What Does a Young Child Need?

1. EARLY
CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION
1
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2. 2
• What Does a Young
Child Need?
• What is the
Caregiver’s Role?
• Lessons That Last
• Caregiver Hints
• Developmental RED
FLAG ALERTS
• Early Childhood
Programs
• Early Childhood
Resources
• Car Seat Information
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3. 3
What Does a Young Child Need?
• EVERYTHING…
• Assistance to meet
– Physical Needs:
• Food
• Clothing
• Cleanliness
• Shelter
• Safety / protection
• Play
– Emotional Needs:
• Security
• Care
• Nurturance
• Love
• Hope
– Social Needs:
• Interact with
caregiver and others,
including children the
same age
• Opportunity to play
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4. 4
What Does a Young Child Need?
continued
– Psychological
Needs:
• Know he/she is
important to the
caregiver
• Learn who he/she is
• Develop a positive
self esteem
– Cognitive Needs:
• Read to the child
• Build language skills.
Talk with the child,
even when they are
too young to know all
you are saying.
• Play with the child www.invectura.com

5. What is the Role of the Caregiver?
• The caregiver is the significant person
who meets the child’s needs on an
ongoing basis.
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• Provides love, care, and
nurturance for the child.
• Makes sure the child is safe
and healthy.
• Engages the child in play,
conversation, singing, and
activities that expand learning.
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6. 6
Lessons that Last a Lifetime
• Young children learn
from infancy about
the world.
• Many of the lessons
are taught by the
caregiver.
• Some of these
lessons relate to...
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7. 7
TRUST
The Infant Knows His/Her Needs
will be Met
• It is vital to babies
under one year to
develop a sense of
trust; knowing the
caregiver will meet their
needs.
• Trust is born from
having the baby’s needs
met by a consistent
caregiver.
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8. 8
INDEPENDENCE
The Young Child Explores and
Learns What He/She Can Do
• The caregiver provides
a safe environment
with supervision and
encouragement for the
child to explore.
• Exercise their will and
learn self-control.
• Desires to test
independence.
• Walking is step toward
independence...
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9. 9
INITIATIVE
Young Child Takes Action When
He/She Feels Capable and Confident
to Do New Things
• Preschoolers begin
to imagine
• Learn skills through
play
• Increase in ability to
follow directions
• Gain new skills
• Feel capable to
learn www.invectura.com

10. 10
Caregiver Hints
• Things to do together:
– Talk (even to a baby)
– Read books daily
– Play with blocks, balls,
trikes, puppets, and
more
– Draw (big crayons)
– Teach a song
–HAVE FUN... www.invectura.com

11. Developmental RED FLAG ALERTS
• Refers to behavioral indicators that
show that a child is not developing at a
normal range. These behaviors are
areas of concern when they are seen
consistently over a period of time.
Some children are “early bloomers”
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and others may be delayed
in some areas but still within
the normal range of development.
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12. Developmental RED FLAG ALERTS
12
• Infants under 6
months:
– Failure to gain weight
– Unable to make eye
contact or follow
objects
– Failure to hold head up
– Failure to hold on with
hands
– No response to loud
sounds
– Failure to show
anticipatory behavior
at feeding
– Lack of interest in
social stimuli
– Does not grasp or
reach for objects
– Tight muscles or
muscles appear stiff
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13. Developmental RED FLAG ALERTS
• Infants 9 to 12 months -
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– Does not gain weight
– Lack of affect
– Not able to say single
words, such as “mama”
– Does not look at
caregiver for social
cues or comfort
– Does not crawl
– Cannot stand when
supported
– Does not use
gestures, such as
waving or shaking
head
– Drags one side of
body while crawling
(for over one month)
– Does not search for
object that are
hidden while s/he
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14. Developmental RED FLAG ALERTS
• Toddler 18 to 24 months-
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– No speech
– Excessive body rocking
– Sleep disturbance
– Out of the ordinary play
– Withholding and other
bowel problems
– Retarded development
or persistent regression
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15. Developmental RED FLAG ALERTS
• Three-Year-Olds -
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– Frequent falling and
difficulty with stairs
– Persistent drooling or
very unclear speech
– Inability to build a tower
of more than four blocks
– Difficulty manipulating
small objects
– Inability to communicate
in three word sentences
– No involvement in
“pretend” play
– Little interest in other
children
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16. Developmental RED FLAG ALERTS
• Four-Year-Olds -
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– Cannot throw a ball
overhand
– Cannot jump in place
– Cannot grasp a crayon
between thumb and
finger
– Has difficulty scribbling
– Shows no interest in
interactive games
– Ignores other children
– Resists dressing,
sleeping, using the toilet
– Does not use sentences
of more than three words
– Cannot copy a circle
– Lashes out with no self
control whenever angry
or upset
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17. Developmental RED FLAG ALERTS
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• Five-Year-Olds -
– Extremely fearful or
timid
– Extremely aggressive
– Easily distracted and
unable to concentrate
on a single activity for
more than five minutes
– Shows little interest in
playing with other
children
– Severely unhappy or
sad much of the time
– Seems unusually
passive
– Cannot talk about daily
activities
– Has trouble taking off
clothing
– Cannot wash and dry
his/her hands
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18. 18
What to Do
When Red Flag Alerts are Noted?
• Have the young
child evaluated by
the child’s
pediatrician.
• Obtain input from
the childcare center
professional.
• Request a
developmental
assessment.
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19. Early Childhood Education Programs
Components of Quality Childcare Programs
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• Care center is licensed
• Care provider is caring
and focused on the
needs of every child
• Number and ages of
children allow for good
childcare practice
• Area is clean and SAFE
• Foods are nutritious
• Equipment is
appropriate to care for
the child’s age
• Toys and activities are
appropriate for the
child’s development
• A routine is
established for rest
and play
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20. 20
Early Childhood Programs
• HEAD START
– Federally funded to serve children 3.9
years
– Some communities have programs
beginning for young children as early as
18-24 months.
– Services available at NO COST
– 3.5 hour daily programs - Monday through
Friday
– Lunch and snacks provided www.invectura.com

21. 21
Features of HEAD START Programs:
• Assessment
screening for special
needs
– Speech therapy
– Developmental
milestones, etc.
• Emphasis on school
readiness
• Literacy
Development
• Field trips
• Provide family
support services
– In home visits
– Parenting classes
• Individual Education
Plan developed for
each child
• Assistance transition
to a new school
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22. 22
ALL YOUNG CHILDREN MUST BE
BUCKLED IN A CAR SEAT
for EVERY RIDE
• Birth - 1 year, under 22
pounds must be in rear-facing
child safety seat,
5-point belt harness is
best
• 1 to 6 years of age,
under 60 pounds,
forward-facing child
safety seat, 5-point belt
harness is best
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23. wwwwww..iinnvveeccttuurraa..ccoomm
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