For this Final Project, you will demonstrate an understanding of the learning and development of infants and toddlers by creating a Learning and Development Handbook for Infant and Toddler Teachers. Your handbook must include a well-developed discussion regarding the program’s educational philosophy, learning activities, and teaching strategies.
You are encouraged to creatively approach this assignment by developing an informative and engaging handbook for staff. It must include visuals and sources which demonstrate how teachers support infant and toddler learning and development. Include a critical and in-depth discussion of effective practices and activities which promote language and cognitive motor skill development in young children.
You will be working on sections of this Final Project throughout the weekly assignments. Address each of the following bullet points in your Learning and Development Handbook for Infant and Toddler Teachers:
- Title Page: The handbook name, your name, course name and number, and date.
- Thesis Statement: Describe the goals for the handbook.
- Purpose Statement: Develop a personal educational philosophy statement of infant and toddler learning and development.
- Theories of Development: Analyze one or more theories of emotional and cognitive development discussed in Chapter 3 of the text.
- Stages of Development: Summarize, in-depth, the stages of cognitive-language and motor-skills development of infants and toddlers.
- Teaching Strategies: Discuss how emotional- and cognitive-development theories and knowledge of the stages of language and motor skills development guide teaching strategies and teacher-child interactions.
- Planning Guidelines: Recommend guidelines for the planning and implementation of learning activities designed to foster young children’s cognitive-language and motor-skills development.
- Activity Plans: Create age-appropriate activity plans for each of the following areas: sensory, music and movement, fine motor skills, large motor skills, math, literacy, and science; reflect the educational philosophy discussed.
- Family Engagement: Describe effective practices for informing, including, and engaging families in their children’s learning and development.
- Resources: Compile a list of resources, including suggested books and web sites teachers can use when planning learning activities for infants and toddlers.
- Conclusion: Include a summary of educational philosophy and curriculum goals for infants and toddlers.
- References Page
The handbook must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and must be formatted according to APA
Required Text
Wittmer, D.S. & Petersen, S.H (2014). Infant and toddler development and responsive program planning: A relationship-based approach (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
