. The embryonic stage plays an important role The blood vessel that will become the heart start to
in the development of the brain. pulse. During the fifth week, buds that will form the
arms and legs appear.
Approximately four weeks after conception, the
neural tube forms. This tube will later develop into By the eighth week of development, the embryo has
the central nervous system including the spinal cord all of the basic organs and parts except those of the
and brain. The neural tube begins to form along with sex organs. At this point, the embryo weighs just one
an area known as the neural plate. The earliest signs gram and is about one inch in length.
of development of the neural tube are the emergence
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By the end of the embryonic period, the basic Fetal Stage

structures of the brain and central nervous system
have been established. At this point, the basic
structure of the peripheral nervous system is also
defined.
The production of neurons, or brain cells, begins
around day 42 after conception and is mostly
complete sometime around the middle of pregnancy.
Once cell differentiation is mostly complete, the
As neurons form, they migrate to different areas of embryo enters the next stage and becomes known as
the brain. Once they have reached the correct a fetus. The fetal period of prenatal develop marks
location, they begin to form connections with other more important changes in the brain. This period of
neural cells, establishing rudimentary neural development begins during the ninth week and lasts
networks. until birth. This stage is marked by amazing change
and growth.The early body systems and structures
established in the embryonic stage continue to
develop. The neural tube develops into the brain and
spinal cord and neurons continue to form. Once
these neurons have formed, they begin to migrate to
their correct locations. Synapses, or the connections
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between neurons, also begin to develop. Between the So what's going on inside the brain during this
ninth and twelfth week of gestation (at the earliest), important period of prenatal development? The
reflexes begin to emerge. The fetus begins to make brain and central nervous system also become more
reflexive motions with its arms and legs.4 responsive during the second trimester. Around 28
weeks, the brain starts to mature faster, with an
During the third month of gestation, the sex organs activity that greatly resembles that of a sleeping
begin to differentiate. By the end of the month, all newborn.
parts of the body will be formed. At this point, the
fetus weighs around three ounces. The fetus During the period from seven months until birth,
continues to grow in both weight and length, the fetus continues to develop, put on weight, and
although the majority of the physical growth occurs prepare for life outside the womb. The lungs begin
in the later stages of pregnancy. to expand and contract, preparing the muscles for
breathing.
The end of the third month also marks the end of
the first trimester of pregnancy. During the second While development usually follows this normal
trimester, or months four through six, the heartbeat pattern, there are times when problems with
grows stronger and other body systems become prenatal development occur. Disease, malnutrition,
further developed. Fingernails, hair, eyelashes, and and other prenatal influences can have a powerful
toenails form.5 Perhaps most noticeably, the fetus impact on how the brain develops during this
increases about six times in size. critical period.
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Please see and watch the link:https://youtu.be/BtsSbZ85yiQ

Create a poster with 10 ways and examples of

proper pre and post natal care.
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Visit, Read and Watch:

HTTPS://WWW.NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV/BOOKS/NBK304191/

HTTPS://WWW.URMC.ROCHESTER.EDU/ENCYCLOPEDIA/CONTENT.ASPX?CONTENTTYPEID=40&CONTENTID=P
REGNANCYBIRTHQUIZ

HTTPS://WWW.HEALTHLINE.COM/HEALTH/PREGNANCY -CARE

HTTPS://WWW.NICHD.NIH.GOV/HEALTH/TOPICS/PRECONCEPTIONCARE/CONDITIONINFO

HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=UA-TK9QLG9A&T=82S&AB_CHANNEL=SPROUTS

REFERENCES:
1. NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. WHAT ARE STEM CELLS, AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT?. UPDATED 2016.

2. FLAXMAN SM, SHERMAN PW. MORNING SICKNESS: A MECHANISM FOR PROTECTING MOTHER AND EMBRYO. Q REV
BIOL. 2000;75(2):113-48. DOI:10.1086/393377

3. 13.1 THE EMBRYOLOGIC PERSPECTIVE. IN: ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. RICE UNIVERSITY.

4. 28.3 FETAL DEVELOPMENT. IN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. RICE UNIVERSITY.

5. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OFFICE ON WOMEN'S HEALTH. STAGES OF PREGNANCY.
UPDATED APRIL 18, 2019.

ADDITIONAL READING

• LEVINE LE, MUNSCH J. CHILD DEVELOPMENT: AN ACTIVE LEARNING APPROACH. SAGE PUBLICATIONS, 2010.

• SHAFFER DR, KIPP K. DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY: CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE. WADSWORTH,

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