How Babies Learn

12/17/2008

Kindness, in its broadest sense, is the universal remedy – first, for the individual, for we can be well only if we are able to care for ourselves, to love ourselves. And then for all of us, because if we have better relationships, we feel and do better.
Piero Ferrucci, from his book, The Power of Kindness

In the newest book in the Exchange Store, Being with Babies: Understanding and Responding to the Infants in Your Care, Beverly Kovach and Denis Da Ros-Voseles write about the importance of trial and error in the lives of babies:

"Beliefs about babies being helpless often get in the way of allowing babies to experience their competence. It may be simpler to do tasks yourself rather than to allow a babies' own efforts to unfold. But consider how you can respond to, and therefore, influence babies' abilities to try to do something. Babies provide information about themselves through their actions in their environment. You can encourage a baby's capability by allowing choice to be part of the baby's experience. Through choice, the baby can develop preferences as he or she chooses the preferred object. By placing objects near the baby, he or she can grasp his or her choice. This gives the baby the opportunity to develop his or her abilities. When babies are given permission to initiate actions and explore their environment, they develop their abilities through trial-and-error experiences. These trial-and-error experiences are what help babies learn how things work."

Being with Babies Now Available from Exchange

We are pleased to be able to offer you Being with Babies: Understanding and Responding to the Infants in Your Care in the Exchange Store. This is a great resource for both beginning and experienced caregivers. Each chapter describes an issue that caregivers of infants face every day, then follows the description with scenarios that illustrate the challenge, provides suggested solutions, and ends with a review of key points in the chapter. Included is information on...

Developing relationships with babies
Using observation to understand babies
Communicating with babies
Setting up safe and effective learning environments for babies

Toddler Portable Sink: Classroom Solution for HOT & COLD running water. Convenient way to clean children's hands anytime, anywhere. Mention Code: PS0308 for FREE SHIPPING

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.