Infant and toddler development and responsive program planning : a relationship-based approach / Donna S. Wittmer, University of Colorado Denver, Sandra H. Petersen, Zero to Three, the National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. A Relationship-Based Model and the Importance of the Infant and Toddler Years -- 2. Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families -- 3. Understanding and Using Theories -- 4. The Power of Observation Learning About Infants and Toddlers -- 5. Brain and Prenatal Development, Birth, and the Newborn -- 6. Attachment and Emotional Relationships -- 7. Social Development and Learning with Peers -- 8. Cognitive Development and Learning -- 9. Language Development and Learning -- 10. Motor Development and Learning -- 11. Responsive Programs: Quality, Health, Safety, and Nutrition -- 12. Creating a Relationship-Based Curriculum -- 13. Routines, Environments, and Opportunities: Day to Day the Relationship Way -- 14. Respect, Reflect, and Relate: The 3R Approach to Guidance -- 15. Including Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities in Child Development and Education Programs -- 16. The Infant-Toddler Professional.

"This comprehensive and applied textbook clearly describes and respects infant and toddler development through a relationship-based approach to early care and education. Covering not only development, curriculum, and program planning, but also guidance and professionalism, this text promotes a relationship-based model for understanding how infants and toddlers grow and learn in typical and atypical ways. This new edition continues to emphasize the importance of families' and teachers' relationships and responsiveness in interactions with young children, the latest developmental research, an emphasis on child-centered planning, particularly strong coverage of infants and toddlers with special needs, and the effects of culture, families, and quality programs on infant-toddler development and interactions. Readers will come away with a deeper understanding of why, according to the science of child development, certain practices support or hinder an infant's or toddler's optimal development-and how to provide responsive, joyful, meaningful and lasting high-quality care."--Publisher's website.