 |
Questions? |
|
Privacy |
|
Site Index |
|
Contact Us |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Home | Services | Working with ACF | Policy/Planning | About ACF | ACF News | Search |
|||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
Home
| Publications | Partnership/Collaboration
Information Center | What's New? |
| Winter 1995/1996 | Vol. I, Issue No. 57 |
Derry Koralek, Head Start National Education Training Project, Aspen Systems, Inc., Rockville, Maryland
Jacinda rests comfortably in a front pack while her teacher pushes her sister and brother in the stroller * Feliz lies swaddled in a blanket. * Inez lies on a blanket under a shady tree in her back yard, rocking back and forth until she turns over. * Mai Le bangs a plastic bowl with a wooden spoon, puts the bowl on her head, and laughs. * Charisse sits on her mother's lap, drinking a bottle of juice while her mother sings a song her mother sang to her. * Eric reaches for a plastic ring, puts it in his mouth, then places it on a post. * Haki helps his sister clean the kitchen floor by holding the dust pan while she sweeps. * Marcus, Alisha, and Jake blow bubbles and run after them. * Tony, a child with Down Syndrome, sits next to Geraldine and they talk on the phone. * Omar pushes a cardboard box across the play yard. * Nadia and Wesley use a wooden dowel to poke holes in their play dough. * Stacey and her teacher toss bean bags into a laundry basket.*
What does an environment for infants and toddlers look like? Indoors are places for diapering, exploring, and spending time alone or with another person, sensory learning, moving, using toys, and storing personal belongings. Walls are decorated with pictures of familiar objects, animals, people, and the children's families, where children can see them. Areas are carpeted, floors have washable surfaces, and there are a variety of levels-ramps, carpeted platforms, or climbers. Natural light pours through the windows and soft lighting illuminates other areas. Outdoors children can stretch their muscles, eat lunch, and get to know the neighborhood with an adult, and feel the sun and wind on their faces.
Whether growing and learning in a home or center setting, babies are likely to spend their days in similar ways. Toddlers do many of the same things at a center as they do at home, and most infants and toddlers learn by actively exploring their surroundings. Therefore, home and center environments must be safe and healthy. Unsafe items are stored out of children's reach; safety gates block areas that are off-limits to the children; equipment, such as high chairs and changing tables, meet established standards for safety; food and formula are stored at proper temperatures; and items that are mouthed are sanitized to prevent the spread of germs.
A good center environment for children under age 3 has plenty of open space so children can move around without hurting themselves or bumping into others. An area defined by gates or pillows can provide a safe place for children learning to crawl. Railings on the wall give children who are learning to walk something to hold onto, and a smooth-surfaced floor helps walkers stay upright. It is important to avoid arranging all the furniture against the walls as this invites children to use the middle of the room for a runway.
A well-organized environment supports children and adults during routines. Routines take up a large part of the day for infants and, as toddlers become more independent, they find routines as fascinating as any other activities. There are separate areas for eating and diapering and conveniently located storage units for supplies. Bathrooms used by toddlers should have child-sized sinks and toilets or step stools. Toilet learning will go more smoothly if children can use the toilet and wash their hands with minimal adult supervision. An area set aside for parents lets them know they are always welcome. Cubbies or baskets give children and parents places to store personal items, such as diapers, a special toy or blanket, or a change of clothes.
Infants and toddlers try to make sense of their world. They tend to feel most secure when their environments remain consistent. They are comforted by knowing that every day the polka dot curtains hang in the windows, the couch is in the corner, and the blocks are on the low, open shelves near the table where they eat lunch. But too much sameness can be boring. Children also need variety. Adults can introduce new things or arrangements slowly so that children will continue to feel secure while also gaining new skills and interests.
Infants and toddlers tend to feel most comfortable in familiar surroundings, so center environments should look a lot like a home. A rocking chair, curtains, pictures of children's families, pots and pans, a couch, carpeting, and items reflecting the children's cultures help to create a home-like atmosphere.
Effective environments encourage infants and toddlers to develop and learn new skills. Furniture and equipment, room arrangements, and strategies for storing and displaying materials should be tied to children's developmental skills and needs. Infants use their senses and move their bodies to learn about the world. They need things to look at, touch, listen to, and put in their mouths. They also require safe, open areas for rolling over, crawling, pulling up, and learning to walk. Toddlers, always in motion and eager to do things for themselves, need an environment that offers safe opportunities to run, jump, climb, push, pull, fill, dump, and pour.
A good environment for infants and toddlers includes caring adults who respond quickly and consistently to their needs, who let them know they are valued and important people, and who know when to step in and assist and when to step back to let the children do things on their own.
| Head Start Bulletin Issue No. 57 Contents | "Healthy Child Care America" Campaign: You Can Make a Difference In Your Community |
|
For information requests contact AskUs
We welcome your comments and suggestions, contact webmistress@headstartinfo.org For website technical assistance contact technical@headstartinfo.org To order publications contact puborder@headstartinfo.org |
 Office of Head Start |
Copyright © 2000-2006 Trans-Management Systems
Corporation. All rights reserved.
Please Note: Links on this site are verified monthly.
While links are evaluated before being included on this site, HSIPC is not responsible for the information presented on external sites.
