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The
Iowa Program for Infant and Toddler Care strives
to “raise the quality of care for infants and toddlers”.
IA PITC consists of a 50-hour training plan program.
This training plan program is broken down into
five training modules. Each module consists of
five two-hour lessons. Caregivers are encouraged,
but not required, to complete all 50 hours of IA
PITC training. IA PITC lessons are intended for
anyone caring for and about infants and toddlers,
including parents, childcare providers, and childcare
center directors. Module
I: Social-Emotional Growth & Socialization All children need safe and secure care that supports
their developing self-knowledge, self-control, self-esteem,
awareness of their own feelings and boundaries, and
respect for the feelings and rights of others. Healthy
social-emotional development is the foundation for
all other learning and is built through the nurturing
relationships with the important adults in their lives. Lesson
1: Getting in Tune with Infants & Toddlers
The relationship between an infant and his/her caregiver
is at the heart of quality infant and toddler care.
This lesson provides information that can help caregivers
provide sensitive, responsive care to each infant
and toddler in their group. Key concepts:
- Responsive
Care Giving, Watch, Ask, & Adapt
- Welcoming
a Child (First Moves)
- Self
Awareness (Hot Spots)
Lesson 2: Temperaments
Right from the start, babies are different from each
other. An understanding of temperamental differences
can help caregivers work more responsively and effectively
with the individual infants and toddler in their
care. Key concepts:
- Nine
Temperament Traits
- Three
Temperament Types (covering the issue of possible
labeling, and traits
are more important than style;
including how you work with each type)
- Goodness
of Fit, Culture and Family
Lesson 3: Social-Emotional Milestones and Responsive
Caregiving
This lesson will develop and understanding of the watch,
ask and adapt responsive process within the age appropriate
social and emotional milestones. Key concepts:
- Three
Stages of Infancy - Ages of Infancy
- Responsive Process: Watch, Ask, Adapt
- Understanding Social-Emotional Milestones
Lesson 4: Understanding Children's Behavior
This session focuses on recognizing and understanding
individual and developmental issues behind the behaviors
of infants and toddlers. Materials support caregivers
in recognizing the source of different infant and
toddler behaviors and identifying ways to work with
them. Key concepts:
- Attachment
- Five
Possible Causes of Behavior
- Four Roots of Socialization
Lesson
5: Guidance & Discipline
This session takes a look at the roots of how babies
develop social skills, how each setting plays a part,
as well as specific guidance techniques appropriate
for children as they grow from birth to three years
old. Video and print materials are used, as well
as group problem solving activities. Key concepts:
- Definition
of Terms (ages)
- Socialization and Guidance and Discipline
Strategies
- Age related discipline
Module II: Group Care
This module looks at group care in centers and
in homes. To ensure that young children become
healthy, emotionally
secure individuals, it is critical to establish intimate
relationships between infants and significant others
in their lives. This module looks at the development
of those relationships through the concepts of intimacy
in groups, routines of care and the importance of
the environment where care takes place. Lesson 1: Routines as Curriculum
Caregiving routines provide opportunities for caregivers
to build a close personal relationship with each
child while attending to each child’s individual
physical, emotional and developmental needs. When
carried out responsively and without haste, routines
create learning opportunities, allowing time for
the child to participate, develop skills and share
the joys of communication. This helps the caregiver
as well as the child. The caregiver is likely to
find satisfaction in these caregiving routines when
he/she pays attention to the whole child not just
the task. Key concepts:
-
Building Relationships within Sleeping, Eating,
and Diapering
- Routines as Curriculum
- Cultural Differences
Lesson 2: Primary Care/Continuity of Care
This lesson focuses on the importance of a primary
care system that provides the foundation for infants
and toddlers in care to experience the personal relationships
and responsive care that they need developmentally.
Key concepts:
-
Definition of Terms
- Implementation Issues and Strategies
- Small
Groups
- Attachments
Implementation Issues and
Strategies
Lesson 3: Environments: Indoor and Outdoor Spaces
The caregiving environment provides the setting
in which an infant or toddler spends large
amounts of
time. The setting must meet the growing child’s
physical, emotional, social and cognitive needs.
Caregivers have many options in designing the environment
so that it meets the child’s needs for safety,
health, security, comfort and learning in indoor
as well as outdoor spaces. Key concepts:
-
Eight Key Elements of Outdoor and Indoor Spaces
- Create Your Own Space (small groups)
Lesson 4: Environments: Making IA PITC Work-Policies
and Procedures
This lesson will assist providers in creating spaces
that are age appropriate for small groups.
Key concepts:
-
How are you going to make the policies work in
your environment?
- Family Child Care
Lesson 5: Respectful Care
Magda Gerber’s thoughts on respecting the
skills are presented. The importance of awareness
and observation
of the individual differences of infants and toddlers
is emphasized.
Key concepts:
-
Defining Magda's Terms
- Observation
- Self-motivated Learning
Module
III: Learning & Development
This module focuses on facilitation of the infant's
natural interests and urges to learn.
This is done by providing infants with close and
responsive relationships with caregivers; by designing
safe, interesting
and developmentally appropriate environments, by
giving infants uninterrupted time to explore; and
by interacting
with infants in ways that emotionally and intellectually
support their initiations in discovery and learning. Lesson 1: Facilitating Early Learning
What is the caregiver's role in helping infants
learn? Certainly, we need to regularly observe
and use that
knowledge in developing individualized curriculum.
It is also helpful to understand how to use the "Adapt,
Support, Repetition/Practice and Expand" methods. Key concepts:
-
Four Courses of Infant Curriculum
- Caregiver's
Role - Adapt, Support, Repetition/Practice
and Expand
- Observation
of Infant Learning
Lesson 2: Discoveries of Infancy
Participants will learn how babies develop common learning
strategies. Key concepts:
-
Six Discoveries
- Discovery
Process (engage)
- Communicating
with Parents about Infant
Learning
Lesson 3: Brain Development in Infancy
You will understand the impact stress has on brain
development and early learning.
There are critical points in time for babies and toddlers
to learn certain things.
Participants will explore emotional development and
learn the seven ways to support brain development. Key concepts:
-
Impact of Stress and its Effects on Brain Development
and Early
- Learning
- Emotional Development
- Seven Ways to Support Brain Development (includes
Day to Day Care of Infant Brain Development)
- Use It or Lose It
- Windows of Opportunity
Lesson 4: Special Needs
Explore your feelings about inclusive care and how
to partner with parents.
Learn how to adapt your environment to meet the needs
of all children.
In addition, find out about community resources available
to you and the children in your care. Key concepts:
-
Exploration of Caregiver's Feelings about Inclusion
- Adapting the Environment
- Partnering with Parents
- Resources (local)
Lesson 5: Language Development, Communication, and
Culture
Did you know that there are ten suggested ways to help
children develop language skills?
It is also very important to understand how cultural
differences impact language development. Key concepts:
-
Ten Strategies to Enhance Language Development
- Importance of Supporting Home Language
- Children's Active Role in Learning Language
- Individual
and Cultural Differences (Including Warning Signs)
Module IV: Culture, Family, and Providers
Since the family is the most important influence
and support in a child's life, it is so important
for the
child care provider and the family to make decisions
together. Just as important is the fact that an infant
is developing, within the context of culture, a sense
of who they are, where they come from, and how they
are valued. Recognizing and respecting the cultural
beliefs that are a part of that identity formation
is absolutely crucial. Communicating in an infant's
home language is also important. Module IV helps
providers recognize their own cultural perspectives,
the feelings
associated with those, how to negotiate with families
when there are differences, and create program policies
which reflect partnerships with parents. Lesson 1: Culture, Family and Providers
Children's sense of identity is formed through
the ways in which the important adults in their
lives
react and interact with them. Rules for living are
passed down to them from their family's beliefs,
faith, ethnicity, etc. Children need to feel secure
in who they are and where they come from. What child
care policies and practices should be in place reflecting
support of cultural beliefs? The key here that has
the potential for generating passionate discussion
is that of including staff with home language skills.
The emphasis should be to attempt to staff with that
in mind. If it is not possible, then seek ways that
support the child’s identity formation and
transition from home to child care. Key concepts:
-
Overview - Defining Culture
- Essential Connections for Policy and
Practices
Key #1 Provide Cultural Consistency
Key #2 Work Toward Representative Staffing
Key #3 Create Small Groups
Key #4 Use the Home Language
Key #5 Make Environments Relevant
-
Acknowledgment of the personal and emotional
nature of discussions of culture. Dialogue can empower people to develop.
- Emphasis on the importance of
supporting children’s
culture and family bonds supports
their healthy
development of identity, security,
and
competence
Lesson 2: Harmonizing Cultural Diversity for Sensitive
Infant Care
Understand the importance of how children develop their
sense of self and how culture impacts it. Everyone
has cultural beliefs, what are yours?
Key concepts:
-
Identity Formation - Culture & Race
(identity formation is the most important
to emphasize in this
lesson)
- B. Keys to Culturally Sensitive Care #6-10
Key #6 Uncover your cultural beliefs
Key #7 Be open to the perspective of others
Key #8 Seek out cultural and family information
Key #9 Clarify Values
Key #10 Negotiate Cultural Conflicts
-
Everyone Has Culture
- White Privilege
Lesson 3: Responding to Families in Culturally Sensitive
Ways
What is culture? What is cultural awareness and sensitivity?
It is important to understand how culture affects all
of us so that we can develop certain skills in order
to partner effectively with parents on behalf of their
children. Key concepts:
-
Basic Assumptions - Understanding Culture and
Its Impact on All of Us
- What is Culture? What is Cultural Sensitivity?
Development of Cultural Awareness/Sensitivity/Responsiveness
as
a Lifelong Process
- Partnering with Parents - Keys to Culturally Sensitive
Care #6-10
- Skills
Needed – What are they? How to demonstrate
the skills effectively?
Lesson 4: Protective Urges
Through a four-step process we will explore and work
with our feelings that affect how we work with children
and families. We will also work to understand parent's
feelings so we can be open, honest, and understanding.
Key concepts:
-
Explore Your Feelings; Understanding and Working
with Feelings Underlying Parent-Caregiver Relations
- Share Your Feelings with Others
- Working with parent's feelings - Understanding,
Competence, Honesty
- Working with Caregiver's feelings - Four Step
Process for Dealing with Feelings
Lesson 5: Responsive Communication in Family and Community
Relationships
The information gained through responsive communication
can be invaluable in understanding a child and his/her
family. Using that knowledge can lead the child care
provider in helping parents understand how they can
help their child develop. For example, the skills that
a toddler gains in an independent painting activity
are more important than having a piece of artwork that
looks like something an adult created. Key concepts:
-
Relationship Based Communication- Promoting Child
Development through Parent-Child Interaction
- Process vs Product/Outcome - Infant Mental Health
Perspectives
- Evaluations - Using Parent-Child Interaction
Groups
- Features of a Relationship-Based Approach
Module V: Beginning Together
Lesson 1: Attitudes, Inclusion and Access
This lesson will help in understanding the legislation
and how providers can find resources in adapting
care for each child. Key Concepts:
-
Benefits of Inclusion
- People First Language
- IDEA,
ADA & Privacy (Applicable laws IDEA & ADA)
- Guidelines for Decision-Making (Family privacy,
trust, good judgment)
Lesson 2: When Concerns Arise
While supporting children, families, and caregivers
while building upon the relationship based approach
of caring for each child, participants can explore
their own thoughts and concerns and how best to support
children and families when there may be cause for
concern. Key Concepts:
-
Emotional Effects of Developmental Concerns
and Perception of
Disability
- The Four Stages of Adaptation
- Emotional Reactions of Caregivers
Lesson 3: Responsive Planning
This lesson assists providers in using the Watch, Ask,
and Adapt methods for planning. Key Concepts:
-
Using Watch, Ask, and Adapt methods for planning
- Modifying the PITC 4 step process
- Observation
- Referral-Early Access
Lesson 4: Building Relationships to Support All Children
Providers will have the chance to look at how to partner
with families and specialists on behalf of the child’s
needs. Key Concepts:
-
Philosophy and Challenges to Successful Partnerships
among Families
- Protective Urges for Families, Caregivers, and
Specialists
- Responding to Specific Needs
Lesson 5: Inclusive Group Care and Individualization
It is helpful to explore ways of adapting care routines
and the environment to meet the needs of the child.
Key Concepts:
-
Sensitive Care that Honors Culture and Diversity
- Adapting Environment
- Individualizing Routines
- Collaboration
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