Discoveries of Infancy: Cognitive Development and Learning [Video]. SUPPORTING MATERIAL: A Guide to Cognitive Development and Learning; Trainer's Manual Module III - Learning and Development
The Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers, WestEd, Center for Child and Family Studies, California Department of Ed., Child Development Division
Summary for Discoveries of Infancy: Cognitive Development and Learning [Video]
This 32-minute videotape is part of Module 3 of the Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers (PITC), a four-module video training course for providers of family and center child care. Infants begin learning through simple sensorimotor experiences and move toward figuring things out in their heads. This videotape explores the constant quest for knowledge of infants and toddlers. It depicts six major kinds of discoveries children make in the first three years of life in the following areas: (1) use of learning schemes; (2) cause and effect; (3) use of tools; (4) object permanence; (5) understanding space; and (6) imitation. The videotape also offers guidelines on how caregivers can support early learning by setting up rich yet uncluttered environments, by avoiding the temptation to teach children specific lessons, by observing children to see which discoveries they are engaged in, by letting activities continue longer before interrupting, and by offering the least amount of help and not taking over. Caregiver responsiveness and understanding of the discovery process will greatly facilitate early learning.
Summary for A Guide to Cognitive Development and Learning:
This guide is intended to be used in conjunction with the third module of the Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers (PITC), a four-module video training course for providers of family and center child care. Discoveries of Infancy, Cognitive Development and Learning [Spanish] is one of those videos. The videos illustrate key concepts and caregiving techniques for a specific area of care, and the guides provide extensive in-depth coverage of each topic. This guide focuses on intellectual development during infancy, with an emphasis both on the types of activities that are naturally interesting to infants and toddlers and on the influences of responsive caregiving, the environment, and play materials on early development. Section One,
"Cognitive Development," explores the intellectual activity of infancy (such as the use of reflexes and active experimentation), six discoveries of infancy (such as learning that events are caused and how objects fill space), and facilitating cognitive development through caregiver responsiveness. Section Two, "Learning Environments," discusses the role of the physical environment in influencing the development of infants and toddlers and providing
appropriate physical environments. Section Three, "Developmental Milestones," explores the stages of development from birth to age three. Section Four, "Appropriate and Inappropriate
Practices," illustrates contrasting caregiver practices in fostering cognitive development in infants and toddlers. Section Five, "Suggested Resources," lists books, articles, and
audiovisual material. Contains 48 references.
Summary for Trainer's Manual: Module III: Learning and Development
This trainer's manual covers module III of the Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers (PITC), a four-module video training course for providers of family and center day care. The manual is intended to be used by module instructors and includes an overview of the PITC and instructions for using the manual and its accompanying videos. The module contains 13 lessons, designed to be covered in one- to two-hour sessions. The first section, "Cognitive Development and Learning," contains lessons on (1) Learning Schemes and Cause and Effect, (2) Tools and Object Permanence, (3) Space and Imitation, (4) Facilitating Learning: The Role of the Caregiver, (5) Caregiver Responsiveness, (6) Setting the Stage for Learning: The
Environment, (7) The Ages of Infancy: Young Infants, (8) The Ages of Infancy: Mobile Infants, and (9) The Ages of Infancy: Older Infants. The second section, "Language Development and Communication," contains lessons: (10) Language in the Multicultural Child Care Setting, (11)
Language Development in Young Infants, (12) Language Development in Mobile Infants, and (13) Language Development in Older Infants. An outline of the two accompanying videos for this module, and pricing and ordering information for all four PITC modules, are also included.
The Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers, WestEd, Center for Child and Family Studies, California Department of Ed., Child Development Division. Discoveries of Infancy: Cognitive Development and Learning [Video]. SUPPORTING MATERIAL: A Guide to Cognitive Development and Learning; Trainer's Manual Module III - Learning and Development (1991). California Department of Education: Sacramento, CA.
Sponsoring Agency: California Department of Education and various private foundations
Language: English
Reading Level: Average
Formats Available: Printed Material, Videotape
(Trainer's Manual cost 20.00; accompanying Guide to Cognitive Development and Learning cost $12.50; package of three Spanish videos and accompanying guides= $199.00. PITC videos are available in Spanish, English and Cantonese; accompanying video magazine in English and Spanish; Trainer's Manual Handouts and Transparencies in English and Spanish. Guides English only at the present time.)
California Department of Education
CDE Press, Sales Unit
P.O. Box 271
Sacramento, CA
95812
Phone: (800) 995-4099
Fax: (916) 323-0823
Email: jblack@cde.ca.gov
URL: http://www.pitc.org/
Languages Available: Chinese, English, Spanish
Intended User Audience:
The Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers was developed primarily for professional providers working in family child care homes and centers serving children zero-to-three years old. Beginners and individuals with advanced level of experience will find these materials useful.
These materials were developed for a universal population. These materials may be used in a variety of settings including inservice training and college settings. These materials were initially developed for use in the state of California. However, they are being used throughout the United States and its territories.
Product Development:
These materials were developed through funding received from the California Department of Education and various private foundations. For more information regarding funding sources, please contact WestEd. The staff of the California Department of Education and WestEd collaboratively developed these materials with the help of practitioners, administrators, and nationally-recognized experts from the field of early education with a focus on children ages zero-to-three years. In addition, film experts assisted in the development of the videos.A California-based professional translator did the Spanish translation of the trainer's manual handouts and transparencies. An early childhood professional and translator did the Chinese (Cantonese) translation of the materials.
Product Evaluation:
The developers of these materials are in the process of evaluating the project and the module training institutes. Based on anecdotal reports from users (e.g., practitioners, trainers, and experts), these materials have been highly rated and are well received. The program has also been awarded a Golden Apple award from the National Educational Film Festival.
Product Dissemination:
As of 1998, over 150,000 copies of these materials have been distributed and sold in the United States (including its territories), Australia, Israel, Italy, Korea, Mexico, and New Zealand.
Review #1
About the reviewer:
The reviewer has provided consultation to agencies working with
migrant Hispanic families for 22 years. She has also worked with
Native American communities on issues related to assessment. Her
research interests are in the areas of limited English proficiency
and issues related to diversity status in the upper midwest.
Audience:
This material is intended as a resource and teaching tool for teachers, caregivers and service providers in early childhood education. It is also a valuable resource for undergraduate programs training students who may work in environments with young children and their families (e.g. psychology, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech pathology, and counseling). Segments of the videotape could also be used in parent education classes. The material is written for most U.S. residents, meaning that it is fairly generic or inclusive in orientation. Even though there is some professional
terminology, it would not be difficult for individuals with limited education or English proficiency to understand.
The video and corresponding guide are presented in English only. Both require an average to above average proficiency with the English language, including reading and writing skills. Professional terminology from the fields of early childhood education and psychology is utilized throughout the videotapes and workbook. There is a broad range of possible use of the materials.
Strengths of the Material:
Individuals from a broad range of cultural backgrounds are featured on the videotape (Euro-Americans, Asian-Americans, and African Americans). This representation is evident from family members, children, and caregivers. The narrative of the video emphasizes the six major kinds of discoveries children make in the first three years of life. Guidelines are offered on how to support early learning. The material promotes positive individual differences of children in stages of development.
The videotape provides numerous examples of positive interactions between parents or caregivers and their infants and toddlers. The overall narrative on the videotape is accurate and based on research from the fields of early childhood education and psychology. The videotape provides the viewer with a knowledge base for interpreting how infants and toddlers learn from what they see, hear, feel, taste, and touch. The importance of the interactions between child and parent/caregiver is emphasized.
The accompanying guidebook provides clear explanations, additional information, and practical information for parents and caregivers. The accompanying video magazine is helpful for following the video narrative and organizing the information. The presentation of information is effective in its clarity, comprehension, and graphics.
Limitations of the Material:
The materials require knowledge of terminology from the fields of education and psychology. Although terms are defined and examples are provided, the novice viewer/reader may require additional background information on child development and professional terminology.
· The videotape did not appear to feature Native American or Hispanic families.
· The materials are available in English only and require a good understanding of oral and written English. [Associate Editor note: See developer's response below]. The material does not address the needs and practices of specific cultural or linguistic groups. Programming needs to be reviewed by the user to ensure that the recommended practices are not inappropriate or offensive to other cultural groups.
Adaptations:
The materials are copyrighted and therefore adaptations are limited. The following recommendations may be useful in presenting or in using the materials:
· Discussion after the videotape could be specific to the cultural groups represented in the audience and/or the population receiving services.
· Definitions from the guidebook could be provided orally and in more user-friendly terms.
· The recommended strategies may be reviewed for cultural appropriateness prior to implementation with families from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
· Additional information on behavioral principles might be provided when using the material in a training format.
Generalizability:
The videotape is developed for individuals with a good understanding of the English language. The guidebook and magazine require the ability to read and write in English (unless oral responses are limited). Both the videotape and guidebook could be used across a wide variety of disciplines engaged in training individuals for careers related to child development and family education.
Recommendations:
Recommend. Discoveries of Infancy: Cognitive Development and Learning is an excellent resource for individuals who provide services to young children. Numerous strategies are provided to encourage an individualized approach. The user may need to pursue additional reading related to early childhood cognitive development and learning prior to implementing this program.
Producer's Response:
See developer's response after second review below.
Review #2
About the reviewer:
The reviewer has been a special education professor for 20 years,
and for over ten years has coordinated personnel preparation programs
in interdisciplinary early childhood education. She has been a K-6
classroom teacher and still coordinates and teaches preschool in a
primary school with Asian American children. As a parent of culturally
and linguistically diverse children, she has learned many valuable
lessons and has been working with parents, professionals, and diverse
children to bridge the cultural gaps between them.
Audience:
The materials were developed primarily for early childhood caregivers working in family childcare homes and centers for infants and toddlers, ages 0 - 3, in the state of California. The materials were intended for a universal population. Both beginners and individuals with advanced level of experience in childcare can benefit from these materials, which could be used for inservice as well as preservice training, in college or other settings. Diverse cultural background is implied in the guidebook, but is explicit in the video, as both children and professionals (including the narrator and caregivers) who appear in the video are multiethnic. The materials have a Spanish and a Chinese (Cantonese) version.
Strengths of the Material:
The video is extremely well done. The narrative is clearly articulated by a male African-American professional, a refreshing, non-traditional image in the field of early childhood education. The young children's naturalistic behaviors and interaction with their caregivers were skillfully captured on camera. Thus the video is an excellent tool for teaching rather sophisticated terminology and concepts, which are concretized or illustrated with real life actions and interactions. The video makes the training content easy to comprehend and entertaining. It is therefore suitable for trainees from beginner to advanced levels of experience. The video is powerful but subtle in its representation of cultural diversity, as it has a high representation of ethnic group members functioning in varying roles in its vignettes. Finally, the video demonstrates some best practice in adult-child relationship embedded in daily routines, which could be singled out for discussion during inservice or preservice training.
Limitations of the Material:
A Guide to Cognitive Development and Learning is not a guide on how to use the training video, nor how to conduct a training session. It may be a supplement to or extension of this specific training segment. The articles included in the book are appropriate for college reading, but may be too sophisticated for practitioners with less academic ability or English proficiency. The most undesirable feature is the lack of visual representation of more ethnic groups in the book. Out of the many photographs printed in the entire book, there is only one clearly discernable Asian face in one photo! Adaptation is needed if the book is to be used with universal populations or as a companion material for the Cantonese version of the video tape. As to the video, there is no readily observable inclusion of disability. Both children and adults appearing in the video do not seem to have disabilities.
Adaptations:
There is no major adaptation needed for the videotape. Trainers using this set of materials may include in their discussion, how similarly and/or dissimilarly children with disabilities develop cognitively. Trainers do not have to use the guide. Handouts could be developed using outline or bullet formats to enhance training, thus avoiding readability and/or representation problems inherent in the book.
Generalizability:
As indicated by the developer, this material can be used for both inservice and preservice training in college and community settings. Even though this particular videotape is not primarily for diversity training, its visual representation is strong enough in the English version to get the message of cultural/linguistic diversity across.
Recommendations:
Video: Recommend.
Book: Recommend with adaptations (e.g., photographs).
Producer's Response:
We are gratified to receive the recommendation of CLAS reviewers for Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers videos and print materials. The video Discoveries of Infancy, as well as all of the videos in the PITC curriculum, are produced in Spanish and Cantonese versions, as well as English. A Spanish language video magazine is included with every Spanish video. In addition, there is an Addendum to Trainer's Manuals, Modules I, II, III, and IV: Spanish Language Handouts and Transparencies that can be used to adapt lessons in the trainer's manuals to the needs of Spanish-speaking audiences. PITC is currently in the process of developing Spanish versions of seven caregiver guides. Currently, A Guide to Social-Emotional Growth and Socialization, Spanish version, is under development. The Guide to Cognitive Development will be undertaken in 2002.
Every attempt is made to represent the cultural and ethnic diversity present in the U.S. today, including Native American and Hispanic or Latino families. However, the ethnicity of children and caregivers in the videos, as well as their presence in family child care settings as well as centers, is not always readily apparent. We recognize and are currently addressing the need to increase inclusion of children with disabilities in our videos.
All adaptations suggested by the reviewers are appropriate and desirable. In addition, although the material is copyrighted, the only restriction is that adaptations to the materials are allowed, but may not be made for publication without permission or for sale. Questions about use of materials should be addressed to Mary Smithberger, California Department of Education, (916) 323-1342.
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