City College of San Francisco 

CDEV 85: Relationship-based Infant/Toddler Care Syllabus

Contact Information 

Instructors: Landi Ehnle  lehnle@ccsf.edu or landi.ehnle@mail.ccsf.edu

Office Hours:  By appointment

The instructor will respond to all course email within 48 hours Monday-Friday, exclusive of school holidays.

Advisories

ESL 182 or ENGL 88 or placement in ESL 184 or readiness for college-level English 

CRN Required textbook (free download):

Wyant, McClellan-Brandusa, The Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Program Guidelines, Second Edition, CDE Press, Sacramento, CA, 2006, California Department of Education. ISBN 978-0-8011-1798-5

https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/documents/itguidelines2019.pdf

Course Description  

This three-unit course explores the principles and practices of relationship-based care that support infant/toddler social-emotional development, learning during routine care and play activities, and development of language and communication. The parent-provider partnership is explored as key to understanding children and keeping them connected to the family and culture.

Student Learning Outcomes 

Upon completion of this course, a student will be able to: 

• Analyze how program policies support relationships in infant/toddler care.

• Describe a child's behavior with an understanding of social-emotional development and possible underlying causes of that behavior.

• Create a nurturing learning environment that supports relationships in group care.

• Plan activities that actively engage and support infant/toddler learning.

• Compare practices that strengthen or challenge the parent-provider partnership.

• Evaluate infant/toddler care practices for cultural sensitivity.

Attendance

Students who do not log in and participate the first week will be dropped from the class. It is strongly advised that if you need to miss more than one week that you contact me to avoid being dropped from the class.

Late Policy

All assignments are due by the end of the semester on the last day of class. I do not give penalties for late submissions. However, there is no guarantee that I will be able to give you meaningful feedback on your classwork if you submit your assignments late.

Methods of Evaluation

• Written work: Written in-class and out-of-class assignments as described above.

• Participation: Participation in class discussions and small group activities

• Exams/Quizzes/Tests: Mid-term exam based on class materials, text and handouts.

• Final Assessment: Final Project and written essays related to assigned readings and lecture content on policies and practices that support quality relationship-based care for infants and toddlers.

Assignments

• In-class activity: Individual written exercises covering such topics as: beliefs and practices, program policies that support relationships, emotional basis of intelligence, stress, nurture and the young brain.

• In-class activity: Individual reflective responses to videos, such as: Early Messages, Protective Urges, It's Not Just Routine.

• In-class activity: Self-evaluation on beliefs and attitudes towards infant care given at the beginning and again at the end of the semester.

• Out-of-class assignment: Read assigned text chapters for each class.

• Out-of-class assignment: Written observation report on an infant classroom that includes: physical learning environments set up to support adult/child and child/child relationships; practices and strategies that support these relationships, as well as teacher/parent and parent/child relationships.

• Out-of-class assignment: Final Project - Students select a project that supports or enhances relationship-based care with the plan to be approved by instructor. Possibilities include: photo documentation and written essay of changes made to physical environment to improve teacher/child and child/child relationships; photo documentation and written essay of toddler friendship; essay based on interview with infant teacher; essay on use of Temperament assessment to address challenging behavior.

Selections from the following textbooks and other instructional materials (all free downloads):

• Selections from Lally, Ronald, Mangione, Peter and Greenwald, Deborah. 2006. Concepts for Care - 20 Essays on Infant/Toddler Development and Learning. San Francisco, CA: WestEd.

• Selections from the series Infant/Toddler Caregiving, Sacramento, CA.California Department of Education. A Guide to Social-Emotional Growth and Socialization, A Guide to Routines, A Guide to Cognitive Development and Learning, A Guide to Language Development and Communication, A Guide to Creating Partnerships with Families, A Guide to Culturally Sensitive Care

• Media Resources: Videos such as series Infant/Toddler Caregiving, California Department of Education. Ages of Infancy, Flexible, Fearful and Fiesty, Space to Grow, It's Not’s Just Routine, Discoveries of Infancy, Early Messages, Protective Urges, Ten Keys to Culturally Sensitive Care

Grading Policy

• Grading: 20% reading/discussions| 20% reflection papers | 20% infant/toddler observation | 40% final assessment- infant/toddler case study

• Grading scale: A=90-100%; B=80-89%; C=70-79%; D=60-69%; F=<60%.

• An “F” grade indicates that a student attended, participated and completed the course but failed to master the course curriculum.

Standards of Conduct

• Students who register in CCSF classes are required to abide by the CCSF Student Code of Conduct and Discipline.

• Violation of the code is basis for referral to the Student Conduct Coordinator or dismissal from class or from the College. 

• See the Office of Student Affairs and Wellness webpage for help and support.

• Collaborating on or copying of tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment. I encourage students to share information and ideas, but not their work.

See these links on Plagiarism: 

Encourage Academic Integrity and Prevent Plagiarism

CCSF Citing Sources Information

Avoiding Plagerism

Accademic Acomodations

If you need classroom or testing accommodations because of a disability, or have emergency medical information to share with me, or need special arrangements in case the building needs to be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible. Students seeking disability related accommodations are encouraged to also register with Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) located in Room 323 of the Rosenberg Library (415) 452-5481. For more information and alternate locations, please see the DSPS website.

Contents

A. How relationship-based infant/toddler care supports quality

1. Impact of early care on brain development

a. Organization of the brain after birth

b. Effects of stress on brain development and behavior

c. Child care provider role in providing optimal levels of stimulation

2. Reflection on beliefs and practices

a. Understanding our own perspectives

b. Caregiving practices and their underlying beliefs

B. Program policies and practices that support relationships

1. Primary caregiving - assigned child care provider

2. Individualized care - for all routine care

3. Small group size - to assure individualized care

4. Continuity of care - over time

C. Emotional and social development of infants and toddlers

1. Understanding temperaments

a. Recognizing the traits of temperament

b. Looking for "goodness of fit" between child and adult

2. The Development of self-regulation

a. Biologic functions, emotions and behavior

b. Self-regulation at different stages and changing role of child care provider

3. Responsive caregiving in child care

a. "Responsiveness" vs. "spoiling"

b. Timely and appropriate responses

4. Social-emotional milestones

a. The development of infant emotions

b. Social-referencing

5. Understanding children's behavior

a. Describing behavior objectively

b. Possible causes for a child's behavior

6. Socialization and guidance

a. Goals for guidance

b. Strategies for socialization and guidance

D. Environments from an infant's perspective

1. A safe and interesting place to explore through the ages and stages

a. Places for young infants

b. Places for mobile infants

c. Places for toddlers

2. Places that support relationships

a. Among children

b. Between adults and children

E. Early learning and care

1. Caregiving routines as curriculum in child care

a. Greeting and departing

b. Eating, diapering, and napping

c. Making transitions

2. Early brain development

a. Learning by experience - through the senses

b. Scaffolding - building on experiences

3. Discoveries in infancy

a. What are infants learning?

b. How does it change through the stages?

c. Safe and interesting materials for exploration

4. Facilitating early learning

a. Observing the child's interest and intent

b. Child care provider responses that support the child's interest and intent

5. Early language and communication

a. "Reading" infants' communications

b. Using self-talk, parallel talk and expansion to support language development

6. Supporting dual language learners

a. Honoring the child's home language

b. Being intentional with use of languages

F. Family and culture

1. Making and maintaining partnerships with families

a. First impressions - touring and enrolling

b. Daily and ongoing conversations

c. The parent conference

d. Connecting with other parents

2. Helping infants feel connected to their families while in child care

a. Making the transition to child care

b. Maintaining continuity between home and child care

3. Understanding the protective urges of parents and child care providers

a. Understanding our own cultural biases in child-rearing

b. Every baby has a family culture

4. Responding to families in culturally sensitive ways

a. Evaluating environments and policies that support diversity

b. Using acknowledge/ask/adapt strategy when there are differences.