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This Is Play: Environments and Interactions that Engage Infants and Toddlers

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Home / Resources / Books / This Is Play: Environments and Interactions that Engage Infants and Toddlers
Julia Luckenbill Aarti Subramaniam Janet Thompson

About the Book

Slow down, tune in, and discover the very purposeful play of infants and toddlers. Addressing considerations like choosing interesting materials, setting up safe and inviting environments, and why you are the most important element of play for very young children, the authors come alongside to help you
 
  • Better understand what play means for infants and toddlers
  • Read children’s cues and respond to their needs for more challenge, a break from interaction, or a play partner
  • Support children’s physical, social and emotional, language, and cognitive development
  • Adapt the way you play with children and what materials you offer based on individual abilities, interests, and needs
  • Look at toddler behavior in new ways and use proven strategies to help children navigate play situations with peers
This book is a delightful, easy read, full of insights like how to provide play choices for even very young children and why sportscasting is not just for TV but for infant and toddler classrooms, too. With its spot-on ideas and delightful anecdotes, you’ll gain a new appreciation for infants’ and toddlers’ competence and curiosity and how important your role is in the birth-to-3 adventure.
 
This is play for very young children and for you. Come and explore.
 
2021 Silver EXCEL Award Winner       Academics' Choice Awards Smart Book Winner

Table of Contents

  • Introduction 
    • Developmentally Appropriate Practice 
  • Chapter 1: The Importance of Play for Young Children 
    • What Is Play and What Does It Mean for Infants and Toddlers? 
    • Why Do Adults Need to Facilitate Infants’ and Toddlers’ Play? 
    • What Does It Mean to Facilitate Young Children’s Play? 
    • Connect and Communicate with Families 
    • Document Children's Play and Learning 
    • Where to Find More: Resources for Teachers and Famillies 
  • Chapter 2: The Young Infant: Birth to 9 Months 
    • What’s an Infant Like from Birth to 3 Months? 
    • What’s an Infant Like at 3 to 6 Months? 
    • What’s an Infant Like at 6 to 9 Months? 
    • What’s a Teacher of Young Infants Like? 
    • The Teacher’s Role: Be Caring and Responsive 
    • An Engaging Environment for Young Infants: Simple and Soothing 
    • Where to Find More: Resources for Teachers and Families
  • Chapter 3: The Mobile Infant: 8 to 18 Months
    • What’s an Infant Like at 8 to 12 Months?
    • What’s an Infant Like at 12 to 18 Months?
    • What’s a Teacher of Mobile Infants Like?
    • The Teacher’s Role: Provide a Safe Environment for Exploring
    • An Engaging Environment for Mobile Infants: Safe and Inviting for Exploration
    • Where to Find More: Resources for Teachers and Families 
  • Chapter 4: The Toddler: 16 to 36 Months
    • What’s a Toddler Like at 16 to 24 Months?
    • What’s a Toddler Like at 24 to 30 Months?
    • What’s a Toddler Like at 30 to 36 Months?
    • What’s a Teacher of Toddlers Like?
    • The Teacher’s Role: Engage Children in New Experiences and Help Them Navigate Interactions
    • An Engaging Environment for Toddlers: More Complex Opportunities for Investigating and Interacting
    • Where to Find More: Resources for Teachers and Families 
  • Chapter 5: Working with Children with Diverse Characteristics, Abilities, and Needs
    • Partner with Families Using a Strengths-Based Model
    • Strategies for Supporting Children in Play
    • Where to Find More: Resources for Teachers and Families 
  • Conclusion 
  • Acknowledgments 
  • References 
  • About the Authors

Book Details

Product Code: 1141
ISBN: 978-1-938113-53-6
Publish Date: 2019
Citation (in Chicago 17th ed. style): 
Luckenbill, J., A. Subramaniam, & J. Thompson. 2019. This Is Play: Environments and Interactions that Engage Infants and Toddlers. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Related Resources

 

Online Articles

Rocking and Rolling: It's Never "Just Play"! - The skills used in this scenario are what children will need as adults to succeed in the 21st century, and the children in this scenario are developing them seamlessly and organically through play. (Young Children, July 2016)

Blog

What’s Play All About? Children’s Museums Weigh - As members of the Children’s Museum Research Network, we helped conduct a study to examine how children’s museums position themselves around play.

Webinar

Enhancing Knowledge and Skill Development by Gently Guiding Play - Watch this recorded presentation as our presenters, psychology expert Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and policy analyst Shayna Cook, dig into the latest research on why play is critical to children’s learning and development.

Discussion Threads

Topic on Hello: How do you "teach play" to young children? - In this discussion thread, members share advice on how to "teach play" to young children in the classroom.

Looking for more resources on play? Visit our Play topic page to browse our collection of articles on the topic.

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Audience: Teacher
Age: Infant/Toddler
Topics: Child Development, Social and Emotional Development, Relationships, Other Topics, Educational Settings, Play
Julia Luckenbill

Julia Luckenbill, MA, is program coordinator at the Early Childhood Lab School at UC Davis.

Julia Luckenbill
Aarti Subramaniam

Aarti Subramaniam, PhD, is a research analyst for the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources’ 4-H program.

Aarti Subramaniam
Janet Thompson

Janet Thompson, MA, is director of the Early Childhood Lab at UC Davis.

Janet Thompson

Reviews

Infant and toddler teachers will love this book! In rich classroom vignettes, they will see themselves respected as professionals whose work demands deep knowledge and skills. The authors offer numerous practical, friendly strategies to promote all children’s development through playful environments and interactions.

—Marilou Hyson, Early Childhood Education Consultant

This book shares a wealth of information that helps teachers understand what play looks like for infants and toddlers and how to make the most of their time with babies!

—Linda Gillespie, Parent and Infant Specialist

This Is Play invites readers to consider what is most central to play: the humans engaged in it! This book brings to life what it means to be a coexplorer as infants and toddlers discover the world, learning with and from them. Chock-full of real-world examples, this is an excellent resource for preparing professionals for the field!

—Elita Amini Virmani, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Studies, Sonoma State University

What a gift to infant and toddler teachers! This book offers an engaging blend of developmental information, practical strategies, and inspiration. It’s an extremely valuable resource for helping teachers facilitate infant and toddler play based on a deep understanding of the children and families they serve.

—Catherine Tsao, Senior Program Associate, WestEd

Early support of play skills is critical for young children with and without developmental differences. The authors make play, a complex topic, accessible to those less familiar with the importance of play for children’s development, and the practical strategies and resources are useful for any parent or teacher of young children.

—Jennifer Frey, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Education & Human Development, The George Washington University

This is a long-awaited practical resource for infant and toddler teachers that focuses on what play is, why it is so crucially important, and how to scaffold play with our youngest learners. A must-read for infant and toddler teachers!

—Adria Bader, Curriculum and Education Manager, LeafSpring Schools, Virginia

This Is Play is a comprehensive and practical guide to best practices for those of us working with our youngest children. The book’s emphasis on the role of play in the nuanced flow of caring for and developing relationships with infants and toddlers is a critical component.

—Jennifer Addleman and Samantha Sisk, Coteachers, Campus View Child Care Center

This Is Play is a much-needed addition to the literature written for early childhood educators. The book is easy to read, provides many concrete examples, and is inclusive of the varied needs of children. Early childhood educators have myriad daily responsibilities in the classroom, but the authors provide clear guidance to help educators create and support children’s play without adding too much more to their plates.

—Excerpt from Teachers College Record review by Brenna Hassinger-Das

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