There is no time more valuable for development in the human lifespan than the critical first years. In infant classrooms, daily experiences focus on developmental domains or on the practice of a specific skill (infant accomplishments) and are prepared around spontaneous activities that are likely to occur in the context of daily care and routines. The Complete Resource Book for Infants is a collection of experiences and activities that maximize learning and development for children from birth to eighteen months. Experiences and activities are designed to support language, motor, social, emotional and cognitive growth and development. Activities are structured around the windows of opportunity as defined by early brain development research. The first three years of life lay the foundation for lifelong learning. The child's brain is busy wiring the foundation for vision, emotional stability, language development, motor development, thinking skills, and much more. Activities can be used randomly or organized to focus on a specific skill or aspect of development.

Special features of this book

* More than 700 easy-to-implement experiences and activities are included.
* The appendix offers songs, fingerplays, chants and rhymes, games, recipes for food, recipes for art, and simple directions for teacher-made games and activities.
* Additional tools in the appendix to help enhance teaching: Family Communication Tools; American Sign Language Signs; lists of books, CDs, toys, equipment and materials; and a Developmental Checklist.
* Communication is encouraged within and among families and staff, which will reassure infants of its importance, with tips and suggestions.
* Exploration, perception, communication, mobility, self-competence, trust, relationships, independence, and impulse control are all goals supported by experiences and activities in this book. Areas of development and the related "themes" are explained in the introduction sections of each chapter.