UMCDC's work is research-based and grounded in socio-cultural and constructivist theories.
Infant and toddler teaching staff are trained through materials and vignettes from the Program for Infant and Toddler Care (PITC), which follows an approach that is responsive to what infants and toddlers and their families bring to care and emphasizes relationship-based implementation strategies. The goal of PITC is to help infant/toddler care teachers recognize the crucial importance of giving tender, loving care and assisting in the infants’ intellectual development through an attentive reading of each child’s cues. UMCDC has three certified trainers in PITC.
The following areas are embedded in curriculum interactions, communication, family partnerships, center philosophy:
Social and Emotional Growth and Socialization:
Group Care
Learning and Development
Culture, Family, and Providers
As stated above, teaching staff are trained in the above areas, not just at initial hired-on training, but throughout the year.
Teaching staff undergo an extensive three-week training upon hiring. Many other “quality” centers do not provide this extensive training. Areas of training include:
UMCDC is inspired by the schools of Reggio Emilia and Pistoia, Italy. Broadly speaking, the theoretical orientation of the UMCDC is drawn from: Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, Urie Bronfenbrenner, Alice Sterling Honig, Janet Gonzalez-Mena (PITC), Lilian Katz, Kyle Pruett, Alison Gopnik, Carlina Rinaldi (Reggio), J. Ronald Lally & Peter Mangione.