During the first year of life, infants acquire a sense of trust and the knowledge that they are loved. This trust is predicated on the sense that there are people in the infant’s world who can be counted on to provide comfort and care. The teaching staff at The Friendship Children’s Center realizes the importance of nurturing the children and providing a stable environment. Special attention is paid to each infant’s individual likes and dislikes. From determining the way a child prefers to drink his bottle to recognizing the unique manner in which an infant puts himself to sleep, the teachers can comfort and care for the babies in very specific ways. Teachers meet regularly to discuss changes in each child’s preferences and include part-time staff in their conversations to ensure that everyone can respond appropriately to each child.
As an infant, the student’s interactions with their environment are governed by overt sensory and motor abilities, such as seeing, touching, grasping, reaching, and sucking. The classroom is filled with blocks, balls, rattles, books, manipulatives, and games all designed to encourage this sensory exploration. This sensory-motor development occurs in stages ranging from the development of simple reflexes in newborns to independent walking.
