This groundbreaking book explores infants' amazing capacity to learn and presents a reflective approach to teaching inspired by the early childhood schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Each chapter draws from research and real-life infant care settings to illustrate how infants are robust investigators, intent on making sense of the world around them. Pre- and inservice professionals working with infants and their families will find in this book valuable insights into how to design an infant care program, plan curriculum, assess learning, and work with families. The book provides easy-to-understand answers to questions that include: What do I need to know about how the brain develops during infancy? What does teaching look like with children under age 3? How do babies figure out the complex code of language, including the acquisition of multiple languages? Does a baby's experience have anything to do with later success in school and in life? What kinds of play materials support infants' learning? What kinds of policies and practices lead to successful group-care programs for infants? User-friendly features of this book include vignettes, photographs of infant classrooms, diagrams and instructive charts, research highlights, and questions for reflection.
