During the first two years of life, children are working on acquiring a sense of trustworthiness of oneself
and others. This is the sense of safety and security that comes from responsive and predictable care from familiar others
to whom the child is attached.
The curriculum for the infants and toddlers involves everything
that happens to the child throughout the day. Responsive care giving is the key component to setting up a safe and secure
environment and trusting relationships. Everything a child experiences is a learning opportunity. For example, diaper
changes are perfect opportunities for learning experiences: language, singing gently to a child, showing gentle touches; letting
the child know that this is not a hurried or rushed experience and that they are valued and precious individuals;
gently moving their legs in a bicycle motion stimulating movement or having them reach and grasp for an object. Throughout
the day, teachers will take advantage of these care-giving experiences that are so important in the early years of life and
turn them into meaningful and positive experiences for a child's healthy development.
As the children grow
and change, the teachers change the classroom environment. They may put out more challenging climbing equipment or add
a building area with different toys. A classroom may look very different at the end of a semester than it did in the beginning!
