When children are born, they create social bonds by interacting with their parents, caregivers, and teachers. As such, the Infant/Toddler Responsive Caregiving Checklist (ITRCC) was developed by the Missouri Quality Rating and Improvement System to measure the caregiving performances for sets of children from birth to three years in early childhood centers. Responsive caregiving of toddlers is dedicated to every child as they develop their sense of comfort, belonging, exploration, communication, and the influences they make to their world. The ITRCC has items that transpire during naturally arising routines and proceedings, instead of being teacher-led or directed for the entire group. Therefore, this paper gives examples of the behaviors I observed in supporting how I scored my ITRCC at Gateway Early Learning Center, my reflections on the use of this tool, the pros and cons of this tool, and my opinion on whether this tool is helpful to teachers and caregivers.
The Behaviors I observed in supporting how I Scored My Checklist
The first item is that caregivers should identify and react appropriately to children’s personalized cues. I was able to observe a 24 months old rub his eyes and teacher Maria picked him up, asked him if he was tired, and sat with him in the rocking chair. The second element entails caregivers making use of day-to-day routines and collaborations to create the basis for learning. Here, I saw teacher Patty wash hands with a two-year-old and she told her that the soap bubbles are created to make her hands clean and wash germs away. Regarding the third item, caregivers are supposed to use joint attention with kids during routinely occurring schedules and activities to show responsiveness to the child’s interests. I was able to see teacher Maria observe a three-year-old who took a book from the shelf, sat on her lap as they read together. The fourth requirement is having caregivers narrate to toddlers the daily routines and activities. In this case, teacher Courtney told the toddlers to remove their coats while preparing to go outside for them not to sweat. The fifth requirement involves caregivers verbally assisting kids to anticipate acquainted routines and events. Teacher Patty accomplished this by telling a three-year-old that she will have a snack before playing with the stuffed animal toys. Similarly, item six was adhered to as caregivers are encouraged to form positive peer interactions via modelling and setting arrangement. As a result, teacher Maria gave two three-year-olds some pretend tofu and rice and tells them to offer chopsticks to each other. The seventh item on the checklist is concerned about caregivers assisting kids to identify and show their emotions. To ensure this, teacher Courtney congratulated a two-year-old for finishing her snack whereby she portrayed to be happy. Additionally, the eight item calls for caregivers to inspire kids to notice when their peers are conveying emotion. Hence, teacher Patty told the children that David looked sad and she also speculated and informed them that probably he wanted his touch and swipe phone but could not find it, thus, they all helped him find it. On the other hand, item nine requires caregivers to assist children in displaying empathy towards their peers. As such, teacher Maria told the kids that Emma was lonely and needed some toys to play with, which her peers gave her some. As far as item ten is concerned, caregivers are supposed to support children’s sense of competence by inspiring them to do things on their own since they are developmentally equipped. In this case, teacher Patty encouraged three-year-olds to brush their teeth unassisted after taking snacks. Item eleven requires caregivers to hearten kids to resolve their own problems. Hence, teacher Maria told a toddler that probably he should try a different toy when the square block he was trying to place in the round hole of a shape sorter toy failed to fit. Item twelve necessitates caregivers to give children various opportunities to grow their gross motor skills. Therefore, teacher Courtney took kids to an outdoor space where children were encouraged to roll, crawl, and walk. Item thirteen involves caregivers providing kids with a range of opportunities to grow their fine motor skills. Therefore, teacher Maria gave three-year-olds the chance to draw themselves a self-portrait. On the other hand, item fourteen calls for caregivers to encourage kids to explore developmentally suitable concepts all through daily collaborations and naturally arising experiences. One concept is comparing quantities, which teacher Maria accomplished when playing with a three-year-old by telling him that she had few balls, thus, she wanted him to add her some. Also, the concept of one-to-one correspondence was evident when teacher Courtney asked a two-year-old how many pumpkins there were at the table and she pointed to each one as the child counted. Additionally, there was the concept of volume, which was taught by teacher Patty who placed a container with objects next to a three-year-old and upon dumping them out, she told him that he had dumped all of them on the mat. Similarly, item fourteen has the cause and effect concept, which I observed teacher Maria bring out by telling David that he banged the door and it produced a loud noise. Besides, there is the concept of object permanence, which was evident when teacher Maria told the kids that teacher Courtney had gone outside and she would be back in a while. Likewise, there is the compare and contrast concept, which was imparted by teacher Patty by giving kids toys with diverse textures to feel, then she talked about their attributes including smooth and soft. Finally, item fourteen has the concept of opposites as taught by teacher Courtney who told three-year-olds to run then walk when in the field. Additionally, the ITRCC has item fifteen, which requires caregivers to engage in language play through songs, rhymes, and games with children. This was evident when teacher Patty sang "Baa Baa Black Sheep"! with the kid.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
My Reflections on the use of this Tool
The daily collaborations between caregivers and toddlers offer nurturing, shielding and stable relationships, which are vital for kid’s development. Nonetheless, it is significant to respect a toddler’s wishes, especially during imaginary play. This is because play creates an avenue for a child to widen their language and emotions. Similarly, it permits the child to craft situations where they are in control enabling them to discover pleasure, delight, and enthusiasm. Similarly, it is important to approach play with a child only after they invite you to be part of it. This is because it is their time to be the initiator of how things go on. As such, a caregiver ought to be an interested observer. Nevertheless, one should show support by recognizing and appreciating the child’s ideas.
Pros of ITRCC
According to Sosinsky et al., (2016), ITRCC influences children’s outcomes by enhancing their language development and peer play. Hence, there is a need to have sensitive and responsive caregivers to get the best results. Similarly, the ITRCC is advantageous because it helps kids develop attachment relations with their parents and caregivers. Attachment unions enable babies to create and establish a strong social-emotional base they require to make them ready for future learning. Additionally, the secure foundation gives kids the freedom to discover their world and get experiences, which are the basis of learning (Sosinsky et al., 2016).
Cons of ITRCC
The items on the ITRCC are many, hence, the available staff may need a lot of time to roll out the requirements effectively (WestEd, 2017). Similarly, this program is tasking to implement due to the change that exists when a secondary caregiver takes over from the primary caregiver. Normally, a child may feel an emotional void and abandonment when the primary caregiver leaves (WestEd, 2017). Additionally, responsive caregiving has high costs while the caregivers are given low salaries. As such, these institutions experience high turnover rates, which lead to the lack of continuity (WestEd, 2017).
The Responsive Caregiving Tool is Helpful to Teachers/Caregivers
The tool is important to teachers/caregivers because it helps program kids to learn from them. As such, kids are able to achieve healthy brain development, which makes teacher’s efforts realizable. Moreover, the program creates an intimate background where cues from toddlers are seen and understood swiftly and precisely by a caregiver who knows some of the kid’s past. Thus, caregivers comprehend each kid’s temperament and precise workings (WestEd, 2017).
Conclusion
I observed fifteen items on ITRCC tool at the Gateway Early Learning Center and had a ‘yes’ score on each of them. Teachers at the center worked in unity to ensure the toddlers get the best form of responsive care. The collaborations between the caregivers and toddlers offer nurturing, shielding and stable relationships, which are vital for the kid’s development. The ITRCC tool is advantageous because it helps language development and peer play among kids. Also, this too ensures the development of the kid’s attachment relations with their parents and caregivers. Nonetheless, the tool requires much time and is costly to implement.
References
Sosinsky, L., Ruprecht, K., Horm, D., Kriener-Althen, K., Voge, C., & Halle, T. (2016). Including Relationship-Based Care Practices in Infant-Toddler Care: Implications for Practice and Policy. Retrieved from https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/nitr_inquire_may_2016_070616_b508compliant.pdf WestEd. (2017). Early Caregiver-Child Relationships Build the Foundation for Lifelong Learning. Retrieved from https://www.wested.org/rd_alert_online/infant-toddler-care-relationships-lifelong-learning/
