15.5: The Infant and Toddler Learning Process – The Starting Point

Research has shown that infants are ready to learn from birth; they are able to absorb information from the sights, sounds, and scents around them, to store it, to sort it out, and to use it. This information helps infants understand the world and the people around them.

Research has also shown that infants and toddlers are quite dependent on primary relationships for their physical and emotional needs to be met. Aware of this need, teachers plan their interactions with infants and toddlers to address both the vulnerability and the competence of children. In doing so, teachers simultaneously attend to the children’s need for close, consistent relationships with nurturing adults and to the children’s curiosity and motivation to learn.^[1]