Amazon.com description: Product Description: This comprehensive introduction to infant and toddler development, responsive program planning, and responsive relationship-based curriculum incorporates all of the themes crucial to providing quality education and care to our youngest, very capable members of society. Woven through this book is the importance of: * recognizing the capacities in every child * recognizing and respecting individuality and diversity in all children (in every chapter, as well as with in a separate chapter on children with special needs) * understanding family culture and ecology's influence on children * understanding and implementing the components of a quality program Early childhood educators using this book will learn many practical aspects of the relationship-based approach, such as: * how to interact with infants and toddlers to promote development * how to use a responsive, relationship-based approach and in the daily curriculum daily * how to use routines, transitions, and other opportunities to respond and relate to infants and toddlers * how to plan for individual children and groups * how to set up the environment to promote development * how to document observations * how to respond to common guidance issues * how to be professional and ethical