33.6: Interpretation for Planning

Interpreting

Curriculum interpretation for planning is different from responding in the moment. To plan curriculum, caregivers regularly set aside time and space to review data on each infant.[1] Based on insights from reflection, the caregiver develops ideas for steps to support each infant's learning and development, including possible adaptations to interactions, environments, activities, and routines.

This critical part of the process can stimulate caregivers to discover new ideas and consider how they might adapt to the environment or routines, or introduce a new routine or material based on observations, notes, DRDP (2015) information, reflection, and discussion.

Reflecting on and interpreting data for planning also helps caregivers consider:

• Ways to engage families in their child's care
• Whether caregivers need more information about a child and when/where/from whom to gather it
• Whether to provide the same, similar, or different strategies and experiences related to specific goals

Evaluative Interpretation

Interpreting data for planning can provide information about children's development over time. However, caregivers also look at the data they have collected on each child after a more extended period (e.g., several weeks or months, depending on the child's age) to evaluate the child's progress toward reaching individual goals.

Interpretation is not always easy to do but it gives meaning to documented information. Without enough information, first impressions about what infants or toddlers can or cannot do sometimes lead to inaccurate assumptions and expectations. These may affect interactions with children and the quality of their relationships, impacting children's development and learning. Keep an open mind while observing children, talking with families, and gathering the information that challenges first impressions.[1]

A Plan to Plan

Observation, documentation, reflection, and interpretation lead to individualized curriculum planning, which supports each infant and toddler's unique abilities, interests, preferences, and needs.

Good planning

• Provides opportunities to strengthen the relationship between caregivers and families and the home/program connection, as well as foster family engagement in their child's care
• Deepens understanding of each child and family and includes family input and observations about their child
• Ensures that interactions and relationship-building, routines, daily schedule, experiences, and the physical environment address the child's current and emerging interests, abilities, needs, and understandings about people and objects in their environment
• Facilitates the child's development and learning across the 5 essential domains and supports children's progress toward individual child development goals

Multiple ideas are necessary when considering how to promote each child's development and learning. There are different ways to support an infant who is beginning to figure out that objects and people exist even when she can't see them (object permanence) or a toddler who has discovered the joys of dumping and filling. Caregivers likely think about the indoor/outdoor environment and what changes they might make. They also identify potential changes to interactions, the child's schedule, and strategies for engaging families. Families may have suggestions and preferences that reflect their daily home practices. Caregivers do not have to implement every idea at once!

Infants and toddlers benefit from repetition, practice, and familiarity. "Repeated exposure to familiar opportunities gives [infants and toddlers] the chance to make sense of their experiences and build [a] foundation that will support later learning." (Early Head Start National Resource Center and revised by the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning in collaboration with the Office of Head Start., 2018).

Flexibility is a priority while planning curriculum: caregivers must respond to children's moment-to-moment interests and needs. Planning for infants and toddlers equates to planning for possibilities. As Linda Lloyd Jones says in her article "Relationship as Curriculum," we should watch and observe our babies much more closely. What are they doing? How are they playing? What are they trying to achieve? Ask them who they are, what they need, and how we can support them. Then listen and watch for the answer.

J. Ronald Lally suggested planning should:

• Include experiences that place the adult in the role of facilitating children's learning rather than directing learning.
• Assist the adult in reading each infant and toddler's cues.
• Prepare the caregiver, home visitor, and family childcare provider to communicate effectively with other adults in the child's life (Lally, 2000).

Writing it Down

What form should be used when writing down curriculum possibilities? A quality planning form supports caregivers in connecting the dots between reflections/interpretations of information and observations and promoting development and learning strategies.

Whether a caregiver creates plans for an individual child or a group, the process is similar. Caregivers review the information gathered for each child, note any common interests, abilities, and needs, then decide what changes to make, exceptional experiences to offer, and ways to engage families. Even within group plans, caregivers should consider how to individualize the plan for each child. For example, a fingerplay song can be planned to meet receptive language interests for one child, a fine motor exploration for another child, and an adult-child interaction (social/emotional) interest for a third child.

Reviewing individual child or group planning forms from the previous weeks and the documentation created during those activities is also helpful for planning purposes. Depending on how each child or group of children respond, caregivers may or may not change the current week's plans. If children enjoy exploring pom-poms and containers on a water table, caregivers may decide not to change the experience. If, upon reflection of the documentation, infants and toddlers appear interested in picking up the pom poms, caregivers may choose to add spoons and tongs to extend the experience.

Planning based on observations, input from families, ongoing assessment, and knowledge of infant/toddler development is key to creating developmentally age-appropriate experiences. It is easy to choose experiences that, while possibly appropriate for older children, are not suitable for younger ones. Experiences that require a child to be in a group without leaving if she loses interest or requires sitting still for long periods are also inappropriate. A high-quality, developmentally sensitive curriculum should provide suggestions for selecting appropriate experiences, materials, and equipment, facilitating the experiences, and creating safe and interesting environments for infants and toddlers to explore.[1]

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[1] Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families , ECLKC Early Head TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPER NO. 16 INDIVIDUALIZING CARE FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS – PART 1. Is in the public domain