Toddler Teachers Research Articles

The Four Roles of a Master Toddler Teacher

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: This case study of an experienced toddler teacher resulted in the identification of 4 roles that the teacher played in mediating a culture of respect and participation in the classroom. These 4 roles contrast the roles discussed in Leavitt’s (1994) ethnographic study Power and Emotion in Infant-Toddler Day Care. I used a series of data collection methods, including field observations, reflective collaboration with the teacher, and interviews with an assistant teacher, to discover the themes that emerged: (a) Liberator, (b) Curriculum Organizer, (c) Chief Historian, and (d) Learner. The role of Liberator was by far the most substantial of the themes that emerged from the data. The other 3 roles overlapped with the Liberator role, although each demonstrated some distinct characteristics. Practice or Policy: The findings of this study cannot be applied directly to other classrooms because of the limitations of the specific culture, history, and lived experiences of the participants. However, examining the lived experiences of the toddlers and their interactions with this teacher may provide reflective, effective, and productive content for the professional development activities of other caregivers. In addition, research cited expresses a need for multiple ways of knowing how very young children grow, develop, learn, communicate, and participate.

Outcomes of Community-Based Infant/ Toddler Teacher Preparation: Tiered Supports for Pre-service early Childhood Education Teachers in Early Head Start

This study examined results associated with a field-based undergraduate early childhood teacher education program designed as a response to calls for enhanced field experiences and community-situated teacher education that narrows the preparation-to-practice gap. Specifically, classroom observations were used to assess undergraduates' progress in developmentally appropriate adult-child interaction during a portion of a semester-long professional preparation sequence focused on infants and toddlers offered in an urban Early Head Start program serving low-income children. During the sequence, a model relying on guided apprenticeship with classroom teachers and continuous direct supervision from university faculty was employed. In addition, a tiered model including universal, targeted, and intensive supports was implemented in order to support candidates in identifying and developing specific areas of need. The participants in this study demonstrated greater responsivity and intentional engagement with infants and toddlers as a result of this intensive preparation sequence. Participants who did not show an initial increase in skills responded to targeted and and/or intensive intervention strategies. This model suggests that by refocusing early childhood teacher preparation through a lens of partnership between EHS teachers, university faculty, and early childhood special education (ECSE) teacher candidates, significant gains in developmentally appropriate practice can be achieved even for candidates early in a preparation program.

Does using digital media in assessment affect teacher practices in infant and toddler classrooms?

Child outcome studies consistently emphasize the effects of quality childcare on the early development of young children. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effects of assessment training and digital media on teacher-child interactions measured using the Caregiver Child Interaction Scale (CCIS). The participants included six infant toddler teachers who participated in an assessment and digital media training session delivered at a university child development centre. An explanatory research model was used to determine whether there were any differences in CCIS scores obtained pre and post-training. The results indicate that training significantly improves the quality of teacher-child interaction; particularly in the social/emotional domain. In addition, it serves to raise teachers' awareness about tailoring play sessions to the meet the child's level of development.

Infant–toddler teachers can successfully employ authentic assessment: The Learning Through Relating system

This study documents the reliability and validity of a new infant–toddler authentic assessment, the Learning Through Relating Child Assets Record (LTR-CAR), and its feasibility of use by infant–toddler caregivers in an Early Head Start program. In a sample of 136 children, results indicated a strong internal structure of the LTR-CAR as evidenced by high internal consistency within age bands, expected performance in terms of the order of difficulty of items, and expected performance relative to the chronological ages of children. Moreover, the LTR-CAR accounted for a statistically significant amount of unique variance (between 6 and 26%), over and above age and gender, in six out of eight regressions predicting criterion measures. Given the increasing numbers of infants and toddlers in non-parental care, the need for authentic assessment as a tool to plan meaningful learning opportunities, as well as the lack of evidence-based authentic assessment options at the infant–toddler level, the LTR-CAR may provide a viable option for the field.

Toddler Teachers’ Use of Teaching Pyramid Practices

Effective strategies to promote social-emotional development and prevent occurrence of challenging behaviors in young children is critical. The Teaching Pyramid, a framework for supporting social-emotional development and preventing and addressing challenging behaviors, was developed for preschool children. This mixed methods study investigated toddler teachers’ use of Teaching Pyramid practices and the relationship between these practices and classroom quality. Results indicated that toddler teachers used practices associated with the universal level of the Pyramid (e.g., positive relationships with children and parents). At this level, however, it was also evident that some preventive practices were missing (e.g., posted visual schedules and rules). Missing across classrooms was evidence of practices associated with the secondary level (e.g., explicitly teaching behavior expectations) and tertiary level (e.g., participating in developing behavior support plans). Implementation of Pyramid practices appeared to be associated with classrooms rated as being high quality.

An Analysis of the Toddler Teachers' Emotions Emerging from Their Various Relationships in Child Care Settings

An Analysis of the Toddler Teachers' Emotions Emerging from Their Various Relationships in Child Care Settings

Continuity of Care, Professional Community, and the Policy Context: Potential Benefits for Infant and Toddler Teachers' Professional Development

Practice or Policy: Continuity of care (COC) has many benefits for young children's development but is not the norm in infant/toddler classrooms. As a consequence, policymakers might not realize how such an approach might also benefit the professional development of infant and toddler teachers, particularly if they come to the field with little formal training. Although the supports and policies available to military child development centers may not be possible to implement at present in much of the civilian sector, this study suggests that their potential benefit for infant/toddler teachers' learning and practice may be worthy of further inquiry. Research Findings: This study shares the results of an exploratory study of the benefits of COC, professional community, and the larger policy context for staff working in a military child development center serving children aged 0 to 2. COC-related professional development also seems to enhance professional community, which along with the policy context is viewed as an essential aspect of improving teacher learning and practice in the K–12 literature.

Teacher education, motivation, compensation, workplace support, and links to quality of center-based child care and teachers’ intention to stay in the early childhood profession

The purposes of this study were to present a conceptual model for selection into the early childhood profession and to test the model using contemporaneous assessments. A stratified random sample of center-based child care providers in 4 Midwestern states (n = 964) participated in a telephone interview, and 223 were also assessed with the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale—Revised or the Infant–Toddler Environment Rating Scale to rate global observed quality, and the Caregiver Interaction Scale to rate interactional quality. When the model was tested with infant–toddler and preschool teachers combined, having a Child Development Associate (CDA) predicted global observed quality, education years and child development coursework predicted compensation, and compensation predicted observed quality. When the model was tested separately for infant–toddler teachers, years of education and child development coursework predicted compensation, but none of the education variables predicted observed quality and compensation did not predict observed quality. For preschool teachers, years of education predicted compensation and having a CDA predicted observed quality, but compensation did not predict observed quality. For all of the models, only motivations for child care work predicted intention to stay in the profession. No variables in the structural equation models predicted interactional quality.

Infant and toddler teachers as transmitters of culture

What role do infant and toddler teachers play in transmitting their culture? Symbolic and cultural mediation approaches suggest children learn how to be members of their culture through social interactions and that this process begins at least by 9 months of age if not from birth. In previous cross-cultural studies of early childhood programs, teachers’ practices seem to reflect and be a part of their culture’s system of meanings. Some would say that cultural values are a type of hidden curriculum. This article examines practices in American infant and toddler child care contrasting them with Swedish infant and toddler child care using a symbolic and cultural mediation approach in order to understand the ways that infant and toddler teachers are involved in transmitting their culture in the United States and to some extent in Sweden. The United States is a highly individualistic culture, while Sweden has a particular mix of individualistic and group-oriented values. These differences can be seen in how teachers react when toddlers have disagreements over possession of a toy. In the United States teachers emphasize a child’s right to possession if the child had the toy first, whereas in Sweden children are encouraged to feel solidarity with those who have less. In addition, daily activities, the structure of children’s groups, and the physical design and placement of child care centers are examined as aspects of child care programs through which American and Swedish teachers of infants and toddlers transmit their culture to young children.

Children's Relationships with Peers: Differential Associations with Aspects of the Teacher-Child Relationship

Associations between children's social competence with peers and differential aspects of their teacher-child relationships were examined in a longitudinal sample of 48 4-year-old children enrolled in child care as infants. Toddler security with teacher was negatively associated with hostile aggression and positively with complex peer play and gregarious behaviors. Prosocial behaviors and withdrawing behaviors were associated with preschool security with teacher. Dependence on teachers as a preschooler was associated with social withdrawal and hostile aggression. Positive toddler teacher socialization was associated with higher perceived peer acceptance. Preschool teacher negative socialization was negatively associated with complex peer play, teacher ratings of hesitancy, friendly enactment, and accidental attribution and positively related to teacher ratings of difficulty.

Teacher characteristics and effective teaching in child care: Findings from the national child care staffing study

Over 1300 teachers from randomly selected child care centers in five representative metropolitan areas of the United States were interviewed and observed. Most were women in their childbearing years. Years of experience in the field of child care was not a good indicator of teacher behavior. Formal education was a better predictor than specialized training. However, both formal education and very high levels of specialized training prepare teachers to be effective in the classroom. For preschool teachers, it seems a bachelor's degree in any subject or specialized training at the college level is an effective route in competent teaching. Infant and toddler teachers appear more likely to need college level specialized training.

Toddler bids and teacher responses

Fifty toddlers from low-income families were observed in Title XX day care centers. Each child was observed for a total of 80 minutes. From the behavioral records every toddler communication attempt with teachers was coded into one of five categories, and teacher responses to each type of toddler bid were coded into nine categories, thus providing two links in a toddler-adult communication chain. Almost three-quarters of the toddler communication attempts were to seek help or gain attention. There were relatively few negative/distress or seeking information bids. Caregivers responded with positive techniques to approximately 60% of the toddler bids. Adults did not respond to 21.4 percent of the bids. Specific training suggestions for toddler teachers are generated based on these ecological data.

Teachers and low‐income toddlers in metropolitan day care

Data on ordinary metropolitan day care centers without access to special training or university research personnel to monitor programs is in short supply. This study of toddler‐teacher interactions in metropolitan day care examines adult responsiveness to toddler bids, as a function of circumstance, type of toddler bid, and sex of child. About one‐quarter of all toddler bids to caregivers were ignored. Toddlers made few requests for information. Although male and female toddlers were equally compliant to teacher bids, caregivers responded to significantly more non‐compliance by males and gave them significantly more mixed #oppositive and negative#cp bids. In genera#cp, the data indicate that toddler teachers in ordinary day care need to become more aware of the kinds and quality of their responses to toddlers, to the need for more positive bids to males, and the importance of open‐ended questions.