This groundbreaking book explores infants’ amazing capacity to learn and presents a reflective approach to teaching inspired by the early childhood schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Each chapter draws from research and real-life infant care settings to illustrate how infants are robust investigators, intent on making sense of the world around them. Pre- and inservice professionals working with infants and their families will find valuable insights into how to design an infant care program, plan curriculum, assess learning, and work with families. Teaching and Learning with Infants and Toddlers provides easy-to-understand answers to questions that include: What do I need to know about how the brain develops during infancy? What does teaching look like with children under age 3? How do babies figure out the complex code of language, including the acquisition of multiple languages? Does a baby’s experience have anything to do with later success in school and in life? What kinds of play materials support infants’ learning? What kinds of policies and practices lead to successful group-care programs for infants? User-friendly features of this book include vignettes, photographs of infant classrooms, diagrams and instructive charts, research highlights, and questions for reflection. “From its clear explanation of the developing brain of a baby to its enlightened presentation on the art of reflective childcare, I see how many times I will use this work as a resource.” ―From the Foreword by J. Ronald Lally, codirector, Center for Child and Family Studies, WestEd “Mary Jane Maguire-Fong explores deeply the connections among state-of-the-art science on young children's development, public policies affecting families, and best practice in the care and education of very young children. Teaching and Learning with Infants and Toddlers is filled with so many great ideas, evocative illustrations, and practical considerations―all knit together in an almost lyrical narrative style. A wonderful, necessary read for anyone interested in supporting our youngest children.” ― Ross A. Thompson , Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis “Here is everything you ever wanted to know about very young children as ‘born researchers’ ―how they engage with the world so new to them and invite us to play with them in shared meaning-making. This book explores every aspect of early development and invites us to learn with the children, as we order time and space to respond to their curiosity.” ― Elizabeth Jones , faculty emerita, Pacific Oaks College “Students of early childhood need to have all these important thoughts in their heads and be so familiar with this work that the respectful care they give babies becomes natural, letting life simply flow. Parents as well will benefit in knowing that to ‘be’ with their child is what matters most, especially when life seems so stressful." ― Bev Bos , author, speaker, and director and teacher at the Roseville Community Preschool in Roseville, CA “From its clear explanation of the developing brain of a baby to its enlightened presentation on the art of reflective childcare, I see how many times I will use this work as a resource.” ―From the Foreword by J. Ronald Lally, codirector, Center for Child and Family Studies, WestEd “Mary Jane Maguire-Fong explores deeply the connections among state-of-the-art science on young children's development, public policies affecting families, and best practice in the care and education of very young children. Teaching and Learning with Infants and Toddlers is filled with so many great ideas, evocative illustrations, and practical considerations―all knit together in an almost lyrical narrative style. A wonderful, necessary read for anyone interested in supporting our youngest children.” ― Ross A. Thompson , Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis “Here is everything you ever wanted to know about very young children as ‘born researchers’ ―how they engage with the world so new to them and invite us to play with them in shared meaning-making. This book explores every aspect of early development and invites us to learn with the children, as we order time and space to respond to their curiosity.” ― Elizabeth Jones , faculty emerita, Pacific Oaks College “Students of early childhood need to have all these important thoughts in their heads and be so familiar with this work that the respectful care they give babies becomes natural, letting life simply flow. Parents as well will benefit in knowing that to ‘be’ with their child is what matters most, especially when life seems so stressful." ― Bev Bos , author, speaker, and director and teacher at the Roseville Community Preschool in Roseville, CA Mary Jane Maguire-Fong is professor of early childhood education at American River College in Sacramento, CA. She serves as faculty for the WestEd Program for Infant/Todd