 |
 |
 |
|
 |
| 
| |
 |
Pride in Parenting: Training Curriculum for Lay Home Visitors
Linda T. Diamond, M.S. and Marion H. Jarrett, Ed.D., editors.
Unit 18
Child Growth and Development:
Eight to Twelve Months
In this unit, participants will review developmental milestones of 8-12 months, learn how to help parents understand stages of development and interpret infant behavior, share activities that both parents and their babies will enjoy, recognize possible problems in infant growth and development and identify available resources for babies and parenting families.
| Objectives | By the end of this unit, participants will be able to:
|
| Time | 35 hours |
| Outline | A. Developmental Milestones B. Developmental Alerts C. Site Visit D. Providing Guidance and Support E. Summary and Review |
| Materials |
|
| Advance Preparation |
|
A. Developmental Milestones (14 hours)
| Rationale: | Give the Parenting Support Specialists a framework to fit in the detailed information which is to follow by introducing the 8 to 12 month old baby based on information in Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, pp. 215-217. (30 minutes)
|
| Procedure: | Ask participants: What kind of things can parents do to childproof their homes so that they do not have to continually tell a baby "no"? How is it possible for mothers to make their baby's environment "childproof" when they are living with many other family members? In another person's home? In temporary housing? |
1. Appearance
| Rationale: | Mothers will continue to notice changes in their baby's physical appearance during these early months. Parenting Support Specialists can help mothers know what to expect. |
| Procedure: | 1. Mini-lecture. Babies should continue to grow rapidly during this period.
Remember: how much the baby grows is not as important as the rate he grows. The doctor will check the growth chart to be sure the baby is following the same curve. Parents may be worried about:
|
2. Skill Areas (8 hours)
| Procedure: | a. Timeline Activity. Remind participants of the timeline posted on the wall. Ask them to look at the timeline and make any changes they wish following the past few days of training. Tell them that we will review the timeline at set periods during the day and they can make further changes during these times. b. Mini-lecture and demonstration (6 hours). Review the developmental milestones presented in Caring for Your Baby and Child, pp. 217-236. Give each participant a copy of the Developmental Milestone Charts (Handout #1). Include Movement, Hand and Finger Skills, Language, Cognitive, and Social/Emotional Development. Write these categories on a flip chart and tape this paper to the wall in the front of the room. Discuss and demonstrate the skills in each of the developmental areas. Use appropriate toys to show skills, ask participants to give examples from their own family or experience of toys that are good to encourage skills with children. Connect present skills to development during the first eight months and after twelve months. c. Videotape and discussion (2-3 hours). Show a typical 8-10 month old baby using the video, "Babies are People Too". Ask the trainees what skills they observe in each developmental area. Process their responses by writing them on the flip chart. Participants may discover that some observed skills can represent more than one area. Stress the interrelatedness of skills throughout infant development. Repeat this activity for a 10-12 month old child. d. Live Demonstration (2-3 hours). Invite three or four mothers to bring their babies to the training session. Have the participants observe the babies playing alone and with their mothers. Then have the participants play with the babies, using toys to get the babies to demonstrate developmental milestones. Participants should note how the baby's interaction differs between the mother and the trainees. e. Activity: Review of Timeline. Ask participants to look at the placement of the developmental tasks on the timeline. Based on the lectures, discussions, demonstrations, and video, ask them to change any they now think should be in a different place. Discuss any differences of opinion stressing the individuality of each child and the range in which skills normally develop. |
B. Developmental Alerts (5 hours)
| Rationale: | Since PSSs will be seeing mothers and babies regularly, their knowledge of developmental alerts can help them identify potential problems that could result in needed intervention. |
| Procedure: | 1. Discussion. Remind participants that each baby is an individual and will develop at his own rate. However, there may be times when the Parenting Support Specialist is concerned about a baby during this time of 8 to 12 months. Ask participants to tell you what they would consider warning signs for medical or developmental problems during this period. Process their answers by writing them on the flip chart. 2. Activity. Refer each participant to their copy of the Developmental Alerts Handout (Handout #3) from Resource Mothers Unit 12 and the Developmental Health Watch (Handout #4) from p. 237 of Caring for Your Baby and Child. Ask them to incorporate the Alerts from Resource Mothers into the longer Developmental Health Watch List, then match any warning signs that were listed by the trainees to the ones included on the charts. Discuss each of the developmental alerts and health watch points. Answer any questions they have about what is normal or typical development and when they should be concerned. Be sure to include health and emotional issues in discussing why a child's development might be delayed at this age. Briefly mention the following and that these are discussed more fully in other sections of the training: inadequate nutrition, chaotic or violent environment, child abuse, and prenatal exposure to drugs or alcohol. 3. Activity: Safety and Discipline. Refer each participant to their copy of Safety Check (Handout #5) from p. 247 of Caring for Your Baby and Child. Discuss each item. Ask participants why they think it might be difficult for the mothers with whom they are working to follow these safety rules? How might they encourage them to follow the rules? Ask them to be specific. Discuss Discipline Issues during this period (Caring for Your Baby and Child, p. 244-246). Note the importance of parents having realistic developmental expectations to interpret their infant's behavior. Discuss information from HELP. . . at Home: "Testing During Mealtime", and "Testing at Bedtime". 4. Role Play Scenarios. Ask each participant to select a partner or assign partners. One will play the Parenting Support Specialist and the other the mother. Then they will change. Take slips of folded paper with child development role play scenarios which have been written prior to training. Place them in a container and ask each "mother" to pick one child development scenario (Handout #6). Give each team 10 to 15 minutes to jot down responses to the scenario. Bring everyone back together and ask each team to play out its scenario with the mother introducing the scenario to the PSS. The PSS should talk to the mother as she would on a home visit. Following each scenario, process the activity by asking the participants doing the role play, then the rest of the participants, the questions on Overhead # 2. After all pairs have had an opportunity to role play the scenarios, take a break, then repeat the entire role play scenarios activity with the partners switching roles.
|
C. Site Visit (8 hours)
| Rationale: | Observing infants and caregivers at this stage will make the information more meaningful to the PSSs. |
| Procedure: |
|
D. Providing Guidance and Support (8 hours)
| Rationale: | In this part of the training, participants will examine ways to interact with infants and with parents around child development issues. As pointed out in the Resource Mothers training, it is important for Parenting Support Specialists to learn how to support and encourage without undermining the self-esteem of the parents. |
| Procedure: | 1. Review of Developmental Milestones. Briefly review the milestones from eight to twelve months by writing each developmental area (Movement, Language, Cognitive, Social/Emotional) on a flip chart and asking the participants what they remember the baby is doing in this area during the 8 - 12 month period. Complete each area. 2. Mini Lecture on Language Development at this Age. Relate it to cognitive skill development of this age. Be sure to include "communication" as more than just talking. Define receptive, expressive and pragmatic language. Focus on facilitators of language. Refer to "Exploring the World of Infants and Toddlers", Handout #8. 3. Mini-discussion. Parents often think that babies at this age can understand and remember things much better than they actually can. They do not realize that the baby cannot control his desire to do what he wants, even though he may know that the parent does not like it. Parents also may think that the baby is "misbehaving" on purpose, just to make them mad. Include short mini lecture on discipline for this age. If Parenting Support Specialists understand the usual course of development, not only can they make judgements about what kinds of play and interaction will facilitate development, but they also can help guide parents' expectations of the child. Ask participants to think about how an 8 to 12 month old baby plays. How might parents best play with their babies during this time? What are some toys that might encourage the baby to develop skills appropriately? 4. Mini-lecture and Discussion: Separation Anxiety. Discuss the predictable periods of separation anxiety using the materials in Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, pp. 229-235 and other child development materials. Review information on attachment. Review "HELP. . . at Home" information on separation anxiety. Ask participants:
Process the participants’ answers on a flip chart. Include in the discussion baby-sitters, transitional objects and dependence vs. independence at this stage as part of a process of development. |
E. Summary and Review (15 minutes)
| Procedure: |
|
Unit 18 Handout #1
Developmental Milestones
Eight to Twelve Months
- Can get in and out of sitting into other positions
- Crawls forward on stomach
- Creeps on hands and knees
- Pulls to standing
- Walks holding on to furniture (cruises)
- Stands alone and may take a few steps
- Picks up small objects with thumb and index finger (pincer)
- Claps hands together
- Pokes with index finger
- Begins to combine objects in play (blocks in bucket, hits drum with stick)
- Performs an action in order to produce a result
- Moves to reach a desired object
- Touches an adult or object to cause action or movement
- Begins to play with toys and use objects correctly (pushes car, drinks from cup)
- Plays exchange games with adults (hands toy back and forth)
- Practices skills over and over
- Responds to simple commands (come here, give me a kiss)
- Looks and stops in response to "no"
- Recognizes the names of familiar objects
- Plays speech-gesture games like patty cake
- Uses exclamations, such as "Oh-oh"!
- Says first word around first birthday
- Has "conversation" with people and toys using jargon (string of sounds with changing tone and pitch)
- Shows emerging stranger anxiety through anticipating events (when mother puts coat on)
- Plays unattended for short period
- May refuse to allow self to be distracted; begins showing persistence
Unit 18 Handout #2
Helping Parents to Be Parents
The following guidelines illustrate some ways that PSSs can help their clients become more successful parents.
1. Give the idea of being a mother or father positive meaning and identity.
Help parents feel like parents -- admire them. Give them credit for what they do, have fun together with the infant, and reassure them that their infant is doing well.
Indirect comments are useful. Don't just admire the baby. As you say something positive about the baby, credit the parents. For example:
- "Mommy dressed you so warmly today. She knows exactly what you need in this cold weather."
- "You are so big; Mommy knows exactly how to feed you to make you grow."
- "You are so nice and clean; Daddy knows exactly how to give you a bath."
- Other examples?
2. Make the mother and father feel special.
Support and encourage the attachment between parent and child. For example:
- As the baby smiles at the parent you might say, "Mommy gets the best smiles from you! I know how much she loves you!"
- When the baby looks at your new or strange face say, "You sure know your Mommy best of all. I can see you staring at me. You don't know me at all!"
- When the baby fusses you can say, "Mommy knows how to comfort you best of all," as you guide and support her response to calm the infant.
- Other examples?
3. Focus on the infant or parent's experience and not on right or wrong.
Communicate to your clients the fact that babies have feelings by "talking through the baby." This means that the PSS talks as though she were the infant. For example:
- "Hold me tight. I like to be wrapped up tightly too."
- "Don't turn me so fast. It's scary and I'm afraid I'll fall."
- "Lunch was delicious. I really love your milk, Mommy."
- Other examples?
4. Focus on issues relevant to the baby's specific stage of development.
To help parents learn to read the baby's cues and signals you might say:
- "You want to tell Daddy something, don't you?"
- "Look how he turns around to look for you just after he crawled away. He's making sure you're still there."
- "You need your Mommy's help, don't you?"
- Other examples?
5. Focus on how the present behavior of a client's baby will impact on the future.
- If you see the baby with a book you can say, "When you grow up you're going to be so smart because Mommy is already getting you ready!" By saying this, you can encourage the reading of books to the baby.
- If the baby pounds on a toy, "Mommy is so good with tools and you are following in her foot steps."
- Other examples?
6. Build the parents' self-esteem by selecting and admiring success.
Every time a child is doing well, point it out and paint a picture of the child as a successful learner and the mother (or father) as a successful parent.
- "You really got him to listen when you got his attention first, before asking him to do something."
- "You really taught her how to put away her toys when she's done playing."
- Other examples?
|
In Summary:
|
Reprinted with permission from: Weitzberg, B. (1992). "Exploring the World of Infants and Toddlers: A Training Manual About Infants, Toddlers, and their Parents," Baltimore, Maryland: Friends of the Family, Inc., pp. 55-56.
Unit 18 Handout #3
Developmental Alerts
9 Months:
|
12 Months:
|
Unit 18 Handout #4
Developmental Health Watch
Eight to Twelve Months
- Does not crawl
- Drags one side of body while crawling (for over one month)
- Cannot stand when supported
- Does not search for objects that are hidden while he watches
- Says no single words ("mama" or "dada")
- Does not learn to use gestures, such as waving or shaking head
- Does not point to objects or pictures
Unit 18 Handout #5
Safety Check
Eight to Twelve Months Car Seats
Buckle the baby into an approved, properly installed car seat before you start the car. Since he sits up without assistance at this age, he can be facing forward. Children still need to be in the back seat of any vehicle. Falls Use gates at the top and bottom of stairways, and to doors of rooms with furniture or other objects that the baby might climb on or that have sharp or hard edges against which he might fall. Burns- Never carry hot liquids or foods near your baby or while you're holding him.
- Never leave containers of hot liquids or foods near the edges of tables or counters.
- Do not allow your baby to crawl around hot stoves, floor heaters, or furnace vents.
- Never leave your baby alone in a bath or around containers of water, such as buckets, wading pools, sinks, or open toilets.
- Never leave small objects in your baby's crawling area.
- Do not give your baby hard pieces of food.
- Store all medicines and household cleaning products up and out of his reach.
- Use safety latches on drawers and cupboards that contain objects that might be dangerous to him.
Unit 18 Handout #6
Child Development Scenarios
How can the PSS help in the following situations?
- Geena’s baby is 8 months old. She keeps trying to help him walk but he just wants to get down and crawl. She is getting frustrated.
- LaToya’s baby is 12 months old. He loves getting all over the house and does this by rolling. She is worried because she sees other babies crawling and cruising.
- Deanna is annoyed that her 9 month old baby will not hold his bottle throughout the whole feeding. She wants to do other things while he is drinking his bottle. She asks you for advice.
- Carol is disappointed that her 10 month old doesn’t seem to like music. She likes when her mom dances with her but doesn’t pay any attention to the music when it is turned on.
- Tonya puts Jalen, who is 9 months old, in an empty playpen and walks out of the room. She doesn’t understand why he cries all the time.
Unit 18 Handout #7
PIP Training
Site Visit Observation
Name of Setting:
Age of Child Observing:
Number of Children:
Number of Adults:
1. Observe the environment carefully; look at facilities, materials and personnel. In what way(s) is it appropriate for:
a. Children’s play and interaction:
b. Daily caretaking:
c. Safety:
Are there ways it is inappropriate?
a. Children’s play and interaction:
b. Daily caretaking:
c. Safety:
2. Describe the personality or interaction style of the baby you observe.
3. What do the caregivers do to encourage the baby’s development?
4. For the specific baby you observe, what skills do you see s/he has?
a. Motor:
b. Cognitive:
c. Emotional:
d. Social:
e. Communication:
5. Do you notice that the child has preferences?
|
What the Child Prefers |
How Do You Know |
For Toys or People? |
||
For Specific Toys? |
Unit 18 Handout #8
Language Development
In order to help children learn to talk, we need to talk to them long before they can answer. Children learn to understand words (receptive language) before they know how to say these words (expressive language).
How do we facilitate young children’s language?
Always try to follow the children’s lead. Get involved with what they are already doing.
1. Repeat young infant’s coos and babbles. Encourage them to continue to verbalize.
2. Describe what the child is seeing, hearing or doing as she is doing it.
- "You are making a big mud pie!"
- "You put the branch in the bucket."
3. Label objects for the child. You don’t need to create special times for this. It will be much more meaningful for the child if you label the objects the child is already playing with, touching, or looking at.
- "That’s a truck. A big truck."
- "The truck is full of sand."
4. Describe what you are doing with the child. Prepare children for what will happen. Always tell infants what you are going to do with them.
- "Your diaper looks wet. Let’s change your diaper." (Then take baby to the changing table.)
- "That shirt is very wet. I need to change it."
5. Describe what you are doing as the child watches.
- "I’m pouring the juice into the cup."
- "I’m going to call up Grandma on the telephone."
6. Expand on what the toddler says.
- If the child says, "Ba", you can say, "You want your bottle?"
- If the child says, "Beh", you can say, "That’s right, that is a bear. A brown bear."
7. When the toddler starts using short, two-word sentences expand on them.
- When the child says, "Daddy come," you can say, "You want your daddy to come?"
- When the child says, "Pick up," you might say, "You want me to pick you up?"
8. Read to your baby and toddler.
- Instill a love of books and reading in young children by choosing developmentally appropriate books and making the reading experience warm, intimate, and close.
- Begin with simple picture books that depict objects, people, and situations that are concrete and real to the infant. (Little Johnny taking a bath loves to hear about little Johnny taking a bath.)
- Continue first story books that have simple plots with a predictable order, rhythmic and repetitive language, and characters and situations with which toddlers can identify.
What About Correcting Children’s Speech?
It is natural for children to make many mistakes when they began to talk. They may mispronounce words or use them incorrectly.
When we use direct correction we stop the conversation and correct the child. In indirect correction we repeat what the child said correctly without drawing attention to his mistake.
Take for example a child who says, "Mommy, I ‘plashing."
In indirect correction you would then say, "Yes, you are splashing in the water!" Contrast this to direct correction in which you may say, "No, say splashing."
Which do you think makes the child feel better?
Which statement might confuse the child?
Did the adult mean: "No, you are not splashing" or "No, not ‘plashing, you say splashing".
Evaluation of Teaching Materials
- Were the materials easy to understand?
- Which ones did you like the best and why?
Unit 18 Overhead #2
Role Play Feedback
- What do you think you the Parenting Support Specialist did well?
- What could the Parenting Support Specialist have changed or done differently?
- What other things do you think the Parenting Support Specialist might say or do to help a mother in this situation?
Unit 18 Post-Unit Test
1. List some of the major developmental milestones that occur in the 8-12 month stage. Cover all areas of development.
2. Describe one way in each area that parents can assist their child’s development.
- Motor
- Cognition
- Language
3. Define what "Separation Anxiety" is and how you will know this is happening.
4. How can a PSS help parents deal with separation anxiety?
5. List three observations of development that would be of concern at this age.
6. What advice about safety would you give a mother of a 10-12 month old?
7. Please number the following stages of language development as they occur in a child’s development.
____Imitation ____Cooing ____First Words ____Crying____Words ____Babbling
8. Why might a child between 8 and 12 months need to be disciplined? What are some of the strategies that would be appropriate to use?
Unit 18 Handout to use at end of each Unit
Post-Unit Evaluation
Unit Covered: _____
Date: _____
- Do you feel we covered all the information in this unit that we said we were going to?
- What did you like best about the unit?
- What did you like least about the unit?
- Was the information in this unit presented clearly? If not, please explain.
- In which skill areas do you feel you need more practice or help?
- How can we make this unit better?
- Any additional comments?
|
|
|
 |
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign