The California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations is a research-based professional development tool created by the California Department of Education (CDE). Its primary purpose is to help infant/toddler programs better understand and support the development of all children birth to three, including infants and toddlers with disabilities. Directors and teachers can use this information to plan programs that support the learning and development of infants and toddlers. This resource was designed for teachers and directors of early childhood programs but offers important insight and information to families as well.Learning and Development Foundations provides an overview of development and a description of key competencies, or “Foundations,” for the following developmental domains: social-emotional development, language development, cognitive development, and perceptual and motor development.* The authors recognize that children learn differently and have unique needs and learning styles; as such, the description of foundational competencies for each developmental domain includes multiple examples and uses inclusive language to refer to children’s behavior. Teachers are asked to consider the needs and abilities of infants and toddlers with disabilities and to involve families and early intervention service providers as “vitally important resources” in the child’s care (p. xv).Learning and Development Foundations was developed as a collaborative effort with leading early childhood educators and researchers, including members of the WestEd Center for Child and Family Studies and the University of California, Berkeley, Evaluation and Assessment Research Center. To learn more about Learning and Development Foundations, CLICK HERE. To access this resource on the CDE website, CLICK HERE.
*Note: While this resource is not organized into the five domains of development traditionally utilized in Early Start, the domains as listed are thought to “represent crucial areas of early learning and development that contribute to young children’s readiness for school” (p. x). Information pertaining to adaptive behavior/self-help skills can be found within the section entitled, “Cognition,” under the subheading “Understanding Personal Care Routines” (p. 82).
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early intervention service provision, incorporating current research and evidence in the field of early intervention. To access the ESPM, CLICK HERE.
This resource is related to the following ESPM knowledge-level competencies:
- Core Knowledge (CK):
- CK2: The role of primary social and emotional relationships as the foundation for early learning.
- CK6: The sequences of development and the interrelationships among developmental areas/factors.
