The Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, a renowned research facility that supports the field’s understanding of how brain development impacts our youngest learners, offers a series of 24 informative online modules. The module being featured currently is “The Importance of Early Interactions.” It’s available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Somali, and provides a 20-minute description of all the important things going on between infants, toddlers, and their primary caregivers that support development and kindergarten readiness.
There’s a lot to learn in this short piece including ways to observe interactions, using infant-directed speech (or “parentese”); and other strategies like scaffolding, imitation, eye gaze, and back-and-forth interactions. Each module includes a transcript, a directory of pages, a discussion guide, and a glossary of key terms. Narration, video clips, and additional resources to explore all make these modules very useful and entertaining. Check them out!
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. Click here to access the ESPM. Scroll down to find the ESPM entry.
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.
- CK4: The range of typical infant/toddler physiological factors, such as early neurological/brain development.
- Individualized Family Service Plan Development and Review (IFSP-DR):
- IFSP-DR5 (EIS): Understands the rationale for the identification and selection of intervention strategies used in everyday routines, relationships, activities, places, and partnerships for early intervention activities.
- Individualized Family Service Plan Implementation (IFSP-i):
- IFSP-i2 (EIS): Understands the individual nature of child learning styles and the importance of adapting intervention strategies.
- IFSP-i3 (EIS): Knows generic and specific evidence-based early intervention strategies to support all areas of development.
- IFSP-i6 (EIS): Understands the need for developmentally appropriate strategies (for example, hands-on, experiential, child-centered, play-based activities within daily routines), adaptations, assistive technologies, and other supports that maximize the child’s learning opportunities.
- IFSP-i11 (EIS): Knows strategies that support parents in adapting the natural environment to meet infant/toddler developmental needs.