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8.1

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“Happy Kids” Childcare
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Your Situation
Dr. Chrysalis L. Wright, University of Central Florida
Infant-directed speech
High-pitched, repetitive speech directed at an infant, also called “motherese”.
Attachment
The degree to which an infant feels an emotional connection with primary caregivers.
Secure attachment
Those with this attachment style feel upset when their primary caregiver leaves them with a stranger but are easily soothed upon the return of the primary caregiver. These children seem confident that their needs will be met and feel safe to explore their environment, using their caregiver as a secure base for exploration.
Avoidant attachment
Those with this attachment style do not demonstrate distress when their primary caregiver leaves and they do not show signs of wanting to interact with the caregiver when he or she returns.
Ambivalent attachment
Those with this attachment style are upset and focused on their caregivers, showing signs of wanting to be held, but unable to be soothed by their caregivers.
Trust versus mistrust
During this stage of development, an infant learns to trust that his or her caregivers will attend to their needs. If caregivers are not responsive, infants will develop mistrust.
Autonomy versus shame and doubt
During this stage of development, a toddler will learn how to be autonomous and independent if given freedom to explore his or her environment. If exploration is restricted and the child is punished, he or she will likely learn to feel shame and doubt.
Sensorimotor stage
Piaget’s stage of cognitive development during which infants use their sensory capabilities and motor skills to learn about the surrounding world.
Initiative versus guilt
In this developmental stage, children have more experiences that prompt them to extend themselves socially. Children will be given more responsibilities and will demonstrate capabilities of creating and executing plans. If a child is not given responsibilities or cannot handle them, he or she will develop feelings of guilt and anxiety.
Preoperational stage
Piaget’s stage of cognitive development during which children can start to use language to explore and understand their worlds.
Little girls and teacher learning at preschool.
skynesher/Getty Images

You just graduated from college and have your first job in your chosen field! You are the new director of a local childcare center, which provides day care for children age 6 weeks to 5 years. When you applied for the position, you were amazed at how well the caregivers interacted with the children and how each room was tailored to the developmental needs of the different-aged children. As director, your first task is to review the curriculum for each age group, assess the appropriateness of each room, and see where changes may be needed. You are eager to get started.

Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the strange situation. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Golinkoff, R. M., Can, D. D., Soderstrom, M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2015). (Baby) Talk to me: The social context of infant-directed speech and its effects on early language acquisition. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 24, 339–344.

Schachner, A., & Hannon, E. E. (2011). Infant-directed speech drives social preferences in 5-month-old infants. Developmental Psychology, 47, 19–25.

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Babies playing together in preschool.
FatCamera/Getty Images

It is your first day as the director and you have decided to spend it touring the facility, observing each childcare room. Your first stop is the “Baby Butterflies” room, which is for infants. The walls are yellow with butterflies and flowers painted on them. You see four cribs lined up against one wall—each crib with bedding, bumper pads, infant toys, and a mobile overhead. There are bouncy seats and jumpers on the floor, as well as a box filled with infant toys. There are two caregivers in the room with four infants. One caregiver sings to an infant while rocking in a rocking chair. The other caregiver feeds baby food to an infant sitting in a high chair, talking to the infant in a high-pitched, repetitive fashion. The other two infants are in their cribs—one of them babbling and the other sucking her fingers.

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Chapter 8. “Happy Kids” Childcare