Culturally Responsive Teaching for Infants and Toddlers

Use these teaching tips and activities to create high-quality settings and interactions that empower infants and toddlers.

This book presents an expanded view of infant and toddler development to equip educators with the knowledge, dispositions, and skills to create high-quality settings and interactions so that every child can have the best start in life.
Readers are encouraged to consider the perspective of the child. What does this classroom, this teacher, and this experience look like and feel like to each child? How do teachers develop deeper understanding of development and learning in the context of children’s families, cultures, and lives and apply this knowledge to teaching decisions? Each chapter offers resources, research, teaching tips, activities to empower children, and questions for reflection and discussion.
Culturally Responsive Teaching for Infants and Toddlers addresses the need for cultural safety and coherence between families and programs; the need for rich language and learning opportunities throughout the day; strategies for observing children and using this information to design curriculum; individualized interactions to facilitate play-based learning; and teaching strategies that strengthen each child’s emerging skills and capabilities.
Book Features:

• Shows how cultural beliefs, child-rearing practices, and language are active prime-movers in infant and toddler teaching decisions and must be made visible through reflective practice.
• Illustrates insightful and caring strategies for building authentic relationships with families to guide planning and decision-making.
• Applies NAEYC's developmentally appropriate practice position statement (2020) to the complex challenges encountered by teachers working with infants and toddlers and their families.
• Reimagines teaching through the lens of collaboration and creative thinking, anchoring these as essential foundations of active play, outdoor and nature play, and health and well-being.

Marie L. Masterson is the manager of early childhood education competence and practice for the Council for Professional Recognition. She is a licensed teacher, a national speaker, an award-winning author, and a former higher education faculty teacher trainer, director of quality assessment for Illinois ExceleRate, and early childhood specialist for the Virginia Department of Education.

“Providing proper care for infants and toddlers is essential to their overall development. This book serves as a comprehensive guide for educators, with each chapter outlining specific learning goals aimed at assisting early childhood professionals in creating and maintaining high-quality programs.”
—Thomasa Bond, author and founder of Early Childhood Education Growth

"This groundbreaking book, which fills a critical gap in the research and literature on infant and toddler development, is a must-have for early childhood educators. Masterson grounds it in research and infuses it with wisdom, heart, and practical insight, bringing infant and toddler development to life with deep respect for each child’s perspective, family, culture, and learning journey while empowering teachers to create responsive, inclusive, and transformative learning environments where every child is seen and valued."
—Da Hei Ku, assistant professor of early childhood education and development, University of Massachusetts Boston

“With a wealth of research evidence and abundance of vividly powerful vignettes, this book offers an invaluable road map for respecting cultural differences in early childhood education. It provides a richly comprehensive set of guiding principles for teaching the youngest members of society that reflects profound respect both for children and for their families.”
—Claudia M. Gold, MD, pediatrician, author of Getting to Know You: Lessons in Early Relational Health from Infants and Caregivers

Introduction  1

1.  Exploring Child Development Through the Lens of Culture  5

Exploring the Impact of Culture  5

Refocusing Ideas About Teaching  7

Reframing Child Development  9

Honoring Family Life Structures  11

Examining Approaches to Caring  12

Setting Goals for Socialization  14

Understanding Expectations for Behavior  15

Investigating Ideas About Health and Wellness  16

Guiding Play  17

Embracing Abilities as Strengths  20

Overcoming Practical Challenges: Staying Current With Children’s Emerging Skills  21

Supporting Development With an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)  22

Culturally Appropriate Screening  24

Q&As From the Field: Aligning Practices  25

For Your Information: Serving Children With Disabilities  26

Reflection Questions  28

2.  Building Trust Through Meaningful Communication With Families  29

Listening to Family Voices  29

Removing Barriers to Family Engagement  31

Ensuring Cultural Safety  35

Developing Cultural Humility  37

Overcoming Practical Challenges: Eliminating Power Imbalances  39

Focusing on Relationship-Based Teaching  40

Using Culturally Responsive Communication  41

Developing a Strengths-Based Mindset  44

Inviting Family Engagement  45

Getting Organized and Keeping Records  47

Asking Families to Demonstrate and Explain What They Do  49

Q&As From the Field: Navigating Difficult Conversations  52

For Your Information: Resources for Additional Exploration  53

Reflection Questions  53

3.  Facilitating Play-Based Teaching  55

Promoting Joyful Learning  55

Exploring the Benefits of Play-Based Learning  57

Understanding the Ways Children Play  58

Exploring Play Types: What Children Are Doing  59

Play Facilitation: What the Teacher Is Doing  61

Investigating Cultural Influences on Play  63

Overcoming Practical Challenges: Implications of Play Values and Beliefs  65

Learning About Children Through Observation, Documentation, and Assessment  66

Daily Observation Checklist  68

Applying Family Communication to Lesson Planning  72

Creating Individualized Lesson Plans  74

Creating Individualized Play Plans  77

Providing Supervision for Play  79

Q&As From the Field: Getting Organized and Staying Flexible  81

For Your Information: Resources for Social–Emotional and Regulation Skills  82

Reflection Questions  82

4.  Creating Consistent Routines and Transitions  83

Making Meaning Through Routines and Rituals  83

Teaching Children About Themselves  85

Anchoring Routines With Predictability  87

Facilitating Arrival and Departure Rituals  90

Creating Continuity in Feeding Routines  91

Promoting Autonomy, Choice, and Self-Agency  93

Overcoming Practical Challenges: Cautions and Information About Food Safety  95

Interacting During Diapering and Toileting  96

Providing Consistency for Sleeping Routines  100

Planning the Daily Schedule  102

Communicating With Colleagues  104

Q&As From the Field: Coordinating With Colleagues  105

For Your Information: Resources for Licensing Regulations  105

Reflection Questions  106

5.  Nurturing Identity Through Creativity and Self-Expression  107

Enhancing Teaching With Creative Thinking  107

Overcoming Practical Challenges: Fostering Creativity as a High-Impact Skill  109

Creativity, Wonder, and Identity—Experiences That Connect the Self  111

Expressing Family and Cultural Traditions  113

Building Skills Through Creative Interactions  117

Enjoying Music and Movement  120

Planning Ahead: Using a Song and Finger Play Guide  124

Incorporating the Visual Arts  126

Q&As From the Field: Expanding Opportunities for Creativity  128

For Your Information: Resources for Arts Exploration  129

Reflection Questions  129

6.  Building Competence Through Skill-Affirming Behavior Guidance  131

Defining Positive Guidance  131

Setting Goals for Guidance  133

Preparing Spaces to Minimize Frustration  136

Identifying Cultural Priorities  137

Ensuring Bias-Free Behavior Guidance  139

Teaching Through Emotion Coaching  141

Understanding and Mediating Stress  143

Setting the Foundation for Positive Guidance  147

Practicing Self-Reflection  152

Q&As From the Field: Managing Challenging Behavior  155

For Your Information: Tending to Children’s Well-Being  156

Reflection Questions  156

7.  Setting Priorities for High-Quality Teaching  159

Supporting Language and Communication  159

Encouraging Multilingual Learning  163

For Your Information: Resources for Multilingual Teaching  165

Inviting Engagement in Shared Book Reading  165

Focusing on Social–Emotional Learning  166

Enhancing Cognitive Development and Fine Motor Skills  168

Introducing Inquiry Through STEAM  170

For Your Information: Infant and Toddler Resources for STEAM  172

Strengthening Physical Development  172

Promoting Outdoor Play  174

Q&As From the Field: Expanding Your Impact  175

Resources for Outdoor Play  176

Reflection Questions  176

8.  Setting Priorities for Professional Growth  179

Learning Through Reflective Practice  179

Reflective Practice in Action  180

Engaging in Continuous Learning  182

Setting Goals for Your Professional Journey  185

Aiming for Advocacy  187

Q&As From the Field: Growing as a Professional  188

For Your Information: Resources for Advocacy  189

Reflection Questions  189

References  191

Index  215

About the Author  226

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