MODULE 11 CAREGIVING

Promoting Social-Emotional Development: The

Infant And Toddler Caregiver
Objectives: 
▪ Reflect on what it means to be a responsive infant and toddler
caregiver.
▪ Reflect on what it means to be a socially-emotionally competent
infant and toddler caregiver.
▪ Brainstorm on how to cultivate and nurture social-emotional
competence in your early care and learning environment and
program.

▪ Responsive Infant and Toddler Caregiving

▪ Some infants and toddlers face multiple stressors in early life, such as
deployment, depression, death of a family member, natural disasters, or
poverty. Resilience helps young children and adults cope with change
and adversity. Resilience can be enhanced by the strengths of the
family, the environments in which the infant or toddler spends time, and
within the infant or toddler herself or himself. These strengths are also
referred to as protective factors and are closely linked to
social-emotional well-being. Social-emotional well-being is the ability to
form healthy relationships, regulate strong emotions, get needs and
wants met, and explore the environment and learn. Protective factors,
and therefore, social-emotional development, are strengthened when
nurturing adults remain responsive in all interactions and experiences
with an infant or toddler. 

1
Dunst and Kassow (2008) identified ten characteristics of
responsiveness—when adults change the way they interact with a young child
to match the child’s needs and development. Dunst and Kassow’s ten
characteristics of responsiveness are:
1. Positive attitude: The adult frequently smiles, laughs, and
provides positive statements to infants and toddlers. A caregiver
may smile at infants and toddlers as they arrive in the morning and
say, “I am so happy to see you this morning!”
2. Stimulation: The caregiver arranges the environment to provide
multiple opportunities for play, learning, engagement, and
encouragement of infants and toddlers. The caregiver includes a
range of developmentally appropriate materials in the care setting
and intentionally uses opportunities to help toddlers learn to take
turns engaging and playing with the materials. Additionally, the
caregiver acknowledges individual differences, preferences, and
learning styles in infants and toddlers and is responsive to their
needs.
3. Support: The caregiver is available and helps each infant and
toddler develop.
4. Response quality: The caregiver responds immediately and
appropriately to match the infant’s or toddler’s needs.
5. Synchrony: The relationship between the caregiver and the child is
reciprocal and rewarding for both parties. For example, the
caregiver and a toddler laugh together as they read a silly book or
they enjoy taking turns singing silly songs while washing hands
before lunch.
6. Responsiveness: The caregiver and infant or toddler frequently
notice and talk about objects, events and people in the
environment. For example, while playing outside, the caregiver and
infant both look at a bird flying over their heads.

2
 7. Cooperation: The caregiver respects the child’s freedom and
avoids interrupting the child’s ideas except when necessary. The
child is given the chance to be in control and direct play. For
example, when a young toddler stacks soft blocks only to knock
them down, the caregiver joins in this “demolition” play and
comments on the child’s actions, instead of asking the child to read
a book or to build a specific structure.

8. Physical contact: The caregiver has frequent kind and soothing

contact with the child. For example, rocking while feeding,
snuggling while reading a story, or gentle pats when the child is
upset.
9. Mutuality: Both the caregiver and the child are attending to the
same thing at the same time. This is achieved when the caregiver
is sensitive to the child’s cues. For example, an infant is looking out
the window at a nearby tree. The caregiver turns his or her head to
follow the infant’s gaze and says, “Oh, do you see that tree there?
Its branches are blowing in the wind, aren’t they?”
10. Response contiguity: The caregiver quickly and frequently
responds to the each infant’s or toddler’s signals and needs. This
includes responding quickly when a child is upset, but also
frequently commenting on children’s actions or engaging with them
after a request.

Socially-Emotionally Competent Infant and Toddler

Caregiving
Developing and maintaining social-emotional well-being is an ongoing
process. Your social-emotional well-being and resilience must be promoted so
you can better support infants and toddlers in acquiring social-emotional skills.
Warm, responsive adults who model resilient behaviors in the face of daily
stressors can help nurture infants’ and toddlers’ lifelong capacity for resilience
and social-emotional health. Research highlights that children 2 years of age
are able to imitate the styles and ways of responding to stressors of the
caregivers around them.  3
Being a socially-emotionally competent caregiver can be expressed in a
number of ways. Here are some to consider:
● Taking the time to work on establishing and maintaining
relationships with infants, toddlers, and colleagues in your care
setting and program
● Trying to work things out and problem solve solutions to challenges
or problems that arise
● Demonstrating flexibility
● Allowing yourself to make mistakes
● Being nurturing and responsive
● Trying new things out
● Asking for help or support when facing difficulties
● Lending a helping hand to others in need
● Being willing to accept new or different perspectives
● Embracing diversity
● Being open-minded
● Sharing your own emotions and thoughts
ACTIVITY:
1. Give the Dunst and Kassow’s ten characteristics of responsiveness ?
2. Being a socially-emotionally competent caregiver can be expressed in a
number of ways.

4
MODULE 12 CAREGIVING
Cultivating and Nurturing Social-Emotional
Competence in Your Early Care and Learning Program
Social-emotional competence helps you become part of a workplace
community that feels welcoming, supportive, friendly, energetic and nurturing.
It helps you engage infants, toddlers, families and colleagues in a range of
meaningful experiences. Consider the following:

Objectives: 
▪ Reflect on what it means to be a responsive infant and toddler
caregiver.
▪ Reflect on what it means to be a socially-emotionally competent
infant and toddler caregiver.
▪ Brainstorm on how to cultivate and nurture social-emotional
competence in your early care and learning environment and
program.

LEARN
Know
Think about the ways you nurture and sustain social-emotional health in your
personal life. Are there rituals or activities you engage in that make you feel
more connected to yourself or to others? Are there individuals who nurture
you and who inspire you to be and feel your best?

5
Now consider your professional life. How do you foster your social-emotional
health at work? What elements of your work environment sustain your
social-emotional health? Is it relationships with coworkers or supervisors? Is it
freedom to work independently, to plan experiences, and to use materials? Is
it guidance and constructive feedback from others? Is it sharing concerns and
ideas and brainstorming solutions when situations arise? Is it relationships
with children and families?
Throughout this course, you have learned the great impact of being a
responsive caregiver on infants’ and toddlers’ social-emotional development;
caring, responsive, and attentive adults can foster children’s social-emotional
competence and growth. 

Responsive Infant and Toddler Caregiving

Some infants and toddlers face multiple stressors in early life, such as
deployment, depression, death of a family member, natural disasters, or
poverty. Resilience helps young children and adults cope with change and
adversity. Resilience can be enhanced by the strengths of the family, the
environments in which the infant or toddler spends time, and within the infant
or toddler herself or himself. These strengths are also referred to as protective
factors and are closely linked to social-emotional well-being. Social-emotional
well-being is the ability to form healthy relationships, regulate strong emotions,
get needs and wants met, and explore the environment and learn. Protective
factors, and therefore, social-emotional development, are strengthened when
nurturing adults remain responsive in all interactions and experiences with an
infant or toddler. 
What does it mean to be a responsive adult? Dunst and Kassow (2008)
identified ten characteristics of responsiveness—when adults change the way
they interact with a young child to match the child’s needs and development.
Dunst and Kassow’s ten characteristics of responsiveness are:

6
1. Positive attitude: The adult frequently smiles, laughs, and
provides positive statements to infants and toddlers. A caregiver
may smile at infants and toddlers as they arrive in the morning and
say, “I am so happy to see you this morning!”
2. Stimulation: The caregiver arranges the environment to provide
multiple opportunities for play, learning, engagement, and
encouragement of infants and toddlers. The caregiver includes a
range of developmentally appropriate materials in the care setting
and intentionally uses opportunities to help toddlers learn to take
turns engaging and playing with the materials. Additionally, the
caregiver acknowledges individual differences, preferences, and
learning styles in infants and toddlers and is responsive to their
needs.
3. Support: The caregiver is available and helps each infant and
toddler develop.
4. Response quality: The caregiver responds immediately and
appropriately to match the infant’s or toddler’s needs.
5. Synchrony: The relationship between the caregiver and the child is
reciprocal and rewarding for both parties. For example, the
caregiver and a toddler laugh together as they read a silly book or
they enjoy taking turns singing silly songs while washing hands
before lunch.
6. Responsiveness: The caregiver and infant or toddler frequently
notice and talk about objects, events and people in the
environment. For example, while playing outside, the caregiver and
infant both look at a bird flying over their heads.
7. Cooperation: The caregiver respects the child’s freedom and
avoids interrupting the child’s ideas except when necessary. The
child is given the chance to be in control and direct play. For
example, when a young toddler stacks soft blocks only to knock
them down, the caregiver joins in this “demolition” play and
comments on the child’s actions, instead of asking the child to read
a book or to build a specific structure.
8. Physical contact: The caregiver has frequent kind and soothing
contact with the child. For example, rocking while feeding,
snuggling while reading a story, or gentle pats when the child is
upset.
7
9. Mutuality: Both the caregiver and the child are attending to the
same thing at the same time. This is achieved when the caregiver
is sensitive to the child’s cues. For example, an infant is looking out
the window at a nearby tree. The caregiver turns his or her head to
 follow the infant’s gaze and says, “Oh, do you see that tree there?
Its branches are blowing in the wind, aren’t they?”
10. Response contiguity: The caregiver quickly and frequently
responds to the each infant’s or toddler’s signals and needs. This
includes responding quickly when a child is upset, but also
frequently commenting on children’s actions or engaging with them
after a request.
Responsive caregiving results in a relationship that is stable, enduring, and
secure. It is within the security of this relationship that an infant or toddler feels
safe and confident and able to explore the world with curiosity.
In their article, I Am Safe and Secure: Promoting Resilience in Young
Children, published in the March 2011 issue of Young Children, authors P.J.
Pizzolongo and A. Hunter paint a convincing portrait of how promotion of
resilience benefits children’s long-term health. Everyday stressors exist in
childhood. While the ideal situation is removal of all stress, we know that
scenario is impossible. However, children who develop resilience gain the
ability to better face life’s traumas--from something as horrific as seeing their
father shot, to everyday (and comparatively mundane) sibling rivalry.
Pizzolongo and Hunter suggest that adults can help foster resilience in
children through promotion of the protective factors. They explain, “when
adults provide responsive care to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, children
learn to trust others. When children are held to high expectations by their
parents or other caregivers, children begin to believe in themselves and
realize that they are capable. When adults encourage children to participate in
the family or classroom by giving them responsibilities and offering them
choices about their environment, young children feel a sense of belonging and
competence.”  (Pizzolongo & Hunter, 2011). To understand the cyclical nature
of how the protective factors encourage resilience, review this short
explanation from the American Academy of Pediatrics
8
Socially-Emotionally Competent Infant and Toddler
Caregiving
Developing and maintaining social-emotional well-being is an ongoing
process. Your social-emotional well-being and resilience must be promoted so
you can better support infants and toddlers in acquiring social-emotional skills.
Warm, responsive adults who model resilient behaviors in the face of daily
stressors can help nurture infants’ and toddlers’ lifelong capacity for resilience
and social-emotional health. Research highlights that children 2 years of age
are able to imitate the styles and ways of responding to stressors of the
caregivers around them. 
Being a socially-emotionally competent caregiver can be expressed in a
number of ways. Here are some to consider:
● Taking the time to work on establishing and maintaining
relationships with infants, toddlers, and colleagues in your care
setting and program
● Trying to work things out and problem solve solutions to challenges
or problems that arise
● Demonstrating flexibility
● Allowing yourself to make mistakes
● Being nurturing and responsive
● Trying new things out
● Asking for help or support when facing difficulties
● Lending a helping hand to others in need
● Being willing to accept new or different perspectives
● Embracing diversity
● Being open-minded
● Sharing your own emotions and thoughts
What are some of your views on being a socially-emotionally competent
infant and toddler caregiver? Pause for a few moments and reflect on this.

9
ACTIVITY

1.Explain about the Responsive Infant and Toddler Caregiving?

2.What is Socially-Emotionally Competent Infant and Toddler Caregiving?

MODULE 13
A Caregiver’s Social and Emotional
Well-Being
Cultivating and Nurturing Social-Emotional
Competence in Your Early Care and Learning
Program
Social-emotional competence helps you become part of a workplace
community that feels welcoming, supportive, friendly, energetic and nurturing.
It helps you engage infants, toddlers, families and colleagues in a range of
meaningful experiences. Consider the following:

Engaging with children

● Demonstrate empathy and compassion when working with infants
and toddlers.
● Demonstrate positive social skills with infants and toddlers
throughout the day.
● Use infants’ and toddlers’ backgrounds, experiences and interests
as inspiration for ideas about experiences and activities in your
care setting.
10
 ● Cultivate a climate of respect and appreciation of individual
differences in your care setting. 
● Invite families to share their views and experiences with you.

Engaging with families

● Families can be your program’s window into culturally responsive
experiences. Invite families to share experiences that are
meaningful to them.
● Provide opportunities for families of infants and toddlers in your
care and program to meet and get to know each other.
● Invite families to observe and participate in some of your activities.
● Send home books about emotions and social-emotional skills with
infants and toddlers.
● Encourage families to nurture social-emotional skills at home by
extending some of your experiences in the home environment.

Engaging with colleagues

● Make connections with your colleagues in your workplace.
Share things about your interests and experiences with
colleagues during staff meetings, lunch breaks or in-service
days. Explain how these interests drive some of the experiences
you create for infants and toddlers. Get to know the people
who you work with on a personal level.
● Exchange with colleagues ideas about experiences that foster
social-emotional growth. Invite a colleague to come to your
room, observe some of your activities and give you feedback.
Offer to do the same for your colleagues.
● Ask a trainer, coach, or supervisor to observe your care setting
so they can offer you feedback about your use of materials and
experiences to promote infants’ and toddlers’ social-emotional
growth. 

11
 ● Acknowledge colleagues who are doing great things, who offer
you guidance and constructive feedback, and who inspire you
to strive for excellence and be a team player. 
ACTIVITY

1.Explain in your own words regarding Cultivating and Nurturing Social-Emotional

Competence in Your Early Care and Learning Program?

2.Give example how to engage to your families?

Berk, L. E. (2013). Child Development (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

Buell, M. J., Pfister, I., & Gamel-McCormick, M. (2002). Caring for the caregiver: Early Head
Start/family child care partnerships. Infant Mental Health Journal, 23(1-2), 213-230. doi:
10.1002/imhj.10013

Dunst, C., & Kassow, D. (2008). Caregiver Sensitivity, Contingent Social Responsiveness, and
Secure Infant Attachment. Journal of Early and Intensive Behavior Intervention 5, 40-56.
Retrieved from: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ805609.pdf

Joseph, G. E., & Strain, P. S. (2004). Building Positive Relationships with Young Children. Young
Exceptional Children 7, 21-29.  

Mulrooney, K. and Williams, D. (2012). Research and Resilience: Recognizing the need to know
more: understanding the experiences of young children in military families in the context
of deployment, reintegration, injury, or loss. Washington, D.C: ZERO TO THREE. Retrieved
from https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/33-research-and-resilience

Pizzolongo, P.J. and Hunter, A. (2011). I Am Safe and Secure: Promoting Resilience in Young
Children. Young Children. National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Reivich, K., & Shatté, A. (2002). The Resilience Factor. New York, NY: Broadway Books.

Schneider, S. (2001). In Search of Realistic Optimism. American Psychologist 56 (3), 250–261.

Seligman, M. E. P., Reivich, K., Jaycox, L., & Gillham, J. (1995). The Optimistic Child. New York, NY:
Harper Perennial.

12
 MODULE 14 CAREGIVING 37 Parenting
TipsEvery
Becoming a parent can be a bit overwhelming, especially when advice pours in from all sides. So
we’ve compiled this handy guide of quick tips from in-the-know parents and experts to get you
started, and give you the confidence you need to embrace your new role.

1. Live in the now. You hereby have permission to stop worrying about your checklist—doing
the laundry, pumping, buying diapers—and learn to be present with your baby. Enjoy your
precious moments together. —Wayne Fleisig, Ph.D.

2. Chill out about toddler meals. Expect odd food habits. Offer a variety. Don’t push, don’t
panic. They’ll eat when they’re hungry. —Connie Diekman, R.D., Washington University in
St. Louis

3. Stick to an early bedtime. Your child will get the sleep he needs, and you’ll get to
recharge your batteries. —Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., author of Sleeping Through the Night

4. Say no. The better you get at turning down requests that aren’t in your child’s best interest,
the fewer times you’ll need to do so. You can say no once in the supermarket when your child
asks to buy a carton of ice cream, or you can say it every night once that carton is sitting in your
freezer at home. —David Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D., author of Ending the Food

5. Create mini traditions. Hang balloons around the kitchen table the night before your
child’s birthday so she wakes up to a special day. Make a funny noise when it’s just you and your
kids in an elevator. Create a handshake that only they know—and save it for big
moments. —Harley A. Rotbart, M.D., author of No Regrets Parenting

6. Be ready for sick days. Stock up on rehydration drinks like Pedialyte, Gatorade, or
Vitamin Water so you don’t have to run to the store in the middle of the night when your little
one is vomiting. —Wendy Hunter, M.D., Rady Children’s Hospital, University of
California, San Diego

7. Know your kid. Each child is a unique combination of strengths and challenges. Try to
tailor your response to fit the kid in front of you. —Eileen Kennedy-Moore, Ph.D., author of
Smart Parenting for Smart Kids
 13

8. Find your crew. Identify the people you can call when you need to vent—friends who’ll
give their opinion when you ask for it and keep their mouth shut when you don’t, and who would
drop anything to be there for you and your family (and vice versa). Love them hard and thank
them often. —Lacey Dunkin, single mom of six

9. Remember you’re a role model. Make being a mom look appealing to your kid so she’ll
want to have children and you can be a grandparent one day. If you’re always stressed, pouty, or
fussing, she won’t be inspired to become a parent herself. —Wendy Mogel, Ph.D., author of
The Blessing of a Skinned Knee

10. Let your partner take over. He’s all in, so encourage him to be in charge of bathing,
reading, or tummy time (or all three). They’re great bonding activities—and an opportunity for
you to take a breather. —David L. Hill, M.D., author of Dad to Dad: Parenting Like a Pro

11. Talk about money decisions. When you buy a brand of cheese because it’s less
expensive (and just as good) or opt to pass on a purse you like “until it’s on sale,” explain your
thinking to your kid. —Farnoosh Torabi, mom of two and host of the So Money podcast

12. Read to your child every single day. It helps build imagination and is time well
spent. —Christine Hohlbaum, mom of two and author of The Power of Slow

13. Go small with big changes. Bottle to sippy cup? Crib to bed? Of course you want these
transitions to go smoothly and quickly, but that can be overwhelming to your little one. Let him
play with the new cup, or sit and read together in the new bed first. Once he’s used to the new
sensory experiences, you can make the switch official. —Harold S. Koplewicz, M.D.,
president of the Child Mind Institute

14. Help your baby fall asleep on her own. Feed her at the start of your bedtime routine.
After a bath, books, and cuddling, put her down while she’s drowsy but still awake. If you feed
or rock her to sleep, she’ll always need your help to nod off. —Dr. Mindell

15. Establish chores. Have your kids pitch in at home by emptying trash cans, making their
bed, setting the table, and putting toys away. Helping out with the household tasks builds
self-esteem because you trust them to do the job. —Martin R. Eichelberger, M.D., Safe Kids
Worldwide, Children’s National Medical Center

14
16. Trust your instincts. Even if you can’t diagnose what’s wrong when your child doesn’t
feel well, your gut will tell you that he needs to be checked out. —Ari Brown, M.D., author of
Baby 411

17. Don’t become the butler. Your children are hardwired for competence. Get them in the
habit of hanging their jacket in the closet and putting their dirty clothing in the hamper at an
early age, so you don’t have to. —Dr. Mogel

18. When you’re wrong, own it. If you goof up with your child (or your partner), apologize.
This will teach your kids that it’s okay to make a mistake as long as you acknowledge it and say
you’re sorry. —Alice Domar, Ph.D., author of Finding Calm for the Expectant Mom

19. Give yourself time-outs. When you’re feeling angry, you’re less likely to respond to your
child in a helpful way. You don’t have to react instantly. Taking a brief break helps you settle
down and think things through. —Dr. Kennedy-Moore

20. Nudge sibling harmony. At dinner, have each child take turns saying what he enjoyed
about his brother or sister that day. This helps kids look for the positives in their siblings rather
than the negatives. —Lacey Dunkin

21. Open windows from the top. Eliminate the risk of your child falling by keeping them
closed and locked on the bottom. And don’t tempt her to climb by placing low furniture
underneath. —Dr. Hunter

22. Like a Boy Scout, be prepared. Never leave the house without at least one change of
clothes for each young child. —Dr. Hill

23. Beware of the humblebrag parent. When acquaintances boast about their brilliant or

supertalented child, relax. Chances are they’re exaggerating or lying. —Dr. Mogel

24. Tell “age stories.” At bedtime, have your child pick a number smaller than your current
age. Then tell her about something interesting that happened to you at that age. —Dale
McGowan, dad of three and author of Raising Freethinkers

25. Put down your phone. When you’re with your kids, that call/text/e-mail can wait. They
know when you’re not paying attention. —David Fassler, M.D., author of Help Me, I’m Sad:
Recognizing, Treating, and Preventing Childhood and Adolescent Depression
 15

26. Be without a ceiling. Try to get outside together for at least a few minutes every single
day and move under the sky. It’s a chance to escape screens and sedentary activities, and
establish a rain-or-shine ritual that will benefit your child for life. —Wendy Sue Swanson,
M.D., author of Mama Doc Medicine: Finding Calm and Confidence in Parenting

27. Act silly. Life can be too serious. Let your kids see you laugh, make funny faces, and chase
them around the house saying, “I’m gonna get you!” —Dr. Domar

28. Walk instead of drive. Use your legs for short errands and nearby playdates. As you stroll
with your child, talk, play “I spy,” or hop over cracks in the sidewalk together. —Dr. Rotbart

29. Be a parent, not a pal. Your job isn’t to be popular. Your kids may not always like you in
the moment. But deep down they’ll always love you for setting clear expectations. —Dr.
Eichelberger

30. Make math more fun. Take every opportunity to play with numbers, sizes, and shapes.
Count the oranges and apples as you put them into the bag at the grocery store. Ask your child
which cereal box is the tallest. Point out the circle in the clock and the rectangle in the
window. —Deborah Stipek, Ph.D., author of Motivated Minds: Raising Children to Love
Learning

31. Stay consistent with your rules. But first, make sure they’re fair. —Dr. Domar

32. Just dance. When you’re talked out and tired out from endless demands, turn on some
music and just shake off the day. It’s hard not to smile when you’re letting loose (and watching
your kids dance). —Lacey Dunkin

33. Answer the endless “why” questions. This is easier said than done, but young kids
are curious about everything in their world. If you stop responding to their queries, they may stop
asking. —Raquel D’Apice, founder of The Ugly Volvo blog

34. Back up your photos and videos. You don’t want to lose irreplaceable digital
memories. Invest in a backup hard drive or a cloud service. —Darshak Sanghavi, M.D.,
author of A Map of the Child
 16

35. Show your kid how to greet people. Teach your child to make eye contact, smile, and

a first impression. —Faye de Muyshondt, mom of two and 32 founder of Socialsklz

Success
🙂
greet someone new in various settings. Then have her try it out. You only get one chance to make
for

36. Spotlight gratitude. Coin the term BPOD (best part of day) and review it nightly.
Reflecting on the good stuff is a lovely practice that fosters happiness and optimism. —Dr.
Swanson

37. Go ahead and gush. Let your child know—through your actions and your words—how
much you love him and what you think is special about him. —Dr. Fleisig

ACTIVITY
1. What is tips number 24 explain your answer?

2.Explain Tips number 37,28,23? Explain

MODULE 15 CAREGIVING
Talk, Read and Sing Together Every Day! Tips For
Infant & Toddler Teachers and Caregivers
A language-rich environment is one in which babies and toddlers are surrounded
by talking, singing, and reading and have many opportunities throughout their
day, across all activities, to communicate with others and engage in back-andforth
interactions. A language-rich environment is important to children’s early brain
development, and can have strong effects on early language, vocabulary, reading,
and math skills, as well as on children’s social-emotional development. Parenting

Tips Every New Mom Needs 17

Talking with babies and toddlers is a brain building activity! Every time you talk to a baby and have a
high-quality back-and-forth interaction, new connections in that baby’s brain are made. The more you
engage with babies and toddlers in this way, the more they learn to understand and use new words and
concepts. Below are some tips for talking with babies and toddlers and engaging in high-quality
back-and-forth interactions.

• Move to the child’s level and make eye contact.

• Mirror the child’s tone. For example, if the child is smiling and happy, use a happy, upbeat tone of
voice.

• Use Parent-ese! Parent-ese is a type of adult speech where an adult talks to a child in an exaggerated,
animated, and repetitive way. Babies and toddlers get excited when they are spoken to in fun and
interesting ways. Parent-ese captures babies’ attention and can help them learn

. • Comment! Comment about everything in the baby’s environment, such as their actions and other
people’s actions, objects, toys, foods, activities, and daily events. Narrate your routines!

• Label! Babies and toddlers are learning to match words with different things in their world. Labeling at
every opportunity helps babies and toddlers learn new words and understand their meaning. Point and
look at objects when describing them for babies/toddlers. Make sure the baby/toddler looks at who or
what you are pointing to.

• Model! Model the correct use of words, the use of familiar words in new situations and in longer
sentences, and the use of new words. The more that teachers model language for babies and toddlers,
the more children learn.

• Ask questions! Ask different types of questions, including open-ended questions. Give them enough
time to respond. Giving toddlers choices may help them respond. For example: “Did you use a marker or
a crayon to draw your picture?

• Follow the child’s lead and talk about it! Identify what the child is looking at, playing with, holding,
doing, or interested in. Label and describe whatever it is they are engaged with. Jump in and play with
them, narrating what you are doing together.

• Have conversations! Some babies and toddlers may not have words yet, but they still communicate in
their own “baby language”. This is usually in the form of babbles, coos, laughter, smiles, looks, and
gestures. Talk to them and reply to their “baby language”. That is called a “back-and-forth conversation”-
baby style

• Use many different words! Introduce new or uncommon words, explain what they mean, and repeat
them across different activities throughout the day. For example, use words like huge, humongous, or
enormous to describe things that are very big.
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• Repeat and Expand! Repeat the words babies/toddlers use back to them and expand by adding a little
more. For example, if the child says “airplane!”, you can say “yes, the airplane is flying in the sky!”.

• For children learning more than one language, use even more gestures and body language.

ACTIVITY

1.What are the Tips For Infant & Toddler Teachers and Caregivers?

Explain to me atleast 10 tips

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