RESERVED FOR YTHOMIT

Directions:

• Respond to each item. Each response should be concise and between 2 paragraphs in length.
• Use MS Word to write your responses, and submit your answers to all three questions in one Word document.
• Copy and paste each question within the document, so that your Instructor can see which question you are responding to.

1. Explain why it is vital to "encourage and value strong attachment not only between children and parents, but also between teachers and the infants and toddlers they care for" (Honig, 2002a, as cited in Balaban, 2006, p. 14). Next, explain the relationship between this statement and what you have been learning about cultural responsiveness.
2. In Chapter 5 of Diversity in Early Care and Education, you read two scenarios involving Baby A and Baby B and their interactions at home. Imagine a continuum that could be used to illustrate the degree of separateness each baby experiences in her home life. Think about where you would place each baby's experiences along this continuum and how this reflects each family's goals for their child. Then, briefly describe what it might be like for each baby to be placed in a childcare environment at the opposite end of the separation continuum, including what her experiences might be like. Explain one or more ways in which a caregiver's lack of awareness of or insensitivity to each baby's home life could impact development and/or relationship building.
3. Attachment is one of the most complex and critical issues for professionals working with infants/toddlers and their families. Review the information on attachment presented in Chapter 5 of Diversity in Early Care and Education. Think about a family behavior related to attachment that might cause you, as a professional working with infants and/or toddlers, to pause. Using this example, describe two or more possible explanations for the behavior and explain why it might be difficult for an infant/toddler professional to discern the meaning behind a family's actions. Then, explain how recognizing that the complexity of such a situation could inform an infant/toddler professional's interactions with the baby and family.