Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers: A Curriculum of Respectful, Responsive, Relationship-Based Care and Education Dianne Widmeyer Eyer

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Eleventh Edition
Infants, Toddlers,
and Caregivers
A Curriculum of Respectful, Responsive, Relationship-
Based Care and Education
Janet Gonzalez-Mena
Napa Valley College
Dianne Widmeyer Eyer

Cañada College
INFANTS, TODDLERS, AND CAREGIVERS, ELEVENTH EDITION
Published by McGraw-Hill Education, 2 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121. Copyright © 2018 by
McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Previous editions
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gonzalez-Mena, Janet, author. | Eyer, Dianne Widmeyer, author.
Infants, toddlers, and caregivers : a curriculum of respectful,
responsive, relationship-based care and education/Janet Gonzalez-Mena,
Napa Valley College, Dianne Widmeyer Eyer, Canada College.
Eleventh edition. | New York, NY : McGraw-Hill Education, [2018]
LCCN 2016045841 | ISBN 9781259870460 (alk. paper)
LCSH: Child care—United States. | Child development—United
States. | Education, Preschool—Activity programs—United States.
LCC HQ778.63 .G663 2018 | DDC 305.2310973—dc23 LC record
available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016045841
The Internet addresses listed in the text were accurate at the time of publication. The inclusion of a website does
not indicate an endorsement by the authors or McGraw-Hill Education, and McGraw-Hill Education does not
guarantee the accuracy of the information presented at these sites.
mheducation.com/highered
To Magda Gerber, Emmi Pikler, and Anna Tardos
This page intentionally left blank
About the Authors
Way back in the 1970s Janet Gonzalez-Mena and Dianne Widmeyer Eyer met when
they were both teaching early childhood education in a community college. The pro-
gram focused on preschool even though infants and toddlers were starting to come
into child care programs.
The two authors decided to do something about that problem. Janet became an
intern in a program called the Demonstration Infant Program, where Magda Gerber
taught her unique philosophy of respect and responsiveness for infant-toddler care
on which this book is based. Janet’s internship helped her earn a master’s degree in
human development. In the 1980s Gerber and others created a new program called
Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE), through which Janet was made a RIE Associ-
ate, the highest certification. Dianne completed a second master’s degree in special
education, and together the two worked to expand the field of early childhood educa-
tion to include infants and toddlers, special education, and family child care provid-
ers. Writing this book together was one of the things they did.
A few years later both authors became more involved with family child care. As
director of Child Care Services for the Family Service Agency of San Mateo County,
California, Janet supervised a network of family child care homes that served infants
and toddlers as well as preschoolers. Under her direction, the agency opened a new
infant center and also created a pilot program of therapeutic child care for abused
and neglected infants and toddlers. Dianne worked with the Child Care Coordinating
Council of San Mateo County to develop a training program for family child care
providers at Cañada College. This curriculum also models the Gerber philosophy of
respect and responsiveness for infant-toddler care.
Janet went on to teach at Napa Valley College, retiring in 1998. Today she con-
tinues to educate infant-toddler caregivers in different settings. She trains trainers in
WestEd’s Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC) and speaks at conferences in the
United States and abroad. As a longtime (43 years) member of the National Asso-
ciation for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Janet served two terms on
the Consulting Editors Panel. She worked on a Head Start project to create a user’s
guide for their Multicultural Principles. Janet is becoming an internationally recog-
nized author as some of her books are translated into German, Chinese, Japanese,
and Hebrew. Janet belongs to the California Community College Early Childhood
v
vi About the Authors
Educators, BANDTEC, a diversity trainers’ network, and serves on the board of

Pikler/Lóczy Fund USA.
Dianne continued teaching at Cañada College, where she developed several cur-
riculum specializations in early childhood education and child development, includ-
ing children with special needs, family support, “Safe Start” violence intervention
and prevention in the early years, and home-based child care. She has been a member
of NAEYC since 1970. Dianne retired from Cañada College in 2005 after 36 years
of teaching and 27 years as the ECE/CD Department Chair. She coordinated, from
2000 to 2015, a grant she wrote for First 5 San Mateo County to provide academic
supports to early childhood educators and to enhance workforce development in the
ECE profession.
The current interests of both authors still relate to education. Dianne’s interests
involve supporting literacy skills for adult second language learners and providing
specific supports related to career development for the diverse population in the ECE
workforce. She is currently studying art education and art as therapy, and is involved
with docent training at a near-by museum. She also enjoys hiking, gardening, and
music. Janet’s personal interests lie in her grandchildren including her granddaugh-
ter Nika, “A RIE baby,” who is now 9, her 4 year old grandson, Cole, and his baby
brother, Paul. She also speaks around the country, and sometimes abroad, about
Pikler, Gerber, and RIE. Janet continues working with early educators and others
around diversity and issues of equity and social justice.
Brief Contents
Contents ix
Preface xix part 3
Resources for Caregivers xxix Focus on the Program 251
12 The Physical Environment 253
part 1 13 The Social Environment 283
Focus on the Caregiver 1 14 Adult Relations in Infant-Toddler Care
1 Principles, Practice, and Curriculum 3
and Education Programs 303
2 Infant-Toddler Education 23
appendix A
3 Caregiving as Curriculum 45
4 Play and Exploration as Curriculum 69
Quality in Infant-Toddler Programs:
A Checklist 324
appendix B
part 2
Environmental Chart 326
Focus on the Child 89 Notes 338
5 Attachment 91
Glossary 346
6 Perception 111
Index 352
7 Motor Skills 129
8 Cognition 155
9 Language 179
10 Emotions 205
11 Social Skills 231
vii
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
Preface xix
Resources for Caregivers xxix
part 1 Focus on the Caregiver 1
chapter 1
Principles, Practice, and Curriculum 3

What Do You See? 3
Relationships, Interactions, and the Three Rs 4
Caregiving Routines as Opportunities for Three-R Interactions 5
Ten Principles Based on a Philosophy of Respect 5
Principle 1: Involve Infants and Toddlers in Things
That Concern Them 6
© Jude Keith Rose Principle 2: Invest in Quality Time 7
Principle 3: Learn Each Child’s Unique Ways of Communicating
and Teach Yours 9
Video Observation 1: Baby Crying 10
Principle 4: Invest Time and Energy to Build a Total Person 11
Principle 5: Respect Infants and Toddlers as Worthy People 11
Principle 6: Be Honest about Your Feelings 13
Principle 7: Model the Behavior You Want to Teach 14
Principle 8: Recognize Problems as Learning Opportunities,
and Let Infants and Toddlers Try to Solve Their Own 15
Principle 9: Build Security by Teaching Trust 15
Principle 10: Be Concerned about the Quality of Development in
Each Stage 16
ix
x Contents
Curriculum and Developmentally Appropriate Practice 18

The Principles in Action Principle 5 18
Appropriate Practice 19
Summary 20
Key Terms 21
Thought/Activity Questions 21
For Further Reading 21
chapter 2
Infant-Toddler Education 23
What Do You See? 23
What Infant-Toddler Education Is Not 24
Infant Stimulation 24
Babysitting 24
Preschool 25
What Infant-Toddler Education Is: The Components 25
© Frank Gonzalez-Mena Curriculum as the Foundation of Infant-Toddler Education 26
Video Observation 2: Toddler Playing with a Tube and a Ball 27
Implementing the Curriculum 27
Assessing the Effectiveness of the Curriculum:
Observing and Recording 28
Education as Facilitating Problem Solving 30
The Adult Role in Facilitating Problem Solving 31
Infant-Toddler Education and School Readiness 41
Summary 42
Key Terms 43
chapter 3
Caregiving as Curriculum 45
What Do You See? 45
Thinking Again About Infant-Toddler Curriculum 46
Planning for Attachment 46
Policies That Support Curriculum as Caregiving 47
Assessment 48
© Frank Gonzalez-Mena
Contents xi
Caregiving Routines 49
Feeding 50
Video Observation 3: Children Feeding Themselves 53
Diapering 55
Toilet Training and Toilet Learning 56
Washing, Bathing, and Grooming 57
Differing Needs and Perspectives 58
Dressing 59
Napping 61
Summary 66
Key Terms 67
chapter 4
Play and Exploration as Curriculum 69

What Do You See? 69
Adult Roles in Play 73
Setting Up Environments for Play 73
Encouraging Interactions and Then Stepping Back 74
Video Observation 4: Toddlers Playing Outside 75
Supporting Problem Solving 76
© Lynne Doherty Lyle
Observing 77
Environmental Factors That
Influence Play 78
Group Size and Age Span 78
Setting Up the Environment to Support Play 80
Happenings 81
Free Choice 82
The Problem of the Match 83
Summary 86
Key Terms 87
xii Contents
part 2 Focus on the Child 89
chapter 5
Attachment 91
What Do You See? 91
Brain Research 92
Brain Building Blocks and Brain Circuitry 93
Quality Experiences and Stable Neural Pathways 93
Mirror Neurons: Actions and Observations 95
© Frank Gonzalez-Mena Milestones of Attachment 97
Attachment Behaviors: Birth to Six Months 97
Attachment Behavior: Seven to Eighteen Months 98
Supporting Attachment in Quality Programs 98
Video Observation 5: T
oddler “Checking in” While Playing
with Chairs 99
Developmental Pathways: Attachment 100
Measuring Attachment 100
Early Research and Contemporary Issues 101
Attachment Issues 102
Infants with Few Attachment Behaviors 102
Infants Who Experience Neglect or Indifference 102
Brain Growth and Attachment-Based Programs 103
Children with Special Needs: The Importance of Early Intervention 104
What Is Early Intervention? 104
Developmental Pathways: Attachment Behaviors 106
Summary 108
Key Terms 109
chapter 6
Perception 111
What Do You See? 111
Sensory Integration 112
Hearing 114
Video Observation 6: B
oy Exploring Toy Car Using Touch
and Sound 115
Contents xiii
Smell and Taste 116

Touch 117
Sight 119
Multisensory Experiences and
the Outdoor Environment 121
Children with Special Needs: Educating Families about the
Individualized Family Service Plan 122
Developmental Pathways: Behaviors Showing Development
of Perception 124
Summary 126
Key Terms 127
chapter 7
Motor Skills 129

Physical Growth and Motor Skills 130
Brain Growth and Motor Development 131
Importance of Free Movement, Observation, and Imitation 132
Reflexes 133
Large Motor Skills and Locomotion 134
Research from the Pikler Institute 135
Video Observation 7: Children Climbing Stairs 136
Small Motor Skills and Manipulation 140
Encouraging Self-Help Skills 142
Fostering Motor Development 143
Children with Special Needs: Finding Resources 146

Developmental Pathways: Behaviors Showing Development
of Motor Skills 150
Summary 151
Key Terms 152
xiv Contents
chapter 8
Cognition 155
The Cognitive Experience 156
Sensorimotor Experience: Piaget 157
Sociocultural Influences:
Vygotsky and Piaget 159
© Lynne Doherty Lyle Self-Regulating Learners 160
Social Interaction and Cognition 161
Language and Cognition 163
Play and Cognition 165
Supporting Cognitive Development 167
The Importance of Real-Life Experiences 167
Brain-Based Learning 168
Video Observation 8: Father Diapering Toddler 169
Children with Special Needs: Early Childhood Inclusion 171

Developmental Pathways: B
ehaviors Showing Development
of Cognition 172
Summary 175
Key Terms 176
chapter 9
Language 179
The Progression of Language Development 180
Receptive Language: The Importance of Responsiveness 182
Expressive Language: The Importance of Familiar Contexts 183
What Language Allows a Child to Do: The Cognitive Link 184
The Brain and Early Language Development 184
Video Observation 9: Children Eating at Table with Caregiver 185
Brain Activity and Language Competency 186
Fostering Language Development 187
Early Literacy 189
Early Literacy and School Readiness 191
Contents xv
Cultural Differences, Bilingualism and Dual Language Learners 194

Goals of the “Language Relationship” 195
Children with Special Needs: Supporting Parents and Families 197

Developmental Pathways: Behaviors Showing Development of Language 199
Summary 200
Key Terms 202
chapter 10
Emotions 205
The Development of Emotions and Feelings 206
Temperament and Resiliency 208
Resiliency and Healthy Emotional Development 211
Helping Infants and Toddlers Cope with Fears 212
Helping Infants and Toddlers Cope with Anger 215
Video Observation 10: Child Trying to Get Her Turn in a Swing 216
Self-Calming Techniques 218
Developing Self-Direction
and Self-Regulation 219
The Emotional Brain 221
Stress and Early Brain Development 222
The Impact of Neglect 223
Children with Special Needs: Challenges and Trends 223

Developmental Pathways: Behavior Showing Development of Emotions 226
Summary 227
Key Terms 229
chapter 11
Social Skills 231

© Lynne Doherty Lyle Early Social Behaviors 233
xvi Contents
Stages of Psychosocial Development 234

Trust 234
Autonomy 237
Initiative 238
Guidance and Discipline: Teaching Social Skills 238
Security and Control for Infants 239
Limits for Toddlers 239
Teaching Prosocial Skills 241
Promoting Healthy Brain Growth 243
Video Observation 11: Girls Playing Together 244
The Special Need of All Children: Self-Esteem 245
Experiences That Foster Self-Esteem 245
Developmental Pathways: Behaviors Showing Development of Social Skills 246
Summary 248
Key Terms 248
part 3 Focus on the Program 251
chapter 12
The Physical Environment 253

A Safe Environment 254
Creating a Safe Physical Environment: A Checklist 254
A Healthful Environment 256
Creating a Healthful and Sanitary Environment:
A Checklist 256
© Lynne Doherty Lyle Nutrition 257
Feeding Infants 257
Feeding Toddlers 258
Video Observation 12: Feeding Routine 259
The Learning Environment 260
Layout 261
Eating 265
Sleeping 265
Diapering 265
Toileting 265
Developmental Appropriateness 266
Appropriate Environments for Infants 266
Contents xvii
Appropriate Environments for Toddlers 266

Family Child Care and Mixed-Age Groups 267
What Should Be in the Play Environment 270
Toys and Materials for Inside 271
Toys and Materials for Outside 272
Assessing the Quality of an Infant-Toddler Environment 273
Balancing Soft and Hard 273
Providing for Intrusion and Seclusion 273
Encouraging Mobility 274
The Open-Closed Dimension 274
The Simple-Complex Dimension 274
Scale 275
Aesthetics 275
Acoustics 276
Order 276
Summary 280
Key Terms 281
chapter 13
The Social Environment 283

Identity Formation 284
Attachment 285
Self-Image 286

Cultural Identity 287
Gender Identity 291
Self-Concept and Discipline 293
Video Observation 13: C
hild in Sandbox (Redirection) 294
Modeling Self-Esteem by
Taking Care of Yourself 297
Summary 299
Key Terms 301
xviii Contents
chapter 14
Adult Relations in Infant-Toddler Care and

Education Programs 303
Parent-Caregiver Relations 304
© Lynne Doherty Lyle Caregiver Stages of Relating to Parents 304
Communication with Parents and/or Family Members 306
Service Plan: Focus on the Child 306
Service Plan: Focus on the Family 307
Communication Blocks 308
Opening Up Communication 309
Issues of Parents of Children with Special Needs 310
Parent Education 314
Parents of Children with Special Needs 314
Early Care and Education Professionals 314
Video Observation 14: G
irl Crawling through Low Window
(Parent Ed Program) 315
Relating to the Parents of a Child Who Isn’t Doing Well 316
Caregiver Relations 317
The Family Child Care Provider 317
Center Staff 317
Respect as the Key to Adult Relationships 318
Summary 322
Key Terms 322
appendix A
Quality in Infant-Toddler Programs: A Checklist 324
appendix B
Environmental Chart 326
Notes 338
Glossary 346
Index 352
Preface
The Philosophy of Infants, Toddlers,

and Caregivers
When this textbook was published in 1980 the idea of infants and toddlers in out-of-
home care was brand new, although child care for preschoolers was well established.
Both authors were teaching early childhood education classes in a California commu-
nity college. These classes focused on three and four year olds because programs for
infants and toddlers were unknown. Both authors quickly realized that there was a need
for teacher training in the area of infant-toddler care. Preschool classes did not help the
practicum students working in centers with children under three-years-of age. When
observing students working in preschool programs that also included limited numbers
of two-year-olds, it became obvious that the teachers were somewhat challenged by
two-year-olds and seemed to just want them to grow up. The preschool teachers had
many complaints and questions such as, “How do you get those younger children to
sit still for circle time?” The community college preschool curriculum classes did not
support students’ work with very young children; more specific curriculum was needed
related to the care of infants and toddlers. The idea for this textbook was born as a result
of these issues in the office of Dianne Eyer at Cañada College in Northern California.
At the time Gonzalez-Mena was studying with Magda Gerber, a Los Angeles
infant expert. Gerber was from Hungary where her friend and colleague, Dr. Emmi
Pikler, a theorist and researcher, had established group care for infants and toddlers
after World War II—a program which was still running at the time the two authors
met. The focus of Pikler’s nursery was to care for infants and toddlers whose families
could not, and to provide them with a strong start in life. This first nursery became a
model for other residential nurseries in Europe once it was learned that the children
who spent their first three years in this very particular kind of residential care grew
up to be stable, productive adults. Their ability to establish long-term relationships
was a great accomplishment for institutional care. Emmi Pikler died in 1984, but the
Pikler Institute, incorporating research and training, continues under the director-
ship of Pikler’s daughter, Anna Tardos, and though changed somewhat is still in
xix
xx Preface
operation. Today it focuses on child care for infants and toddlers, as well as parent
education, rather than on residential care.
Upon meeting Gerber, it became obvious to both authors that a new community
college class focusing on the care and education of infants and toddlers was greatly
needed. This 11th edition is an outgrowth of the first textbook the authors designed
to meet that need.
Magda Gerber wrote the Foreword to that original textbook which emphasized the
idea of respectful, responsive and, reciprocal adult-infant interactions, still a major
theme in the 11th edition. As with each edition, the cornerstone of the text has been
the same—the philosophy of Magda Gerber and the theory of Emmi Pikler.
Gonzalez-Mena besides being a student of Magda Gerber’s in the 1970s continued
to be a close friend of hers until Gerber’s death in 2007. Gonzalez-Mena has been able
to observe and study at the Pikler Institute a number of times, as well as assist in train-
ings in the United States conducted by Anna Tardos, present director of the Institute.
Gonzalez-Mena’s experience with these three amazing women confirmed for her how
much the Pikler research and the Gerber philosophy can assist infant-toddler centers in
the United States and around the world. Magda Gerber’s work has been known in the
United States for a number of years, and its reputation continues under the auspices of
the organization Gerber founded, Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE). Magda Gerber
was one of the first to publish some of Pikler’s research in English. A new edition
of what’s called the RIE Manual is now available and updated with further work in
English, some of which has been written by Gerber’s followers. The RIE Manual can
be found at www.rie.org. Pikler’s works in English can be accessed at www.Pikler.org
and at the European website for Pikler, which is www.aipl.org. The approach to infant-
toddler care created by these two women has made a “dent” in the early care and educa-
tion world. The authors of this text are proud and humble to support these approaches.
The Ten Principles: A Philosophy of Respect

A keystone of both Magda Gerber and Emmi Pikler’s work is respect. Until Gerber
introduced its use to the United States, the word respect was not part of the vocabulary
of most American infant-toddler caregivers. Respect is one of the major themes that runs
throughout Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers, and respect is an important component of
the curriculum the book advocates. This curriculum is all-inclusive and centers on con-
nections and relationships. Briefly, the term curriculum is about educating, but in the
infant-toddler world, care and education are one and the same. In this book, curriculum
has to do with respecting and responding to each child’s needs in warm, respectful, and
sensitive ways that promote attachment and allow children to explore and play on their
own. Curriculum embraces everything that happens during the day—whether the child
is alone or with other children or having sensitive interactions with an adult. Those adult-
child interactions may be part of caregiving activities, both planned and unplanned, but
they go way beyond. Even the down times during the day, when caregivers just hang
out with the little ones, can include the kinds of interactions that make up curriculum.
Perhaps the most important feature of this book is the consistency with which it outlines
well-established practices designed to promote infants’ and toddlers’ total well-being.
Preface xxi
The book also looks at the importance of sensitive care and good program planning, and
the impact they have on the identity formation of infants and toddlers.
The Ten Principles found on pages 10 –16 are the underlying framework for this
book. Respect is an attitude that shows up in behavior. Respectful behaviors on the
part of caregivers are the basis of the Ten Principles, which show how respect applies
to treating babies as people when caregiving, communicating with them, and facili-
tating their growth, development, and learning. The book refers to the Ten Principles
in every chapter. In addition, a Principles in Action feature in each chapter uses a
scenario to further explain the individual principles.
A Focus on Application and Practice

Knowing about is different from knowing how to. Knowing about means learning
theory. Knowing how to puts theory into action. We purposely organized this book to
emphasize action because we know that even people with considerable understand-
ing of infants and toddlers have trouble acting on that understanding unless they have
also learned to apply theory. Knowledge does not necessarily build skill. Caregivers
who have knowledge but lack confidence in their ability to use it may suffer from
“analysis paralysis,” which prevents them from making quick decisions, stating their
feelings clearly, and taking needed action. A common pattern when analysis paralysis
strikes is inaction, indecision, then overemotional or otherwise inappropriate reac-
tion, followed by more inaction. When adults have analysis paralysis and either can-
not react or react inconsistently, infants cannot learn to predict what will happen as a
result of their own actions. This learning to predict what effect they have on the world
is a primary accomplishment of infants in early life.
Terminology
In this book, the youngest children—those from newborn to walking—are called
infants. Children who are walking (from about a year old to two years) are called young
toddlers. Children from two to three are called older toddlers. Children from three to
five are called preschoolers. Please note that these labels and descriptions apply to
children who are typically developing. When development is atypical, the labels and
descriptions don’t fit as well. For example, a child who has reached the stage when
other children walk may have many other characteristics of that age group even though
she doesn’t walk; not all toddlers toddle, but that doesn’t mean they should be thought
of as infants. If you visit many infant-toddler programs, you will find that the adults
in the teacher/caregiver role go by different titles. Educarer, teacher, caregiver, and
infant care teacher are four different terms used. In this book we have mainly used the
word caregiver to emphasize the importance of “caring” in programs for the youngest
children. The caregiver role incorporates that of teacher and educator.
Organization of the Text

By starting with the interactive aspect of caregiving, we highlight this philosophy from
the beginning pages. Thus the book is organized in a unique way. Part 1 (Chapters 1– 4)
xxii Preface
is about caregiving. It focuses on the caregivers’ actions and relationships with the
children and how these actions and relationships make up the curriculum. Part 2
(Chapters 5–11) presents child development information, along with the curriculum
implications of that information. It also includes topics related to early childhood spe-
cial education. Part 3 (Chapters 12–14) takes a programmatic point of view (look-
ing at both center and family child care programs) and includes environments as well
as adult-adult relationships. Appendix A gives a checklist for determining quality
in infant-toddler programs. Appendix B includes a popular and well-used environ-
mental chart that combines the information from all three parts of the book into one
concise but comprehensive chart designed for practical use in program planning and
implementation. The glossary at the end of the book consists of the key terms from all
the chapters.
A Focus on Diversity and Inclusion

Honoring diversity and including children with special needs in infant-toddler programs
is a strong point of this text. Topics related to early childhood special education
appear throughout the text, and also have their own place at the end of each chapter in
Part 2. We have focused more on cultural differences and inclusion with each
edition. Though we present a cohesive philosophy, we urge readers to recognize
that there are multiple views on every aspect of infant-toddler care. Strive to honor
differences and work respectfully with families who represent them. It is important
to respect and respond to linguistic differences in positive ways, supporting the
child’s home language, whatever it might be. Our emphasis on self-reflection helps
caregivers who might feel uncomfortable in the face of differences. Only when
caregivers understand themselves can they understand infants, toddlers, and their
families. Sensitivity is an important qualification for anyone who works with very
young children. For that reason, the reader is asked to focus on personal experience
throughout this book.
New to the Eleventh Edition

I: Self-Regulation and Resiliency
Self-regulation and resiliency are key topics in the field of early care and education
today. Young children who can control their own feelings and regulate their behavior
start school ready to succeed in the classroom. And young children who learn to
manage their fear and overcome adversity in an adaptive manner, set the stage for
becoming competent individuals with life long coping skills.
This eleventh edition of infants, Toddlers and Caregivers reflects more of the
current research related to these important areas of development. The two traits are
considered “dynamic processes”; they start at birth and continue throughout life.
They involve the whole child—body, cognition, and feelings. They move from an
automatic response to a more considered one. Research is indicating that the most
important factor influencing these areas of development is the early interaction
Preface xxiii
between infants and their caregivers. Responsive and nurturing interactions foster
healthy growth and early brain development.
Respectful interactions, and guides to support these two aspects of development,
appear in most of the chapters in this edition. Play is a particularly relevant topic
throughout this text and its development fosters and supports self-regulation and
resiliency. During play, aspects of self-regulation show up as a physical skill, as
emotional development, and also as intellectual achievement as infants and toddlers
figure out how to make things happen. Making choices and gaining self control also
help very young children to make connections to cope with new and challenging
(sometimes stressful) experiences. The early developmental opportunities for play,
and the sensitive interactions of caring adults, support young children’s self-reliance
and provide a protective buffer against stress.
II: Even Greater Focus on Play

Play has become a large interest and concern for early childhood professionals as
academics and school readiness issues creep into the nursery! In light of that devel-
opment, play as a key topic has been expanded throughout this eleventh edition. Eva
Kallo’s overview has been included and gives more structure to what Magda Gerber
and Emmi Pikler taught for many years. As infants and toddlers play, they experi-
ence challenges. Immobile infants struggle with how to get the toy just beyond reach,
and toddlers struggle with how to make something large fit into something smaller.
It is easy for adults to help out and make both children happy by showing them how
to fit pieces together and by putting the toy within reach. Both Gerber and Pikler
cautioned against the goals of just making children happy. They taught adults not to
rescue children who are working on solving a problem. Sticking to something and
not giving up, even when frustrated, fosters competence and long-range success in
life. Traits like persistence are the subject of researchers like Angela Duckworth, who
labels such qualities “grit.” Gerber would be surprised at the term “grit,” but that’s
just what she supported! It is clear from the work of Pikler that grit starts in infancy
and is influenced by nurturing adults who support and encourage problem solving.
This attitude obviously enhances self-regulation and resiliency, too.
III: “Screens” for Infants and Toddlers

The subject of “screens” for infants and toddlers continues to be an important issue
in this text. The American Academy of Pediatrics, and other research groups, has
focused a large amount of their attention on the effects of electronic devices with
screens in the first two to three years of a child’s life. What do very young children
learn from such devices? It ‘s difficult to determine. Does it hurt young children’s
development if they focus on digital images and do not spend time in the real world
with people and objects? Most likely. Does it matter if screens are interactive such
as Skype or smart phones? Maybe. The research continues with the American Acad-
emy of Pediatrics, and includes such topics as health and obesity in the early years.
Stay tuned.
xxiv Preface
IV: Language Development Research

The brain research continues to teach us more about language development in the
early years. Infants are born with the ability to hear and respond to the sounds of all
languages. Patricia Kuhl, a neuroscientist, has studied infant neural networks and
provides expanded knowledge on how very young children begin to select and attend
to the sounds of their mother tongue and move away from the sounds of other lan-
guages. An increase in brain activity, especially around 8 to 10 months, indicates the
development of this complex process. Research is also indicating that language acqui-
sition in the first two years is very much influenced by context. It may be more sig-
nificant than many realized, but young children need to hear familiar labels repeated
in familiar contexts by adults who are sensitive listeners and responsive caregivers.
V: Website Resources
The websites in this eleventh edition provide the reader with immediate access to ever
changing information. These in-depth resources are embedded in the chapters where
a specific topic is being discussed. They encourage critical thinking and exploration
across the curriculum in areas related to early care and education. Web sites in this
edition include resources on early childhood special education, early intervention
and inclusion, and early development and public policy.
Retained Features
A What Do You See? feature starts each chapter by showing a child or children in a
situation related to the material to follow and immediately engages the student in the
chapter’s subject matter. Students are encouraged to think back on these scenes later
in the chapter. In some of these scenes the age of the children is mentioned, but not
all. We left out age labels in the spirit of Magda Gerber, who used to say, “Why does
it matter how old the child is?” She was an advocate for appreciating what a child was
able to do, whether he was the “right age” or not.
The Video Observation is a popular feature in each chapter that introduces and
encourages students to think about the issues and concepts presented in online video
clips related to the chapter material. To view these clips, please access the Instructor
Resources through Connect.
The Principles in Action feature is a case study scenario followed by questions to
help students apply the content they have learned to a “real-life” situation. The Prin-
ciples in Action connects to the Appropriate Practice feature through boxes called
Appropriate Practice in Action. The Appropriate Practice feature summarizes points
of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) guide-
lines for developmentally appropriate practice related to the chapter topics. Each
Appropriate Practice feature has four sections:
1. Overview of Development
2. Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Preface xxv
3. Individually Appropriate Practice

4. Culturally Appropriate Practice
Sections 2 through 4 list points to keep in mind and practical suggestions for interact-
ing with infants and toddlers based on the NAEYC guidelines.
A Developmental Pathways feature is included in each of the chapters in Part 2. Each
feature begins with generalizations about stages of development by showing a chart of
behaviors related to the chapter topic (for example, attachment, perception, or motor
skills), and then uses examples of two different children to show diverse developmental
pathways. The details of each example are explored as to what you see, what you might
think, what you might not know, and what you might do.
The For Further Reading and References lists for each chapter have been expanded
and updated. In order to keep the book compact and affordable to students, Refer-
ences for this edition are provided on the Instructor Online Learning Center, avail-
able via Connect, McGraw-Hill Education’s integrated assignment and assessment
platform.
Pedagogy
Each chapter contains a pedagogical system designed to provide learning support for
students and to encourage students to reflect on and apply what they learn. Pedagogi-
cal features include:
•• Focus Questions that prepare students for the content to follow
•• Boldfaced in-text key terms that highlight key terminology and define it in
context of the paragraph in which it appears
•• The Principles in Action boxes that allow students to apply the principles to
scenarios
•• Appropriate Practice boxes that provide practical suggestions related to the
NAEYC guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice and refer to the
Principles in Action boxes, showing how appropriate practice can be applied
to the scenarios
•• Developmental Pathways boxes that list typical development and
variations
•• Chapter Summaries that contain key ideas of the chapters
•• Key Terms sections that list all key terms from the chapter, with page refer-
ences, and that are collated in an end-of-book glossary
•• Thought/Activity Questions that encourage students to review, reflect, and
apply what they are learning
•• For Further Reading lists that suggest additional readings
•• Video Observation features in each chapter with pedagogy to help readers
think about the video clips they view
•• NAEYC Program Standards listed in the margins next to related material
•• Reflection questions designed to help readers consider their own feelings and
experiences that relate to what they are reading
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xxviii Preface
The eleventh edition of Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers is now available online
with Connect, McGraw-Hill Education’s integrated assignment and assessment plat-
form. Connect also offers SmartBook for the new edition, which is the first adaptive
reading experience proven to improve grades and help students study more effec-
tively. All of the title’s website and ancillary content is also available through Con-
nect, including:
•• An English-Spanish glossary of Early Childhood terms taken from the text.
Ofelia Garcia of Cabrillo College developed this glossary to support Spanish-
speaking students and students who anticipate working in communities where
English is not the first language.
•• A full Test Bank of multiple choice questions that test students on central
concepts and ideas in each chapter.
•• An Instructor’s Manual for each chapter with full chapter outlines, sample test
questions, and discussion topics.
•• Lecture Slides for instructor use in class.
Acknowledgments
We would like to acknowledge and thank the reviewers who provided feedback that
helped us prepare this Eleventh Edition of Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers. These
instructors include:
Cheryl Brecheisen, College of Southern Nevada

Michelle A. Calkins, Western Colorado Community College / Colorado Mesa
University
Edilma Cavazos, Los Angeles Mission College
Anjeanette Csepi, Cuyahoga Community College
Amanda Dixon, Lake WA Institute of Technology / Ashford University
Benita Flores-Munoz, Del Mar College
Cynthia P. Galloway, Horry Georgetown Technical College
Jill Harrison, Delta College
Sharon Hirschy, Collin College
Deborah Leotsakos, Mass Bay Community College
Kerri D. Mahlum, Casper College
Rita Rzezuski, Bunker Hill Community College
Stephen Schroth, Towson University
Lena Y. Shiao, Monroe Community College
Lakisha Simpson, Citrus College
Susan Howland Thompson, Shasta College
Vicki Wangberg, Northwest Technical College
Resources for Caregivers
Available separately is The Caregiver’s Companion: Readings and Professional

Resources. The Caregiver’s Companion includes twenty-one readings regarding the Ten
Principles; curriculum; keeping toddlers safe and healthy; culture, identity, and families;
and including infants and toddlers with special needs. Readings include:
“Caring for Infants with Respect: “Helping a Baby Adjust to Center
The RIE Approach” by Magda Care” by Enid Elliot
Gerber “Toddlers: What to Expect” by Janet
“Curriculum and Lesson Planning: Gonzalez-Mena
A Responsive Approach” by “Creating a Landscape for Learning”
J. Ronald Lally by Louis Torelli and Charles
“Respectful, Individual, and Durrett
Responsive Caregiving for “The Impact of Child Care Policies
Infants” by Beverly Kovach and and Practices on Infant/Toddler
Denise Da Ros Identity Formation” by J. Ronald
“Facilitating the Play of Children at Lally
Loczy” by Anna Tardos “Cross-Cultural Conferences” by Janet
“A Primary Caregiving System for Gonzalez-Mena
Infants and Toddlers” by Jennifer “Sudden Infant Death Syndrome” by
L. Bernhardt Susan S. Aronson
Excerpt from “Our Moving Bodies “Supporting the Development of
Tell Stories, Which Speak of Our Infants and Toddlers with Special
Experiences” by Suzi Tortora Health Needs” by Cynthia
“The Development of Movement” Huffman
by Emmi Pikler “Breastfeeding Promotion in Child
“How Infants and Toddlers Use Care” by Laura Dutil Aird
Symbols” by Karen Miller “Cultural Dimensions of Feeding
“Preparing for Literacy: Relationships” by Carol Brunson
Communication Comes First” by Phillips and Renatta Cooper
Ruth Anne Hammond
xxix
xxx Resources for Caregivers
“Cultural Differences in Sleeping “Strategies for Supporting Infants

Practices” by Janet Gonzalez-Mena and Toddlers with Disabilities in
and Navaz Peshotan Bhavnagri Inclusive Child Care” by Donna
“Talking with Parents When Sullivan and Janet Gonzalez-Mena
Concerns Arise” by Linda Brault
and Janet Gonzalez-Mena
The Caregiver’s Companion also provides eighteen forms for tracking and
relaying information:
Registration Form Individual Child’s Record of
Tell Us About Your Child Medications Given
Identification and Emergency Form Incident Log
Infant Feeding Plan Incident Report
Daily Information Sheet Documentation of Concern for a
Sign-In Sheet Child
Diapering Log How Are We Doing? Family Feedback
Feeding Log Form
Allergy Notice Developmental Health History
Sample Exposure Notice Physician’s Report Form—Day Care
Medication Schedule Centers
part one
Focus on the
Caregiver
chapter 1
Principles, Practice,
and Curriculum
chapter 2
Infant-Toddler Education
chapter 3
Caregiving as Curriculum
chapter 4
Play and Exploration

as Curriculum
1
© Jude Keith Rose
chapter 1
Principles, Practice,
and Curriculum
Focus Questions
After reading this chapter you should
be able to answer the following
questions: What Do You See?
1 What kinds of interactions grow into
A five-month-old is lying on the floor with several play materials
the relationships that are so
important in infant-toddler care and scattered within reach. She is contentedly surveying the five other
education? infants and toddlers who are in the room with her. Reaching now
2 What is an example of an adult and then, she caresses a toy first with her eyes, then with her
behavior that shows respect to an hands. As we look more closely, we can see that some moisture
infant or toddler?
has crept onto the infant’s outer clothes in the area of her bottom.
3 What are some key words or phrases
The infant hears a step, and her eyes travel in the direction of the
for at least 5 of the 10 principles of
infant-toddler care and education? sound. Then we see a pair of legs and feet traveling along in the
4 Can you define the word curriculum direction of the infant. A voice says, “Caitlin, I’m wondering how
as it applies to infant and toddler you are getting along.”
care and education? The legs move over close to the blanket, and Caitlin looks
5 What are the roles of adults in up at the knees. Her eyes brighten as the rest of the person
infant-toddler curriculum?
appears in her visual range. A kind face comes close. Caitlin
6 What are the three knowledge bases
smiles and makes a cooing noise. The caregiver responds, then
of developmentally appropriate
practice as defined by the National notices the dampness of the clothing. “Oh, Caitlin, you need
Association for the Education of a change,” the caregiver says. Caitlin responds by smiling
Young Children (NAEYC)? and cooing.
Reaching out her hands, the caregiver says, “I’m going to pick
you up now.” Caitlin responds to the gesture and the words with
an ever-so-slight body movement. She continues to smile and coo. The caregiver picks her up and walks
toward the diapering area.
4 part 1 Focus on the Caregiver
Did you notice that there was a lot more going on here than just a diaper change? This
scene illustrates several of the basic principles of this book. Think back on it as you
read. Do you know what it means to respect a baby as a person? We’ll answer that
question when we return to this scene later.
This book is based on a philosophy of infant-toddler care and education that is
summarized in a curriculum or framework of 10 principles for practice. The philoso-
phy comes from the work of two pioneers in infant-toddler care and education: Emmi
Pikler and Magda Gerber. Pikler was a Hungarian pediatrician and researcher who
got started in group care in 1946 after World War II by creating an orphanage for
children under age three. Called the Pikler Institute today, the program is still running
under the direction of Dr. Pikler’s daughter, Anna Tardos. Magda Gerber, friend and
colleague of Pikler, brought what she knew to the United States in 1956 and eventu-
ally started a program called Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE). Her followers
across the United States and elsewhere have been training caregivers and parents
since 1976. Although Pikler’s approach and Gerber’s philosophy are not identical,
they are in tune with each other.
Relationships, Interactions, and the Three Rs

Relationship is a key term in infant-toddler care and education. In the opening
scene you saw an example of how interactions like the one between Caitlin and the
adult caregiver can lead to a close relationship built on respect. Relationships
between caregivers1 and very young children don’t just happen. They grow from a
number of interactions. So interaction—the effect that one person has on
another—is another key term. But relationships don’t grow from just any kind of
interactions; they grow from those that are respectful, responsive, and reciprocal.
You can think of them as the three Rs of infant-toddler care and education, or
three-R interactions. The caregiver’s interaction with Caitlin was obviously
responsive—the caregiver responded to the child and the child to the caregiver.
The responses were linked in a reciprocal way, that is, a give-and-take kind of way,
Reflect forming a chain of interaction, with each response triggered by the previous one
When were you in- and leading into the next response by the other person. The difference between
volved in a respectful, responsive and reciprocal may be hard to understand. When a caregiver is respon-
responsive, and recipro- sive, it means he or she pays attention to what the infant initiates and replies to it.
cal interaction? De- Reciprocal is a whole chain of responses going back and forth between the care-
scribe what that was
giver and the baby. Each response is dependent on the one that came before it.
like. Then contrast that
description with an ex- What was respectful about them?
perience you’ve had Behaviors indicating respect may not be as obvious as those indicating respon-
with a disrespectful, un- siveness and reciprocation. Did you notice that the caregiver walked up to Caitlin
responsive, nonrecipro- in a way that enabled the child to see her coming? The caregiver consciously
cal interaction. What are
slowed her pace and made contact before checking to see if Caitlin needed a dia-
the implications of your
experiences for working per change. It’s not uncommon to observe caregivers rush over and swoop up a
with infants and baby unexpectedly and start feeling the diaper without a word of acknowledgment
toddlers? to the person inside the diaper. Imagine how you would feel if you were the baby.
chapter 1 Principles, Practice, and Curriculum 5
That’s disrespectful. Instead, Caitlin’s caregiver initiated a conversation by talk-

ing to Caitlin. She kept it going by responding to Caitlin’s smiles and coos. She
also talked to Caitlin about what she was going to do before she did it. This scene
illustrates a responsive interaction chain that is the basis of effective caregiving.
A number of interactions such as this kind of diaper changing build a partnership.
This feeling of being part of a team instead of an object to be manipulated is vital
to wholesome development. Reciprocal interactions like these promote attach-
ment between caregiver and child. Another benefit from a series of such interac-
tions is that the baby develops a cooperative spirit. Newcomers who observe at
the Pikler Institute are surprised to see babies in their first weeks of life demon-
strate cooperation. And that spirit of cooperation doesn’t go away—it becomes a
lasting habit!
Caregiving Routines as Opportunities

for Three-R Interactions
It is no coincidence that the first example in this book is of an interaction involving
diapering. There’s a message here. Relationships develop through all kinds of inter-
actions, but especially during ones that happen while adults are carrying out those
essential activities of daily living sometimes called caregiving routines. Think about
how diapering is a time when caregivers and children are in a one-on-one situation.
If you count all the diaperings in a child’s life, the total probably comes to some-
where between 4,000 and 5,000. Imagine the opportunities that will be lost if adults
focus only on the activity, regard it as a chore, and don’t bother to interact with the
child. And that happens a lot because a common diapering practice is to distract the
child somehow—often with a toy or something interesting to look at. Then the care-
giver focuses on the chore, manipulating the child’s body, and hurrying to get fin-
ished. This is the opposite of what we advocate.
It may seem that anyone who is warm and friendly can care for infants and that
anyone with patience and nurturing qualities can work with toddlers. Certainly those
are valuable characteristics in caregivers, but caring for children under three involves
more than just going by instinct or by what seems to work. Going back to that open-
ing scene, perhaps you can see that the caregiver was doing more than just what felt
right. She had training in a particular way of caregiving. In fact, what you saw was a
caregiver whose training was influenced by RIE, the program Magda Gerber created.
You saw a caregiver who could have been trained either at RIE, or at the Pikler Insti-
tute in Budapest.
Ten Principles Based on a Philosophy of Respect

Now let’s look at the 10 principles that underlie this book, principles that come from
the work of Magda Gerber who began formulating them in the 1970s:
1. Involve infants and toddlers in things that concern them. Don’t work around
them or distract them to get the job done faster.
NAEYC Program
2. Invest in quality time, when you are totally available to individual infants and
Standards 1, 2, 3
toddlers. Don’t settle for supervising groups without focusing (more than just
Relationships,
briefly) on individual children.
Curriculum, Teaching
3. Learn each child’s unique ways of communicating (cries, words, movements,
gestures, facial expressions, body positions) and teach yours. Don’t underesti-
mate children’s ability to communicate even though their verbal language
skills may be nonexistent or minimal.
4. Invest time and energy to build a total person (concentrate on the “whole
child”). Don’t focus on cognitive development alone or look at it as separate
from total development.
5. Respect infants and toddlers as worthy people. Don’t treat them as objects or
cute little empty-headed people to be manipulated.
6. Be honest about your feelings around infants and toddlers. Don’t pretend to
feel something that you don’t or not to feel something that you do.
7. Model the behavior you want to teach. Don’t preach.
8. Recognize problems as learning opportunities, and let infants and toddlers try
to solve their own. Don’t rescue them, constantly make life easy for them, or
try to protect them from all problems.
9. Build security by teaching trust. Don’t teach distrust by being undependable
or often inconsistent.
10. Be concerned about the quality of development in each stage. Don’t rush in-
fants and toddlers to reach developmental milestones.
Let’s look further into each of the principles.
Principle 1: Involve Infants and Toddlers

in Things That Concern Them
Caitlin isn’t just the recipient of her caregiver’s actions; she’s a participant in what
happens to her. She and her caregiver do things together. If the caregiver had given
Caitlin a toy to play with to keep her occupied while she changed her diaper, the whole
tone of the scene would have been different. The partnership would have vanished, and
in its place would have been a distracted child and a caregiver dealing with a damp
bottom and a wet diaper instead of a whole child. Or if she had distracted Caitlin with
other sorts of entertainment, the caregiver still would have had Caitlin’s attention, but
the focus would have been on fun and games rather than on the task at hand.
The caregiver’s primary goal in this scene was to keep Caitlin involved in the
interaction as well as focused on her own body and on what was happening to it.
Diapering then became an “educational experience,” through which Caitlin increased
attention span, body awareness, and cooperation. A number of experiences like these
give Caitlin an education in human relations from which she can build her whole
outlook toward life and people.
There is a rumor that infants and toddlers have short attention spans. Some people
say they can’t pay attention to anything for very long. You can test that rumor for
yourself. Watch an infant or toddler who is actually involved in something that
concerns and interests him. Clock the amount of time spent on the task or event. You
may be surprised at what a long attention span infants and toddlers have when they
are interested, because they are involved.
Principle 2: Invest in Quality Time

The scene between Caitlin and her caregiver is a good example of one kind of quality
time. The caregiver was fully present. That is, she was attending to what was going on; Reflect
her thoughts were not somewhere else. Think about the benefits
of quality time for an in-
Two Types of Quality Time Magda Gerber called the kind of quality time illustrated fant. Can you remember
by the diapering scene wants-something quality time. The adult and child a time when someone
was fully available to
are involved in a task the caregiver has set up. Diapering, feeding, bathing, and you without being
dressing fit into this category of quality time. If the caregiver pays attention to the directive? What was that
child and asks in return that the child pay attention, the amount of wants-something like for you? Can you
quality time mounts up. In child care programs this can provide the one-to- understand from your
one interactions that may be difficult to attain in a group setting. Wants-something own experience how
that might benefit an
quality time is educational. Examples of this kind of quality time occur throughout infant?
the book.
Another kind of equally important quality time is what Magda Gerber called
wants-nothing quality time. This happens when caregivers make themselves avail-
able without directing the action—for instance, just sitting near babies, fully avail-
able and responsive but not in charge. Just being with toddlers while they play,
responding rather than initiating, describes this type of quality time.
Floor time is a variation of wants-nothing quality time that the Child-Family
Study Center at the University of California at Davis uses in their toddler program.
Floor time is a concept they credit to Stanley Greenspan’s work. When a toddler is
exhibiting difficult behavior, instead of putting her in time-out and trying to ignore
her, the caregivers do the opposite. They don’t withdraw attention; they give more.
The child is given a half hour of one-to-one time with an adult whose sole goal is to
be responsive to that child and that child alone. The adult sits on the floor, available
to the child. The environment is conducive to play, as there are interesting toys within
reach. The adult has no plan or expectation but just waits to see what the child will
do and then responds. This is the opposite of the common approach in programs
where teachers and caregivers become even more directive rather than less in the face
of difficult behavior.
The adults at the Child-Family Study Center are directive only when they remove
the child from the classroom. They explain where they are going, but use no shame
and no punishing overtones. Floor time may seem like being sent to the principal’s
office, but it’s more like play therapy. However, the staff members aren’t therapists,
and floor time isn’t therapy. It’s merely wants-nothing quality time. For a half hour
the child is given total attention.
Does the child become “spoiled” with such lavish attention? No. According to
reports, this approach works miracles. Its effectiveness seems to lie in the fact that it
meets the child’s needs.
Many psychotherapists attest to the benefits of being fully present to another per-
son without being directive; yet most of us seldom get this kind of attention from the
people in our lives. Think for a moment of the delight of having someone’s whole
attention at your command for more than a moment or so.
This kind of quality time is easy to give, but often not understood or valued. Care-
givers just sitting on the floor where babies and toddlers are playing sometimes feel
as though they are not doing their job. They want to play the role of teachers, which
they interpret as “teaching something.” It is very hard for most adults to be around
small children and not be directive. Being receptive and responsive is a skill most
adults need to learn; it doesn’t seem to come naturally.
Another kind of quality time—perhaps the most commonly understood
kind—is shared activity. The initiating mode moves back and forth between adult
and child during playtimes as the two enjoy each other’s company. These times
are often rewarding for the caregiver in ways that the other two kinds of quality
time are not.
The Right Amount of Quality Time An interesting aspect of quality time is that a
little goes a long way. No one wants (or can stand) intense interaction all the time.
An important skill to develop is reading a baby’s cues that say, “I’ve had enough!
Please leave me alone.” Some younger babies say it by turning away—or even
going to sleep. Children (and adults) need to be private sometimes. Although pri-
vacy is not an issue with all families, for some it is a strong cultural value. In infant-
toddler programs and in family child care, time alone is hard to attain. Some children
manage to be alone only by sleeping. Others can focus inwardly and ignore what’s
going on around them. The adult can help young children gain private time by provid-
ing small spaces.
When people never have time alone, they get it by drifting off, by not paying atten-
tion, by being elsewhere mentally if not physically. This attitude becomes a habit, so
that when this person spends time with others, he or she is “only half there.” “Half-
there” time, even lots of it, never equals “all-there” time.
Being able to “turn off ” is an issue for both caregivers and infants and toddlers.
No adult can be expected to be completely present and responsive to others all day,
every day. Both adults’ and babies’ needs must be provided for in programs if the
adults are to be effective caregivers.
Of course, every person’s life is filled with time that is neither quality time nor
private time. Children have to learn to live in a busy world of people. They are bound
to be ignored or worked around sometimes. The point is that there is a difference
between quality time and other kinds of time and that all children deserve and need
some quality time in their lives.
Quality time is built into the daily routine when diapering, dressing, and feeding
become occasions for close one-to-one interactions. In group care, when a caregiver
is responsible for several babies or a small group of toddlers, paying attention to just
one child may be difficult unless caregivers free each other up by taking turns super-
vising the rest of the children. It is up to the director to ensure that each caregiver be
freed at times from responsibility for children other than the one she is changing
or feeding. That means that it must be permissible, and even encouraged, for a
caregiver to focus on just one child.
In family child care where there is no other adult, the caregiver has no one else to
turn to when she feeds or diapers a baby. But caregivers can still focus on just one
child by setting up a safe environment and encouraging the rest of the children to play
on their own. Of course, the caregiver must still keep a watchful eye on the group—a
skill that can be developed with practice. It’s amazing to watch an experienced care-
giver give full attention to one child but still manage to catch a dangerous or forbid-
den action going on in another part of the room.
Principle 3: Learn Each Child’s Unique Ways

of Communicating and Teach Yours
Notice how the communication between Caitlin and her caregiver worked. The Reflect
caregiver talked directly to Caitlin about what she was going to do, using body Think about someone
movements that matched her words. Caitlin used her body, facial expressions, and you know very well. Can
voice to communicate her responses. The caregiver responded to her responses by you picture some ways
interpreting, answering, and discussing. The caregiver did not carry on endless that person communi-
chatter. She said little, but what she said carried a lot of meaning, backed up by cates with you without
using words?
action. She is teaching Caitlin to listen, not tune out. She is teaching that talking
is communication, not distraction. She is teaching words and language in context,
by talking naturally, not repeating words over and over or using baby talk. She
also communicated with her body and with sounds other than words, and she
responded to Caitlin’s communication (sounds, facial expressions, and body
movements). The communication between Caitlin and her caregiver went way
beyond words.
No one knows a baby’s or toddler’s system as well as those people to whom he or
she is attached. For that reason (and others), programs for infants and toddlers should
encourage attachment between the children and the caregivers.
It’s also important to note here that each of us uses a system of body language that
is particular to our culture and, within the culture, that is specific to gender and per-
haps social class as well. Just one example is in the difference in how men and women
in white, European-derived North American culture cross their legs. Another exam-
ple is the contrasting walk between the African American man and the African
American woman. These are unconscious positions and movements, but members of
the culture know them well. Children learn the rudiments of culturally based nonver-
bal communication from adults in their lives, as well as creating their own specific
body language.
Eventually babies come to depend more on words to express themselves in addi-
tion to other means of communication. They learn to express needs, wants, ideas, and
feelings more and more clearly. They also learn to enjoy language for itself—to play
with words, phrases, and sounds. Adult reactions and encouragement to use language
facilitate their development. By late toddlerhood most children can express them-
selves in words, though, of course, they continue to use nonverbal communication
throughout their lives.
Video Observation 1
Baby Crying
See Video Observation 1: Baby Crying for an illustration of some of the principles
in Chapter 1. You’ll see a baby on a blanket crying. This is not a unique way of
communicating, but it is communication. The caregiver comes around to pick the
baby up. Notice how she comes from the front rather than approaching from the side
or rear. That’s a sign of respect, so she won’t surprise the baby.
Questions
•• How does the baby communicate that she needs something?

•• How does the caregiver prepare the baby to be picked up?
•• Notice that the baby is lying on her back. Do you know why? If not, you’ll find out
as you read further in the book.
To view this clip, please access the Instructor Resources through Connect.
It is important to recognize that some cultures value and depend on verbal

exchanges more than others. European Americans tend to use direct communication.
Because babies can’t talk (in fact, the origin of the word infant can be traced back
through Middle English to Old French, where it is a combination of in [“not”] and
fans [“speaking”]), researchers at the University of California at Davis discovered
that they could introduce direct communication to babies by teaching a gesturing
system called baby signs.2 Caregivers from highly verbal cultures need to be extra
sensitive to children who use a good deal of nonverbal communication instead
of words.3
Young children should see adults using words that match their nonverbal
communication. If the face and body movements say one thing and the words say
something else, children are receiving double messages, which get in the way of
true communication. They not only have problems deciding which to believe, but also
they model after the adult and thus learn to give double messages themselves.
Clear communication is important.
Principle 4: Invest Time and Energy to Build a Total Person

Recent brain research supports the goal of building a total person instead of concen-
trating on cognitive development alone. Because of all the talk about school-
readiness, some parents realize that the early years are important ones in intellectual
growth. Whether or not they have heard about the brain research, they may expect to
see some evidence that caregivers are providing “cognitive activities.” Their concept
of cognitive activities may be based on what they know about preschool. They may
expect caregivers to teach such concepts as colors, shapes, and even numbers and
letters through an activity approach.
On the other side, caregivers, also concerned with intellectual development, may
think that the way to promote it is through specialized equipment, exercises, or activ-
ities. Books and programs are readily available to, as they say, “stimulate cognitive
development.” Catalogs and stores are full of toys, equipment, and gadgets adver-
tised as making babies smarter. Of course, providing a rich environment with inter-
esting things to do is desirable. And, yes, it can promote cognitive development. But
be careful about falling into the trap of thinking that you can stimulate cognitive
development without working on physical, social, and emotional development at the
same time. It isn’t the clever little toys that you provide or the so-called learning
activities you do with the children that make a difference. It’s the day-to-day living,
the relationships, the experiences, the diaperings, the feedings, the toilet training, and
the free play and exploration that contribute to intellectual development. And those
same experiences help the child grow physically, socially, and emotionally as well.
Think of how rich the experience of diapering will be for Caitlin. She will
be immersed in sensory input—visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory. How often are
caregivers and parents told to hang a mobile over the changing table so that the dia-
pering can be an “educational experience.” How limited an experience a mobile pro-
vides compared with what Caitlin will enjoy with her respectful, responsive,
reciprocal caregiver without something overhead to distract her.
Principle 5: Respect Infants and Toddlers as Worthy People

Respect was not a word usually used with very young children until Magda Gerber
introduced this concept. Usually worries about respect go the other way, as adults
demand (or wish for) children to respect them. There is no better way to gain respect
for yourself than to model it for children.
What does it mean to respect a child? The diapering scene provides an example.
Before the caregiver did anything to Caitlin, she explained what would happen. Just
as a respectful nurse warns you before putting a cold instrument on your skin, so
Caitlin’s caregiver prepared her for what was to come. Until you realize the differ-
ence, the natural tendency is to pick up a child without saying anything. Babies are
often carried around like objects, even when they are old enough to walk and talk.
Adults often pick a child up and put him or her in a chair or stroller without a word.
That kind of action is not respectful.
To clarify the concept of respecting an infant, try imagining how a nurse would
move a fairly helpless patient from a bed to a wheelchair. Then just change the play-
ers and imagine one is a caregiver and one is an infant. Except for the size and weight
involved, if the adult is treating the infant with respect, the scene should look much
the same.
To better understand the concept of respecting a toddler, imagine you have just
seen a man fall off a ladder. Think how you would respond. Even if you are strong
enough, you would probably not rush over and set him back on his feet. You’d start
talking first, asking if he was hurt or needed help. You’d probably extend a hand if he
indicated he was all right and started getting up. You’d comfort him if that was called
for. Most people have no trouble responding respectfully to an adult.
Why then do adults rush over and pick up a fallen toddler without a moment’s
pause? Why not see first what it is the toddler needs? Maybe all that is required
is some reassurance—not physical help. Perhaps the child is angry or embar-
rassed and needs an adult who can accept those feelings and allow expression of
them. Perhaps the toddler needs nothing and without adult interference will get
up and go about his business on his own. More aspects of respect come out in the
next scene.
Twelve-month-old Brian is sitting at a low table with several other children eating a piece
of banana. He is obviously enjoying the experience in more ways than one. He has
squashed the banana in his hand and crammed it in his mouth, and it is now oozing out
between his teeth. He is relishing it. He reaches for his mouth with the very last piece
and, plop, it falls on the ground. He stretches out a hand for it, but the caregiver is
quicker. “I’m sorry, Brian, but the banana is dirty now. I can’t let you eat it.” Brian’s eyes
open wide, his mouth drops open, and a sorrowful wail comes forth. “That’s all the ba-
nana we have,” the caregiver adds as Brian reaches out to her for more. She sits back
down at the table after having disposed of the dropped piece. She offers him a cracker,
saying, “We’re out of bananas, but you can have a cracker instead.” Brian rejects the of-
fered cracker. Aware now that he will get no more, he begins to scream.
“I see how unhappy you are,” says the caregiver calmly but with genuine compassion.
“I wish I had more banana to give you,” she adds. Brian’s screams become more piercing,
and he begins to kick his feet. The caregiver remains silent, looking at him as if she really
cares about his feelings.
The other children at the table are having various reactions to this scene. The caregiver
turns to them and explains, “Brian lost his banana, and he didn’t like it.” She turns back to
Brian. He continues to cry. The caregiver waits. Sobbing, he gets off his chair, toddles
over to her, and buries his head in her lap. She touches him on the back, stroking him
soothingly. When he has quieted down, she says, “You need to wash your hands now.” He
doesn’t move. She waits. Then gently she repeats, “You need to wash your hands, Brian.
I’ll come with you,” she adds. Turning the table over to another caregiver, she gets up and
walks slowly across the floor with Brian. Brian is licking globs of banana from his fin-
gers. A last sob escapes from his lips as he reaches the sink.
The caregiver respected Brian’s right to have feelings and to express them.4 She
offered support without gushing sympathy. Because she did not distract him with
great amounts of warmth or entertainment, he was able to pay attention to what was
going on inside himself. He was learning that it was all right to respond honestly to
the situation.
Sometimes adult attention is so rewarding that children associate anger, frustra-
tion, or sorrow with attention. They use their feelings to manipulate. We would all be
better off to ask directly for what we need than to use emotional displays to get hugs
and touching. That’s why the caregiver remained available but let Brian indicate what
he needed. She did not pick him up but let him come to her. When he was ready for
comfort, she was there to give it to him, but it didn’t come so early that he was not
able to express himself.
Following are some examples of less respectful ways to respond to Brian.
“Stop that screaming—that’s nothing to get so upset about—you were almost finished
anyway.”
“Poor little Brian, let’s go play with the doggie that you like so much—look, Brian—
see him bark—bow-wow!”
Principle 6: Be Honest about Your Feelings

In the last scene the child was encouraged to recognize his feelings. He was angry,
and he was not asked to pretend to be something else. What about adults? Is it all
right for caregivers to express their anger to young children? Yes. Children in child
care need to be around real people, not warm, empty role-players. Part of being a real
person is getting angry, scared, upset, and nervous now and then. Here is a scene
showing a caregiver expressing anger:
A caregiver has just separated two children who were coming to blows over a toy. “I can’t
let you hurt Amber,” she says to Shawn, who is 18 months old. She has him firmly but
gently by the arm when he turns to her and spits in her face. Her expression changes from
calm to anger, and she takes his other arm as well. Looking him right in the eyes, she says
clearly, but with emotion in her voice, “I don’t like that, Shawn. I don’t want you to spit at
me.” She lets go, stands up, turns her back, and walks away. When she is a few steps
away, she gives a quick glance back to see what he is doing. He hasn’t moved, so she
walks to the sink and washes her face. She keeps an eye out to make sure he doesn’t re-
turn to hitting Amber. By the time she comes back, she is calm. Shawn is climbing up the
slide, and things have returned to normal.
This caregiver was saying honestly what effect Shawn’s action had on her. Notice
how she expressed her feelings. She didn’t put on such a show that it encouraged him
to do it again for his own entertainment—a problem that can occur when displays of
adult anger are dramatic and lengthy. She didn’t blame, accuse, judge, or belittle
Shawn. She merely verbalized her feelings and connected them clearly to the situa-
tion. She let Shawn know what made her angry and stopped him from continuing the
action. Having expressed herself, she left the scene. In short, she neither masked her
feelings nor blew up.
Expressing her feelings seemed to have been enough to let Shawn know that this
behavior was unacceptable. She didn’t have to do anything further about it—this
time, at least. If it occurs again, she may have to do something more than just tell
Shawn how she feels.
Compare the reaction of this caregiver with the times you’ve seen people angry
with a child, yet smiling and talking in a honeyed voice. Imagine the difficulty a child
has in reconciling the two sets of messages at the same time.
Principle 7: Model the Behavior You Want to Teach

All the caregivers in the previous scenes have been modeling behavior that is accept-
able for children as well as adults. You’ve seen examples of cooperation, respect,
honest feelings, and communication. Take a look at how this principle works in a
more difficult situation—when aggression is involved.
Shawn and Amber are struggling over a rag doll again. A caregiver starts to move near
them. Before he reaches the pair, Shawn reaches out and gives Amber a slap on the arm.
She lets out a wail. The caregiver kneels on the floor before the two children. His face is
calm; his movements are slow and careful. He reaches out and touches Shawn, rubbing
his arm on the same spot where he hit Amber. “Gently, Shawn, gently.” At the same
time he strokes Amber. Shawn remains silent. Amber continues to wail. The caregiver
touches her again. “You got hit, didn’t you, Amber? It hurt!” Amber stops crying and
looks at him. All three are silent for a moment. The caregiver waits. Shawn clutches the
doll and starts to walk away with it. Amber grabs it. The caregiver remains silent until
Shawn raises his arm to hit again. “I can’t let you hurt Amber,” he says, catching the arm
midair. He touches him softly. “Gently, gently.” Amber suddenly jerks the doll and Shawn
lets go unexpectedly. Taking the doll in triumph, she starts across the room. Shawn looks
sad, but remains in the same spot. The caregiver stays near. “She has the doll,” he ob-
serves. Amber sees a ball at her feet, drops the doll, and picks up the ball. She throws it
and runs after it giggling. Shawn moves quickly over to the doll, picks it up, holds it
tenderly, and coos to it. The scene ends with both children playing contentedly, and the
caregiver is no longer needed.
Notice how this caregiver modeled gentleness—the behavior he wished to teach.

A more common approach when an adult arrives on the scene of a dispute is to treat
the children with even more aggression than they have been displaying themselves.
“I’ll teach you to play rough,” growls the adult, jerking the child by the arm and
squeezing it. This approach models the very behavior the adult is trying to eliminate.
Luckily he didn’t shake the child because he knew that was dangerous and could
cause harm.
The caregiver in the Shawn-versus-Amber scene knew that both children needed
assurance that control would be provided when needed. It is frightening to both
aggressor and victim when there is no protecting adult around to stop the violent
action. The aggressor needs to be dealt with gently and nonjudgmentally. The victim
needs to be dealt with empathetically but not sympathetically (that is, acknowledging
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The Project Gutenberg eBook of L'incantesimo
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Title: L'incantesimo
romanzo
Author: Enrico Annibale Butti
Release date: November 6, 2023 [eBook #72053]
Language: Italian
Original publication: Milano: Treves, 1897
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK

L'INCANTESIMO ***
L’INCANTESIMO.
E. A. BUTTI
L’INCANTESIMO
ROMANZO.
MILANO
FRATELLI TREVES, EDITORI
1897.
PROPRIETÀ LETTERARIA
Riservati tutti i diritti, compreso in Isvezia e in
Norvegia.
Tip. Fratelli Treves.
INDICE
ALLA MEMORIA SACRA DELLA MAMMA
4 gennaio 1895.
I.
LA SIRENA.
Nota dell’Autore.
Le idee politiche e sociali, attribuite al protagonista di questo

romanzo, sono state attinte in gran parte dagli articoli che il
compianto conte Alberto Sormani pubblicò nella Idea Liberale.
Debbo anzi soggiungere che il concetto fondamentale dell’opera
nacque e si svolse in me sùbito dopo la morte del carissimo e
nobilissimo compagno, avvenuta nella estate dell’anno 1893, —
morte che tante e sì belle speranze troncò, disperdendo, per un
oscuro capriccio del Destino, una moltitudine di possibilità
insolitamente lusinghiere.
Ne L’Incantesimo non è la Morte che distrugge. Un altro gran fatto
della Vita esercita razione dissolvitrice su l’individuo, un altro fatto
elementare, generale e continuo — come la Morte — che agisce
forse con minore lestezza, ma certo con uguale intensità e
altrettanta efficacia.
Queste cose ho voluto dire, innanzi tutto per ricordare in fronte alla
mia opera il nome dell’amico perduto, che l’ha ispirata; e poi anche,
per mettere in guardia il lettore su la conclusione di questa prima
parte, conclusione che non è definitiva.
E. A. B.
I.
L’apparizione.
Una campanella acuta e stridula singhiozzò ostinatamente nel

silenzio.
Il giovine conte Aurelio Imberido, allo squillo subitaneo, si scosse
con un moto brusco su la sedia a sdrajo, dov’era caduto in sopore
mentre studiava e meditava con un grosso volume di economia
politica tra le mani; fissò per un attimo, istintivamente, gli occhi ancor
torpidi su la pagina aperta del libro; poi lo scagliò d’un tratto lontano,
verso una tavoletta d’ebano già tutta ingombra di fascicoli e di fogli
scritti. Il libro cadde a terra in piatto, sollevando un romor secco
d’esplosione e un nuvolo di polvere.
Era l’ora del tramonto: dalle stecche delle persiane richiuse, un livido
chiarore penetrava a pena nella camera, come una triste luce lunare.
A poco a poco l’aria ambiente era andata imbrunendo durante il
sonno del giovine, e al richiamo della campanella questi con suo
ingrato stupore s’era trovato là disteso e immemore, avvolto in una
semioscurità che non gli permetteva più di distinguere i caratteri del
libro in lettura. Egli ebbe nel levarsi un gesto d’ira, quasi di sdegno
contro il suo frale organismo che gli aveva rubato per riposarsi un
tempo prezioso; e si diresse a passi concitati verso il vano del
balconcino.
Spalancò le persiane con violenza, e uscì fuori all’aperto. La stanza
da studio guardava a levante, incontro alla collina e al vecchio
giardino del palazzo dagli alti abeti, dai grandi cedri svettati, dalle
innumerevoli statue bianche. In quel chiuso paesaggio i rossori del
tramonto non mandavano un riflesso; ogni tinta vi si ammorbidiva,
assumendo tonalità viepiù discrete e quietanti.
Il cielo appariva già cupo, sebben non anche solcato da stella; le
piante nell’orto, le vigne serpeggianti lungo i lividi scaglioni, le
praterie presso i culmini parevan fresche e umide come dopo una
pioggia; soltanto, dietro la linea pacata dei colli, la nuda solitaria
piramide del Sasso del Ferro si slanciava verso l’azzurro, ancor
rosea e calda dell’ultimo bacio solare.
Aurelio, appoggiato con le braccia alla ringhiera, guardò la montagna
luminosa con uno sguardo corrucciato, in cui una punta d’invidia
pareva. Era pertinace il suo dispetto; egli non poteva perdonarsi
quelle due ore d’incoscienza, che il suo corpo aveva pur dritto
d’esigere dopo una notte insonne. La sua paradossale opposizione
alle leggi della Natura aveva sofferto un’altra piccola sconfitta: egli
s’era imposto di studiare fino all’ora del pranzo, e non l’aveva potuto
perché il sonno gli era piombato sopra d’improvviso, strappandolo
alla sua volontà. — Il giovine, com’era abituato dalla solitudine e
dalla vita contemplativa alle riflessioni larghe e sintetiche, pensò a
questo duello strano, disperante che la sua tempra di ribelle gli
imponeva anche contro l’Invincibile; e sorrise mestamente, non
senza però un certo fondo di simpatia e d’ammirazione per la sua
bellicosa debolezza.
Aurelio Imberido contava a quel tempo venticinque anni o poco più.
Di statura media e alquanto esile, se non eran le sue forme
complessive quelle del perfetto tipo virile, aveva egli bensì una testa
singolarmente nobile, che sola bastava a designarlo come il prodotto
d’una razza superiore, diretta da secoli per una serie di generazioni
progressive verso le sommità della Specie. Il naso lungo, profilato,
regolarissimo, partiva dalla fronte estesa, alta e ben lunata,
disegnando una linea diritta, a pena un po’ prona su la fine; la bocca
era larga, sincera, senza pieghe malinconiche o amare; sotto la
breve barba nera a punta, il mento e l’arco dell’osso mascellare, a
bastanza sviluppati, chiudevano armonicamente ed energicamente
l’ovale del suo viso. Contrastavano con la forza e la purezza di tutti i
suoi lineamenti gli occhi e il color della pelle: gli occhi piccoli e
glauchi, che parevan coperti come da una tenue velatura lattea, nel
rossore delle palpebre e della cornea accese da un’ostinata
infiammazione; il color della pelle, ch’era femmineo, bianchissimo,
anzi pallido, d’un pallor tenero e unito senza irradiazioni rosee e
senza livide ombre.
Il portamento altero del capo, la foga del gesto, certi sguardi
profondi, investigatori, talvolta quasi molesti nella loro velata fissità,
l’uso assiduo d’abiti oscuri e di cappelli flosci caratterizzavan così la
sua persona, che vista una sola volta non si poteva dimenticare mai
più.
Estremo discendente d’una famiglia aristocratica, che aveva dato
alla storia più nomi illustri di capitani e di diplomatici, il conte
Imberido dai primi anni di giovinezza aveva sentito il bisogno di
dominare, di farsi largo tra la folla, d’empire il mondo della sua
persona e delle sue virtù. La sua famiglia, un tempo doviziosissima,
aveva attraversato nell’ultimo secolo un periodo disastroso: le
rivoluzioni avevan sottratto gran parte delle antiche ricchezze all’avo
suo Gian Franco, morto gloriosamente in esilio dopo aver sacrificato
ai nuovi ideali democratici anche le tradizioni della sua stirpe,
sposando per amore la figlia d’un martire, povera e di modestissime
origini. Il padre suo Alessandro, superbo e sensuale, forse per
nascondere la sua ruina agli altri e a sè stesso, aveva sperperato in
lusso e in vizii il resto del patrimonio avito e quasi intera la dote della
moglie, un’assai nobile donna che il primo parto aveva condotta
irrimediabilmente al sepolcro. In fine anch’egli, ebete e distrutto,
s’era spento ancor giovine, lasciando nelle strettezze il figliuolo poco
più che trilustre e la vecchia madre sessantenne.
Aurelio rimase così, orfano e quasi miserabile, erede d’una secolare
tradizion di grandezza, in faccia all’avvenire fosco e minaccioso. Il
suo spirito si temprò nella sventura e nell’abbandono. Egli comprese
sùbito che lo studio, solamente lo studio nei tempi nostri avrebbe
potuto renderlo degno del suo nome e capace di riaccendere intorno
a questo una nuova aureola di superiorità e di potenza. Si nudrì
adunque di letture varie e profonde, esercitò il suo ingegno in ogni
campo dello scibile, sviluppò le sue preziose facoltà con le
meditazioni più acute e le ricerche più diligenti. E, sfuggendo ogni
occasione di svago e di riposo, s’appartò in una specie di chiostro
intellettuale dove gli echi del mondo non gli giungevan che affiochiti
come voci sotterranee e irreali.
Fu in una siffatta solitudine che si precisarono a poco a poco le sue
ingenite tendenze di dominatore: gli insegnamenti della filosofia
positiva e sopra tutto quelli della sociologia e dell’economia politica
gli aprirono un vasto orizzonte d’azione e di ridenti possibilità. Eran
le lotte della vita pubblica, che lo chiamavano, che promettevano al
suo sogno d’effettuarsi: per esse non avrebbe mancato, con la sua
intelligenza, la sua coltura e la sua forza morale, di togliersi
dall’oscurità in cui era immeritatamente caduto e divenire una
persona insigne, un condottiere d’uomini inermi, come già qualche
suo avo era stato d’uomini armati.
Uscì a vent’anni, gravido di scienza e d’illusioni, dalla sua biblioteca,
dove omai gli pareva di soffocare, e si gittò tosto perdutamente nella
mischia, tra la folla, alla dolorosa conquista d’una gloria. La sua
ingenua sincerità, la singolarità delle sue idee, lo splendore della sua
dottrina non tardarono ad attirare su lui l’attenzione malevola di tutti
quanti già combattevano nella lizza politica, sciupati dal contagio
popolare, corrotti dall’esperienza, avvelenati da una vanità
insodisfatta o dalle umili esigenze della vita quotidiana. La Rivista di
sociologia, ch’egli aveva fondata con quattro o cinque coetanei
trascinati dal vento del suo entusiasmo, fu accolta da costoro con
l’indifferenza beffarda che schiaccia senza toccare: essi risero
discretamente alle sue spalle, malignarono un poco sul suo gran
nome e su la sua povertà, lo giudicarono uno spirito eccentrico e
malfermo, poi continuarono tranquilli la loro via senza più curarsi di
lui o di quanto egli scrivesse.
Questo primo insuccesso tra le persone più autorevoli della città non
fece che spronare il giovine a proseguir la sua campagna con
maggior pertinacia e con miglior discernimento: abituato in solitudine
a giudicar tutto e tutti indipendentemente dall’opinione comune, egli
si sentì onorato dalla sorda ostilità e dal disdegno, che gli venivan
tributati da gente ambigua, spregevole, senza coltura e senza
convinzioni di sorta. E, più che non mai fiducioso nel suo programma
che sapeva fondato sopra solide affermazioni della scienza e della
filosofia, si diede ben tosto a ricercare altrove il suo pubblico di
seguaci e d’ammiratori.
Era una grande opera di restaurazione sociale ch’egli aveva
meditata e voleva pazientemente iniziare. — Gli statuti, le leggi, le
formule correnti e le teorie preferite nei tempi nostri minacciavano,
secondo lui, il progresso avvenire della Specie, poiché tendevano a
soffocare la lotta per l’esistenza, a rinnegare il principio ereditario, a
distribuire i diritti e i poteri e i beni con criterii astrattamente numerici
in opposizione agli esempii della Natura. Le torbide condizioni della
società contemporanea, abbandonata omai all’arbitrio delle masse,
dipendevano sopra tutto dall’acquiescenza quasi criminosa delle
classi superiori, che avevano piegato il capo sotto la violenza o si
eran morbosamente commosse alle declamazioni e ai sofismi della
democrazia. Rassegnati o apóstati, gli uomini che, affinando il corpo
ed elevando lo spirito con le più aspre discipline, avevan già tenuto
nelle loro mani i destini della razza, erano in atto d’abbandonare
armi e insegne a coloro, che una lunga servitù e una secolare
ignoranza rendevano indegni nonché di governare e di giudicare gli
altri, anzi di godere della stessa loro libertà d’azione e di pensiero.
Occorreva dunque risvegliare dal letargo o dal sogno quei nobili
immemori della loro storia; occorreva chiamare sollecitamente a
raccolta tutti quelli che si erano adattati al presente stato di cose, per
debolezza, per inerzia o per disdegno; occorreva ricostituire una
nuova aristocrazia battagliera con i resti dell’antica e i doviziosi e gli
eletti, per arrestare a forze riunite il cammino della barbarie plebea,
ebra dei successi ottenuti, bramosa di devastazioni e di rapine.
Con un programma così audace e insolente, esposto però con sottile
abilità, senza precipitazione e senza intemperanza di parole, la
Rivista dell’Imberido trovò alfine un pubblico di curiosi e
d’apprezzatori laddove appunto egli desiderava, tra le persone cólte
e facoltose, tra gli uomini di scienza, tra i filosofi, tra gli artisti. La
cerchia dei collaboratori venne man mano allargandosi; la polemica
con gli avversarii, sopra tutto socialisti, s’accese vivace e cortese;
uno scambio elevato d’idee si determinò tra i due campi,
precisandone gli intendimenti, lumeggiandone la profonda
divergenza di principii, preludendo pacificamente alla gran lotta che i
tempi maturano e l’avvenire dovrà decidere in favore degli uni o degli
altri.
Ma il giovine non poteva appagarsi del successo di curiosità ottenuto
dal periodico, né della effimera nomea che gli davano i suoi articoli
succosi e cristallini. Egli voleva lasciare una traccia più notevole e
più duratura di sè; egli voleva organizzare in un libro il complesso
delle idee che spargeva disordinatamente e a seconda delle
occasioni nella Rivista.
Ottimo consiglio gli parve, poiché omai il periodico aveva conquistato
pubblico e fortuna, il ritrarsi dalla lotta viva, per qualche tempo; molto
più che la stagione calda incominciava, e la città era divenuta
intollerabile sotto un sole assiduo che fiaccava forza, volontà e
ingegno. Durante la sua assenza, i compagni senza difficoltà
avrebber potuto continuare l’opera da lui intrapresa, e al bisogno
egli, anche da lontano, li avrebbe sorvegliati e consigliati a dovere.
Dopo aver raccomandato la Rivista alla direzione d’uno de’ suoi più
ardenti collaboratori, il giovine avvocato Zaldini, egli, con un’enorme
cassa di libri e di carte, si ritirò in un piccolo villaggio del Verbano, a
Cerro, dove contava di passare l’estate e l’autunno in un assoluto
isolamento.
Il palazzo, di cui l’Imberido aveva preso a fitto soltanto l’ala sinistra,
era un antico monasterio divenuto più tardi dimora padronale.
Seduto maestosamente a mezzo del villaggio su un rialto erboso,
esso apriva le sue rade finestre e i suoi due rozzi balconi laterali a
una vista superba, di fronte alla massima estensione del lago, che ivi
s’ingolfa profondamente verso la valle del fiume Toce e le creste del
Sempione. Era un’architettura primitiva, quasi immutata dal tempo in
cui i monaci l’avevan costrutta: liscia, densa, disadorna nel suo
esterno, s’alleggeriva e s’aggraziava internamente dove un cortile
recinto da un doppio ordine di portici diceva ancora il gusto e la
possanza degli antichi proprietarii. Le stanze eran tutte a vólta,
semplicissime, ben quadrate, sebbene un po’ tenebrose per la
scarsità e l’angustia delle luci. A pian terreno un pertugio a mo’ di
grotta metteva in comunicazione il cortile col primo spianato d’un
giardino veramente mirabile.
Il palazzo confinava da una parte col letto d’un torrente sempre
gravido d’acque, dove i pallidi armenti scendevano al meriggio per
dissetarsi; dall’altra parte, con la piazza principale del Comune, una
ristretta superficie inclinata verso il lago, cui facevan corona alcuni
abituri addossati l’uno all’altro in disordine e l’umile prospetto della
chiesa parrocchiale. Il villaggio poi era quieto, muto, come
spopolato; un rifugio di pescatori insociabili, che parevan uscire
soltanto a vespro dalle dimore per mettere, su la riva già ottenebrata,
mobili profili neri, simili a fantasmi.
La campanella acuta e stridula squillò un’altra volta, anche più a
lungo nel silenzio. Aurelio, ch’era rimasto immobile al balconcino, gli
sguardi perduti nel vuoto, forse oppresso ancora dai residui della
sonnolenza, si scosse. Quel secondo richiamo era dedicato a lui
che, come d’abitudine, tardava a presentarsi alla mensa; ed egli,
dallo strappo vibrato, disuguale, sebbene un po’ debole, che moveva
la campana, riconobbe esser la nonna medesima che lo sollecitava.
Con un atto neghittoso si passò le mani su gli occhi, quasi si fosse
risvegliato in quel punto, rientrò a passo incerto nella camera già
invasa dall’ombra, raccattò il libro caduto a terra, e poi si risolse non
senza sforzo a discendere per il pranzo.
La mensa era preparata nel mezzo d’una gran sala umida e tetra a
pian terreno, assai più lunga che larga, le cui pareti tra le
scrostature, le livide macchie e le pallide emanazioni del salnitro
mostravan qua e là brani a pena decifrabili di pitture a fresco. Quella
piccola tavola rettangolare, così bianca nella bianca tovaglia su cui
piombavan concentrandosi di sotto al paralume opaco i raggi bronzei
della lampada, pareva fosforescente nella vasta oscurità del luogo.
Aurelio, dopo un breve indugio su la soglia, entrò.
Donna Marta, che stava già seduta al suo posto di fronte all’uscio e
mangiava, alzò il viso dalla scodella fumante per gittargli uno
sguardo gonfio di rimproveri. Era una vecchia donna d’oltre
settant’anni, magra, distrutta, rattrappita, pallida d’un pallor cereo,
quasi orrida nei lineamenti che l’età e l’indole impulsiva avevan
devastati: un gran naso aquilino, cartilaginoso, spiccava in maniera
grottesca nel mezzo della sua faccia; il mento, troppo forte e
sporgente, faceva sì che il labbro di sotto soverchiasse quello di
sopra fin quasi a coprirlo; i capelli grigi e copiosi, inanellati alla foggia
antica, ondeggiavanle a cernecchi intorno alle orecchie e su
l’occipite con una triste caricatura di giovinezza. Eppure ella non era
fastidiosa nè ripugnante a vedersi, specialmente se la si osservava
con un poco d’attenzione e di continuità. In fatti nel lampo degli
occhi, due grandi occhi nerissimi dilatati da una lunga malattia al
cuore, e nel facile sorriso che scopriva la dentatura ancor ricca, e
nella mobilità vertiginosa delle espressioni, donna Marta possedeva
una specie di grazia affascinante che accattivava la simpatia di
chiunque la conoscesse.
— È almeno mezz’ora che t’aspetto! — ella brontolò sordamente,
fissandolo con la faccia scura. — Come sempre, mi son dovuta
risolvere a pranzar sola. Nessuno al mondo, per tua norma, non mi
ha mai fatto aspettar tanto: nè il tuo povero padre, nè il mio povero
marito. Essi però mi rispettavano, mentre tu non hai proprio alcun
riguardo per me!...
Era la solita occhiata minacciosa che lo riceveva quand’egli
compariva in ritardo su quella soglia; eran le solite parole aspre con
le quali s’inaugurava troppo spesso il pasto familiare. Senz’aprir
bocca, con un lieve sorriso benevolente su le labbra, il giovine
sedette a tavola, versò flemmaticamente la sua parte di zuppa nella
scodella e incominciò a mangiare.
Egli aveva fatto l’abitudine a queste brusche accoglienze. Egli d’altra
parte sapeva che l’umore dell’avola non poteva avere stabilità e tra
poco ella medesima si sarebbe dimenticata d’essere in urto con lui.
In quel cervello bizzarro le idee, le imagini, le volizioni si
rincorrevano con una singolare rapidità, senza un nesso
determinato, per un principio di degenerazion nervosa che la
rendeva intollerante di qualunque stato fisso dello spirito. Tacere
adunque, in aspettazione della prossima crise psichica, era ancora il
miglior sistema per vivere in concordia e in armonia con lei.
Un silenzio seguì. Fu donna Marta che parlò prima; e parlò
amabilmente con la sua voce chiara e giovenile dei momenti buoni,
che tanto contrastava con la decrepitezza della sua figura.
— Aurelio, sai dunque la gran novità?
— Che novità? — domandò il giovine, sorridendo.
— Eh, càspita, sono arrivati i nostri vicini, or fa una mezz’ora. È stata
una festa per questo paese! Cerro è tutto in fermento: la spiaggia
d’avanti al palazzo sembra un magazzeno di casse, di cassette, di
bauli, di valige! Tu vedessi: la popolazione vi si è riversata in massa
per assistere allo sbarco, per prender parte all’opera di sgombero
che continua ancora. E il ricevimento degli ospiti fu clamoroso,
addirittura trionfale: ò visto alcune contadine che sventolavano i
fazzoletti, mentre i monelli grandi e piccini gittavano in aria i berretti,
urlando a squarciagola: «Evviva, evviva!» Ti garantisco: una scena
curiosa che mi à divertita più che a teatro!
La vecchia parlava assai forte, alternando le intonazioni basse della
voce con le acute, sottolineando le frasi con certi gesti enfatici che la
mettevan tutta scompostamente in agitazione. A ogni tratto però era
costretta a interrompersi per riprendere il fiato; e lo sforzo era
visibilmente penoso.
— E perché tanto chiasso per alcuni villeggianti che arrivano? —
chiese Aurelio con un’aria d’indifferenza. — Per noi non si è fatto
niente di simile, mi pare.
— Càspita, si capisce! Tutti li conoscono qui in paese: sono ormai
dieci anni che vengono a passar l’estate e l’autunno a Cerro. E poi
l’ingegnere, lo sai, è amministratore di tutte le possessioni che ha nei

Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers: A Curriculum of Respectful, Responsive, Relationship-Based Care and Education Dianne Widmeyer Eyer

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Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers: A Curriculum of Respectful, Responsive, Relationship-Based Care and Education Dianne Widmeyer Eyer

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Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers: A

Curriculum of Respectful, Responsive,

Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers: A Curriculum of

Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers 11th Edition – Ebook

Reading Picture Books with Infants and Toddlers:

Wongu2019s Nursing Care of Infants and Children 11th

Curriculum Development and Evaluation in Nursing

Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and

Mindful Homeschooling: A Beginner’s Guide for Education

Powers of Curriculum: Sociological Aspects of Education

Dianne Widmeyer Eyer

Educators, BANDTEC, a diversity trainers’ network, and serves on the board of

Resources for Caregivers xxix

part 1 Focus on the Caregiver 1

Principles, Practice, and Curriculum 3

Curriculum and Developmentally Appropriate Practice 18

Play and Exploration as Curriculum 69

part 2 Focus on the Child 89

Smell and Taste 116

Motor Skills 129

Cultural Differences, Bilingualism and Dual Language Learners 194

Social Skills 231

Stages of Psychosocial Development 234

part 3 Focus on the Program 251

The Physical Environment 253

Appropriate Environments for Toddlers 266

The Social Environment 283

© Lynne Doherty Lyle

Adult Relations in Infant-Toddler Care and

The Philosophy of Infants, Toddlers,

The Ten Principles: A Philosophy of Respect

A Focus on Application and Practice

Organization of the Text

A Focus on Diversity and Inclusion

New to the Eleventh Edition

II: Even Greater Focus on Play

III: “Screens” for Infants and Toddlers

IV: Language Development Research

3. Individually Appropriate Practice

Connect empowers students by continually

73% of instructors who use

More students earn A’s and

Over 8 billion questions have been

Cheryl Brecheisen, College of Southern Nevada

Available separately is The Caregiver’s Companion: Readings and Professional

“Cultural Differences in Sleeping “Strategies for Supporting Infants

Play and Exploration

Relationships, Interactions, and the Three Rs

That’s disrespectful. Instead, Caitlin’s caregiver initiated a conversation by talk-

Caregiving Routines as Opportunities

Ten Principles Based on a Philosophy of Respect

Principle 1: Involve Infants and Toddlers

Principle 2: Invest in Quality Time

Principle 3: Learn Each Child’s Unique Ways

© Lynne Doherty Lyle

•• How does the baby communicate that she needs something?

It is important to recognize that some cultures value and depend on verbal

Principle 4: Invest Time and Energy to Build a Total Person

Principle 5: Respect Infants and Toddlers as Worthy People

Principle 6: Be Honest about Your Feelings

Principle 7: Model the Behavior You Want to Teach

Notice how this caregiver modeled gentleness—the behavior he wished to teach.

Author: Enrico Annibale Butti