participation and engagement in activities across various ages:

EarlySteps: Spectrum of Child DevelopmentIntroductionLearning ObjectivesPrinciples of Child DevelopmentBrain ResearchActivity Based Early InterventionModifications and adaptationsLearning StylesEarly LiteracyPost AssessmentResources

Participation and engagement in activities across various ages:Infants (birth ~ 6 months)

Sensorimotor Stage

Motor skills and play intimately linked. Infants learn to roll to move toward or away from objects/people, sit independently using free hands to grasp and squeeze toys and fingers, bring toys to mouth, and watch faces intently.

Age appropriate activities include:Grasping, manipulating and dropping rattles and stuffed animals, gazing at mobiles, exploring busy boxes, and lots of face to face time with favorite people.


Rachel picked up her two month old baby, Jessica and held her on her lap facing her. She said “Hello, my beautiful baby girl”, as she gazed into her baby’s eyes. Jessica kicked her legs, opened her mouth wide and made a gurgling sound. Rachel opened her mouth and made the same sound, or as close to Jessica’s as she could. Denise, Rachel’s mom walked in at the same time. “What are you doing? She can’t understand a word you are saying, and anyway, you’ll spoil her if you pick her up every time she cries.”

What do you think? Can babies be spoiled? Is Jessica learning anything as mom plays with her?


Consistently and appropriately responding to an infant’s cries makes the baby feel safe, loved and important. Babies are not spoiled by getting attention, rather they learn to trust that the world is a safe place where they can get their needs met allowing them to learn, grow and indeed thrive.Relationships are the building blocks of healthy development. Culture is reflected in childrearing beliefs and practices designed to promote healthy development.

Spending time one-on-one, respecting the baby’s individual needs and temperament, and responding to the baby’s attempts at communication helps develop social skills and positive social/emotional development.


Infants (7 months ~1 year)

Motor skills are improving: sitting balance, pulling to stand, creeping, cruising, early walking, grasping, rotating, isolating finger, uses both hands midline to hold books, manipulate and play with toys/objects.

Onlooker and functional

Age appropriate activities include:

Pushing, rolling and crawling after toys; tasting, and grasping lightweight or cloth blocks; manipulating pop-up boxes, activity boxes or cubes; fingering and throwing nesting cups/stacking rings; dumping and filling containers with objects; holding onto, carrying around and sitting on cloth, plastic or cardboard picture books.


Terry watched Briana crawl across the floor,reach for the ball and scream with delight when the ball rolled across the room. She was crawling after the ball when she stopped, to examine something she had picked up between two chubby fingers. Terry went to Briana, retrieved the stray Cheerio and told her, “Thank You”. Returning from the kitchen after discardingthe mushy tidbit, she saw that Briana had pulled up on the side of the coffee table and was reaching for a stack of storybooks. Terry moved them a few feet over, and watched as Briana held on to the table and side stepped her way to their new location. “Would you like to read a book, Briana?” Brianna pounded on the books and pushed them to the floor.

What do you think? Is Briana hyperactive? Is Terry over protective? Why was Briana pounding on the storybook?


The broad range of individual differences among young children often makes it difficult to distinguish between normal variations in development and developmental delays.

Parents and caregivers must balance being overprotective with allowing their child to take certain risks that are a necessary part of growth and development.

Children need lots of opportunities to explore, investigate, and master their environment; participating in their own development.

Communication is more than words – Briana communicated loud and clear with gestures and sounds which have meaning for people in her life who are carefully and actively listening and responding to her early communiciation.


Young toddlers (1 ~ 2 Years)

Motor skills, language and cognitive skills are more important:Young toddlers are incorporating more fine motor, large motor, cognitive and language skills in activities.


Manipulating movement toys that move and react including balls, busy boxes, blocks in containers, wagons, pull toys on rope or string, push toys, shape sorters, dolls, toy animals, books, crayons, and simple computer games.

Activities that include walking and carrying toys, climbing, stooping, negotiating various surfaces, sliding, gross “running”

Onlooker or parallel, some associative and Constructive or advanced functional


Nicholas kicked his legs and laughed as the water splashed around him. Tanya laughed too as she gently rubbed her son’s arms with the soapy washcloth. It was almost time to get him out of the tub and dressed for bed. She relished these moments when Nicky was so happy and content to play in the water without complaint. But, she really did dread getting him out of the tub and dressed for bed because he cried and arched his back each time she tried to pick him up. Tonight would be different, she hoped. She began singing Head and Shoulders knees and Toes as she kissed his nose. He giggled and said, “Again”, when she finished. She picked up the towel and began drying his head and shoulders as she sang. He reached for her to pick him up and said “Again”.

What do you think?What was Nicholas learning as he played with his mom during this routine?


He is learning about cause and effect as he splashes the water.

He is increasing his vocabulary, learning about body parts and beginning to develop logical thinking skills as he listens to songs.

He is learning about positive healthy relationships as his mom models warm nurturing positive guidance and interaction with him.

He is learning trust as his mom gently but firmly guides him to the next activity, keeping him safe.

He is building his sense of self worth as his mom’s gentle touches and kisses make him feel loved and cherished.


Older toddlers (2~3 years)


Time to practice motor skills outdoors and indoors including running, climbing, pedaling, balancing, throwing, catching etc.Provide props and materials to enhance dramatic play such as dress up clothes, kitchen utensils, restaurant and doctor’s office supplies etc. Provide variety of art supplies and equipment such as paints, brushes, collage materials, glue, scissors

Symbolic and Dramatic and AssociativeOlder toddlers continue to fine tune gross and fine motor skills, begin to develop symbolic thinking and understand logic and logical connections, show increasing interest in pretend play, problem-solving activities, social play and artistic expression.


Playing to learn:

What do you think?How does this brief play scenario reflect integration of these skills?

– SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL– COGNITIVE– MOTOR– LANGUAGE

Two-year-old Sasha splashes her mother with water from the small plastic wading pool. She shrieks as her mother splashes her back. When her mother’s attention wanders, Sasha splashes her again. Mom laughs and picks up one of the rubber ducks floating near her and offers it to Sasha. Sasha squeezes the duck to make it squirt water. Mom picks up another duck and starts singing Five Little Ducks .. Sasha joins in….”


Sasha is learning the give and take patter of communication skills as she splashes her mother.

Her self esteem is boosted as she successfully gets her mother’s arm nurturing attention.

She learns about properties of water as she splashes and squeezes the duck.

She learns about her body as she squirts the duck, splashes, laughs with her mom.

Positive interactions in everyday routines and activities with caring adults help children learn skills that help support their engagement, participation, and social relationships.

Music and singing help develop pattern recognition, language, communication, and thinking skills.


Developmental appropriateness of playWhen using play activities to provide supports and services for families and children, we must consider two aspects of play: Age appropriate ~ Is it an activity that is

appropriate for the child’s age, challenging enough to be engaging while not overwhelming or frustrating?

Individually appropriate ~ Does it meet that child’s unique needs and interests?


ExampleYou are providing services for a family with a 2 ½ year old boy, Justin, who is non-verbal with severe mental retardation. You would like to help the family learn to engage him in play that is age and individually appropriate for Justin, so you look around the house to see what you could use to help him develop his communication, motor and social/emotional skills. You find three items. Which of these would be developmentally appropriate for Justin.

Rattle?

Game of Candy Land? –

CD player that plays his favorite music when a switch is depressed?


Rattle?

Not age appropriate!

Game of Candy Land? –

Not individually appropriate without significant adaptations

CD player that plays his favorite music when a switch is depressed.

Yes - Age and individually appropriate

(developmentally appropriate)


• Remember! Age level expectations represent a “range” of ages. It is the sequence of development not the age that is important in evaluating a child’s performance.


• Remember! Developmental progress is rarely smooth and even. Irregularities are seen and regression can happen. For example, a child who is toilet-trained may have “accidents” if starting a new child care program


• Remember! Development is a series of phases. Growth spurts are followed by periods of disorganization. It is common (and expected) for children to experience behavior problems and regression during these periods. Usually these transitions are short-lived.


Each new developmental phase can bring “behavior challenges” and are affected by a child’s temperament: – irritable vs soothing– Restless vs cuddly

• Example• An 8-month old who cries when

separating from a parent• A 2 year old who has temper

tantrums

These are typical developmental milestones


The term “atypical development”

is used to describe children whose development is incomplete or inconsistent with normal patterns and sequences.

Development is sometimes described as “delayed” or “different.”


Delayed development describes a child

performing like a younger “normal” child. For example: late talkers who follow “late” but normal language development

Atypical or deviant development refers to development that is different from what is seen in a normally developing child.

For example: a child with cerebral palsy will have atypical motor patterns.


Children’s experiences in

interacting with the social and physical environment have a primary influence on their learning and development


Some experiences assist children in learning desirable skills and patterns.


• Experiences that enhance learning can and do occur anywhere and at anytime

• They are not restricted to children’s contacts with early intervention professionals; they occur throughout the day wherever children are…


• Sandall, S, et al, DEC Recommended Practices: A Comprehensive

Guide for Practical Application in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education, Division for Early Childhood Council for Exceptional Children (2005)

Allen, K and Marotz, LDevelopmental Profiles 2nd Edition, Delmar Publishers, Inc (1994)

References

participation and engagement in activities across various ages:

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