School Readiness for Infants and Toddlers?

Really?

Dr. C. Miki HendersonWestern Arizona Council of

GovernmentsYuma, Arizona

Objectives• What is school

readiness in the infant and toddler classrooms?

• What strategies can I implement to enhance school readiness?

• How do I educate families about their role in school readiness?

The Office of Head Start (OHS) defines school readiness as children possessing the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for success in school and for later learning and life.

SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY• Join two or three other people near you.• Make a list of skills you think children will

need for school and into their future.• What beginnings do we see

in infancy?• Be prepared to share a few with the group.

Our Guiding Principles• Each child is unique and can succeed. • Learning occurs within the context of relationships. • Families are children’s first and most important

caregivers, teachers, and advocates. • Children learn best when they are emotionally and

physically safe and secure. • Areas of development are integrated, and children learn

many concepts and skills at the same time. • Teaching must be intentional and focused on how

children learn and grow. • Every child has diverse strengths rooted in their family’s

culture, background, language, and beliefs.

Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework

Approaches to learning focuses on how children

learn. It refers to the skills and behaviors that children use to engage in learning.

Approaches to Learning• Emotional and

behavioral self-regulation

• Cognitive self-regulation (executive functioning)

• Initiative and curiosity

• Creativity

Strategies• Build relationships• Develop routines• Time to observe• Opportunities to try

new things• Let children solve

their own problems when possible

Curiosity in the ClassroomMiss D’nita used cardboard boxes in many ways in her class. She hid things in shoe boxes, made boxes into instruments and even made a tunnel to crawl through.

Family FocusWarm, responsive, and emotionally secure relationships provide babies with healthy models for future relationships.

SHARING ACTIVITYHow do you encourage initiative, curiosity or creativity in your environment?

Positive social and emotional development in the early years provides a critical foundation for lifelong development and learning.

Social and Emotional Development

• Relationships with adults

• Relationships with other children

• Emotional functioning

• Sense of identity and belonging

Strategies• Model relationship

skills• Allow children time to

interact with each other

• Label feelings• Use songs, poems,

rhymes and literature that relates to emotions and relationship building

Identity in the ClassroomMr. Berto purchased a small plastic photo album for each child and asked families to assist him in filling them with pictures of people, places and things important to their toddler.

Family FocusChildren who consistently receive responsive and sensitive care are more likely to form positive relationships with adults and peers when they enter school.

REFLECTING ACTIVITY• Consider your

environment with regards to social and emotional development for a few minutes.

• What are 2-3 things you want to do right away to enhance social and emotional development.

Communication is fundamental to the human experience, and

language and literacy are essential to children’s learning.

Language and Literacy

• Attending and understanding

• Communicating and speaking

• Vocabulary• Emergent

literacy

Strategies• Match your facial

expressions, gestures, and looks

• Ask families to assist with ways to support home language learning

• Encourage play with writing tools

• Read, sing, talk and play with infants and toddlers

Retelling in the ClassroomIn Ms. Brice’s toddler classroom she kept a basket with props relating to current songs, poems, rhymes and stories she told so that children could use them to retell on their own.

Family Focus• The amount of language

that infants and toddlers are exposed to at home is directly related to later vocabulary growth.

• In families with low incomes, infants and toddlers who were read to more often have better language and cognition at age three than those who were read to less often.

CREATE! (part 1)• Find another person

to work with.• Devise a language

activity you could do with a one year old.

• Devise a fun vocabulary activity to do with two year olds.

Cognitive development

includes reasoning, memory, problem-

solving, and thinking skills that

help young chil-dren understand

and organize their world.

Cognition• Exploration and

discovery• Memory• Reasoning and

problem-solving• Emergent

mathematical thinking• Imitation and symbolic

representation and play

Strategies• Make sure the

environment is safe and secure for exploring

• Offer toddlers time for drawing and creating

• Supply objects for dramatic play

• Use math and science vocabulary in everyday conversation

Problem-solving in the ClassroomMs. Patsy made puzzles and games from different items found in the center or from children’s homes. Parents often brought things she could put to good use in her classroom.

Family FocusCognitive stimulation by mothers and fathers in playful interactions during toddlerhood is related to literacy and math levels both in the third and fifth grades.

CREATE! (part 2)• Find another person

to work with.• Devise a discovery

activity you could do with a one year old.

• Devise a fun memory activity to do with two year olds.

Perceptual, motor, and physical development is foundational to children’s learning in all areas because it permits children to fully explore and function in their environment.

Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development

• Perception• Gross motor• Fine motor• Health, safety,

and nutrition

Strategies• Infants need plenty of

floor time (avoid using walkers, seats, and swings)

• Don’t clutter the room, offer space to move

• Offer new foods, but don’t make a big deal out of it. They’ll need to see them several times before enjoying them.

Exploration in the Classroom

Mrs. Kikuko gathered leaves and seeds and stuck them onto a large piece of clear contact paper. Then she covered them with another piece of contact paper to enclose the woodland collage. Using packing tape she attached it to the window and encouraged children to explore.

Family FocusChildren need to engage in physical activity, access healthy nutrition, get adequate rest, and practice healthy and safe behaviors. Learning to how to stay healthy can reduce illness and improve attendance to improve educational outcomes.

ACTION PLAN ACTIVITY• Using the form in

your packet, develop an Action Plan for when you return to your environment.

• Be specific!• Set a time for

completion.• Show your plan to

someone.

References• Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth

to Five

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/hs/sr/approach/pdf/ohs-framework.pdf

• School Readiness Goals for Infants and Toddlers in Head Start and Early Head Start Programs: Examples from the Early Head Start National Resource Center.

http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/ehsnrc/docs/school-readiness-goals-infants-toddlers.pdf

• Understanding Family Engagement Outcomes: Research to Practice Series. Family Engagement and School Readiness.

http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/family/docs/schoolreadiness-pfce-rtp.pdf