An infant room is a special place where babies are nurtured, loved, and are given opportunities to learn! Infants are learning about themselves and their world every single minute of every single day.
1. To prepare an infant lesson plan, the first thing I like to consider is the developmental stages of an infant. Each stage brings about new understanding and abilities. Because you may have a variety of developmental stages in your care at one time, you will want to create a plan that is flexible and easily adjusted to meet the developmental needs of each child.
Here is a brief overview of the four developmental domains to include....
3. Evaluate your lesson plans regularly. Each month you will want to adjust the level of ideas you plan to match the rapid growth and development of the babies in your care.
4. Including other areas. I also make sure I include music, sensory play, and creative expression.
5. Infants need time to explore. Don't feel you need to plan something for every waking minute. Infants also just need time to explore their world without constant interruption.
6. A schedule is not the same as a lesson plan. Don't confuse the infant's schedule with the lesson plan. The lesson plan is a set of ideas you hope to include throughout the week but the infant's schedule (sleeping, feeding, diaper changing) will always dictate how much time and when you will be able to present the ideas you have prepared in your lesson plan.
Here is a template that I often use to help me with my planning.
Learn a little bit about Baby Signing!
1. To prepare an infant lesson plan, the first thing I like to consider is the developmental stages of an infant. Each stage brings about new understanding and abilities. Because you may have a variety of developmental stages in your care at one time, you will want to create a plan that is flexible and easily adjusted to meet the developmental needs of each child.
Here is a brief overview of the four developmental domains to include....
- Physical - Development of Fine (small) and Gross (large) Motor Skills.
- Cognitive - The process of making sense of the world around them.
- Social - The awareness of others around them and the interaction with others around them.
- Emotional - Development of self-awareness and self-confidence
3. Evaluate your lesson plans regularly. Each month you will want to adjust the level of ideas you plan to match the rapid growth and development of the babies in your care.
4. Including other areas. I also make sure I include music, sensory play, and creative expression.
5. Infants need time to explore. Don't feel you need to plan something for every waking minute. Infants also just need time to explore their world without constant interruption.
6. A schedule is not the same as a lesson plan. Don't confuse the infant's schedule with the lesson plan. The lesson plan is a set of ideas you hope to include throughout the week but the infant's schedule (sleeping, feeding, diaper changing) will always dictate how much time and when you will be able to present the ideas you have prepared in your lesson plan.
Here is a template that I often use to help me with my planning.
Learn a little bit about Baby Signing!
Those early years are so important. Thanks for highlighting the need for planning learning experiences for infants, too.
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