Specialized Pedagogical Approaches to Enhance Quality for Infants and Toddlers in ECE: Some Thoughts from Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

Infants and toddlers are the fastest growing demographic attending early childhood services, yet they are the most vulnerable to poor practice (Angus & Carroll-Lind, Through their lens: An inquiry into non-parental education and care of infants and toddlers, 2011; Dalli et al., Quality early childhood education for under-two-year olds: What should it look like: A literature review. Report to the Ministry of Education. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education, 2011). New Zealand national evaluation reviews suggest persisting concerns in relation to effective curriculum implementation and the breadth of experiences offered (Education Review Office, Infants and toddlers: Competent and confident communicators and explorers. https://www.ero.govt.nz/publications/infants-and-toddlers-competent-and-confident-communicators-and-explorers, 2015). The literature establishes that our youngest children thrive within the context of supportive relationships and responsive interactions with adults in early education and care services and that the quality of teachers’ practices is a key determinant of children’s experiences and outcomes in both the short and long term (Shonkoff & Phillips, From neurons to neighborhoods. National Academy Press, 2000). Teaching practices, being the intentional, responsive or preventive actions (and words) of teachers to promote infant and toddlers’ learning and development in the context of play and daily activities, are thereby critical. Teaching practices for infants and toddlers need to be informed by contemporary understandings of brain development and the foundations of social-emotional competence that are laid down in the critical first three years of life (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2009). However, there are persisting challenges in relation to organizational culture, timetables, large group sizes, poor adult/child ratios and high turnover of staff that constrain effective implementation of effective practices (Dalli et al., Quality early childhood education for under-two-year olds: What should it look like: A literature review. Report to the Ministry of Education. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education, 2011; Rockel, Early Child Development and Care, 184(2), 161–176, 2014). This chapter will explore the importance of identifying, articulating and implementing effective teaching practices for infants and toddlers in education and care services. Drawing from the findings of a New Zealand–based study, the Teaching Practices Project (Infants and Toddlers), this chapter argues the need for intentional teaching approaches that are pedagogically fit for the unique characteristics of this age group. The purpose of the project was to identify, develop and examine a stakeholder-validated list of teaching practices that promote the learning and social-emotional competence of infants and toddlers in early childhood settings (Aspden & McLaughlin, Teaching practices to promote children’s learning and social–emotional competence: Infants and Toddler [Unpublished practice list, available from https://eyrl.nz/resources-for-teachers/]. Institute of Education, Massey University, New Zealand, 2017). The practice list is structured within seven global areas (Relationships, Environment, Social-Emotional Teaching, Intentional Teaching, Competent and Confident Learners, Responsive Caregiving and Transition) and comprises of over 200 actionable practices that articulate the nature of teachers’ work with infants and toddlers. The need for curriculum and implementation guidance to support teaching practice is considered, including the use of reflective and evaluation tools to enhance quality improvement.

He taonga te mokopuna, kia whāngaia, kia tipu, kia rea.

A child is a treasure, to be nurtured, to grow, to flourish. (Ministry of Education, 2017, p. 2)