Swim ppt ch06

Chapter 6

Building Relationships With and Guiding the Behaviors of Infants and

Toddlers

©2014 Cengage Learning.All Rights Reserved.

Building Relationships With and Guiding the Behaviors of Infants and Toddlers

• Creating a caring community of learners– Learners are valued– Teachers help children learn to respect and

acknowledge differences and value others

• Mastery climate– An intentional emphasis on internal motivation

rather than external motivation


Reggio Emilia Approach to Infant-Toddler Education

• History• Developed in a city in Italy after World War II• Led to nationally funded approach to

infant/toddler and preschool programs• Philosophy• 14 principles for educators as a foundation

• Image of the Child• Competent, active and critical


Reggio Emilia Approach to Infant-Toddler Education

• Inserimento– The strategy for building relationships and

community among adults and children when the child is first entering an infant-toddler center

– Individualized for each family• Parent interviews and home visits• Parent-teacher meetings • Documentation• Large or small group discussions with families• Daily communication


A Developmental View of Discipline

• Discipline– Helping infants and toddlers learn to be socially

competent with peers and other adults– Teaching appropriate behavior and setting limits

on inappropriate behavior– Our personal experiences have shaped our beliefs

about discipline

• Mental Models– Self, Environment, Child


Strategies for Respectfully Guiding Children’s Behavior

• A caring community involves the social, emotional and behavioral environments

• Infants and toddlers learn to self-regulate • They must have the power to choose their own

actions (locus of control)



• Labeling Expressed Emotions– Emotional talk labels feeling states– Teachers model and mirror feeling states– Caregivers accept emotions and the need to

express them as normal– Good caregiving in emotion-centered

• Teaching Emotional Regulation— Use the 3 As to develop self-soothing— Encourage positive self-talk


Building the Foundations for Perspective Taking

• Perspective-taking– Leads to successful, positive relationships– Helping children to explain how others feel

• Setting Limits– Specific, positive language – Selective use of “no”

• Establishing consequences– Natural and logical consequences are most

effective©2014 Cengage Learning.

All Rights Reserved.


• Providing Choices– Balance too many with too few

• Redirecting actions– Divert and distract– Provide substitute activity

• Problem solving– Learning to reframe the issue helps toddlers feel

more powerful and in control of outcomes– Involve families in problem solving


Spotlight on Research

• Early Intervention and Building Collaborative Partnerships– Strength-based perspective– Sharing expectations– Meeting emotional needs


Checkpoint Discussion Questions

• Why should infant-toddler teachers focus their attention on creating a caring community of learners?

• Review the principles of the Reggio Emilia approach to early education on Table 6-1. Which of the principles support the practices of inserimento?


Checkpoint Discussion Questions

• Why is taking a developmental approach to guidance beneficial for children and teachers?

• Compare and contract the two mental models for guiding children’s behaviors.

• List and explain three strategies for positively guiding and supporting the development of very young children’s self-regulation skills.