Infants are placed with a teacher who works with a primary care giving group. There are two full-time degreed and credentialed teachers with a maximum group size of 8 infants. A strong loving relationship between the teacher and child is essential, as well as the relationship of trust between the teacher and the family. Creating a three-way bond in which the child is the focus. Each routine and care-giving ritual is individualized for that specific child, his/her temperament and needs. Language and non-verbal communication are both key in the infant classrooms. Children are responded to and their needs addressed individually as the child requires.
The teachers work together to plan and implement a variety of activities for the children to develop their whole selves. Each infant’s routines and family practices from home are incorporated as much as possible into the care giving at the ECEC in order to establish security and keep their patterns consistent and predictable.
The classrooms have neutral colors with “homelike” touches while the infant yard offers a small hill, grass, a pathway and other natural features. The room and playground are for the infants to freely explore and experience. Age appropriate materials that are interesting to the children are at the child’s level, for easy and accessible self-service. Activities are provided for all the infants using the philosophy from the Creative Curriculum which is based on routines, developmental and sensorial experiences. The teachers carefully consider each child’s individual development using the California Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Foundations and Frameworks (California Department of Education). They also use the developmental measures from the Desired Results Developmental Profile (California Department of Education) to plan and implement activities to support new skills and knowledge. The children’s learning and developmental achievements are shown in our Floorbooks, where the teachers and infants work together to document their experiences and to plan future opportunities of exploration.
