The Infant-Toddler Pyramid Model: 5 Frequently Asked Questions

Infants and toddlers are significantly different developmentally and physically in comparison to preschoolers. More brain development occurs in the first 3 years of life than at any other time in a child's life. Teaching infants and toddlers takes into consideration each child's unique development and this rapid rate of development.

Between birth and 3 years of age, a child progresses through three distinct stages of development: young infant, mobile or older infant, and toddler. The type of care and teaching infants receive changes as they grow and develop.

While emotional development and caregiver relationships are critical in teaching preschoolers, an infant's unique development dictates an increased focus on early caregiving relationships, which set the stage for the child's future relationships. Through their relationships with early caregivers, infants learn about the world around them, learn what to expect from caregivers, and learn about themselves. Infants observe their caregivers to understand how to feel, what to think, and how to behave. Nurturing and responsive care during caregiving routines is the basis of the infant-toddler curriculum.

Infant-toddler teachers also recognize that infants develop holistically, meaning that many areas (i.e., cognitive, communication, social-emotional, physical development) develop at the same time and are interconnected. For example, when an infant sits with a caregiver and peers on the floor putting a board book in their mouth, the infant is developing:

• social-emotional skills, by interacting with caregiver and peers
• fine motor skills, by manipulating the book
• gross motor skills, by sitting
• senses, by tasting and touching the book
• cognitive skills, from hearing the story in the book
• problem solving, by manipulating the book with the caregiver

Developers of the Pyramid Model made sure that it was developmentally appropriate for infants and toddlers and that it supports a variety of practices that are reflective of, and responsive to, the developmental, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds of each child and family. For example, there is an emphasis on responsive caregivers who read babies’ cues and respond to them accordingly and who support toddlers’ development of imitation skills, turn-taking, and engagement in social games.

Also, during the initial development of the Pyramid Model, it was important that practices could be provided in the settings where infants and toddlers typically spend their time, such as at child care programs, family child care homes, and home.

While Unpacking the Infant–Toddler Pyramid Model focuses on practices for class­rooms or family child care homes, family members can also adapt and implement many of them at home.

The Pyramid Model is designed for use with children birth through kindergarten, so the practices reflect a continuum of developmental levels. The book Unpacking the Pyramid Model: A Practical Guide for Preschool Teachers focuses on how to implement the practices in classrooms serving children ages 2 to 5 years.

While there is overlap, the new book focuses on the unique development needs of children under 3 years old. If you work with chil­dren across the developmental age ranges, you could reflect on the checklists in Unpacking the Infant–Toddler Pyramid Model as well as the pre-K book and consider what is most appropriate for the children in your classroom.

One of the primary values and principles of the Pyramid Model is family engagement. Family members are a child’s first teachers, and the quality of the family-child relationship is one of the strongest predictors of child outcomes. Each chapter in Unpacking the Infant–Toddler Pyramid Model gives you ideas and strategies for learning from families and sharing information with them.

Teachers who implement the Pyramid Model:

• regularly exchange observations and information with families about each child’s unique temperament, development, culture, experiences, interests, and skills
• partner with each family to understand the meaning of their child’s behavior and to understand the impact of their unique culture and ex­periences on their child’s social-emotional development
• work closely with families to provide increased opportunities for children to learn in the context of everyday routines in their homes and communities, especially when children need more intensive intervention or instruction to address social, emotional, or behavioral needs
• form a collaborative team with families and other professionals to develop individualized, comprehensive interventions if an infant or toddler has persistent chal­lenges

The Teaching Pyramid Infant-Toddler Observation Scale (TPITOS) can be used to measure how well teachers are implementing Pyramid Model practices in infant and toddler class­rooms. It measures how teachers are fostering responsive, nurturing relationships with children and promoting strong social-emotional development. The data collected using the TPITOS can be used by coaches and teachers to set goals and determine when those goals have been met.