A newborn infant is equipped with all the necessary information for her survival; from the moment of birth she experiences the world and reflects on those
experiences. These experiences
 create the “complex mixture” (Gillan, 2007, p. 1, ¶2) of a child as demonstrated in their physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development. Every experience, every concept and “every conclusion drawn from their limited exposure to life events” (Gillan, 2007, p. 1, ¶2) helps to develop the individual being.
Reference Gillan, S. (2007). Young children and spirituality. Unpublished manuscript. Developmental Rating Scales The basic developmental checklists provided by Young Child Ministries are useful for parents and early childhood teachers to show what skills a child has mastered, what needs to be worked on and where to place skill and educational efforts. At the youngest age of the form, the child should be doing a variety of things in the “sometimes” column. By the time the child is nearing the oldest age of the form, they should be doing a variety of things in the “always” column, but not necessarily everything. Remember: Developmental progression is known; but every child progresses at their own rate. Anytime something is marked in the “never” column, that should
be a concern, but the concern may not be a developmental delay, it might be
that the child has not been exposed or taught the information necessary to succeed at
a particular task. The “never” column and the “sometimes” column inform the
teacher and parents as to where to place focused effort. The “always” column inform
the teacher and parents as to what areas need continual reinforcement and
practice. Supporting Infant Teachers in Their Care of Fussy Babies When a baby is being cared for by someone other than the mother, this article (see file link below) provides helpful advice and ideas for helping the child, caretaker and parent(s). |
