As we begin to think about planning the curriculum, it is important to consider the impact of our daily interactions on young children. The DEC stresses that sensitive and responsive interactional practices are crucial, and are the foundation for promoting the development of a child’s language and cognitive and emotional competence. These interactional practices are the basis for fostering all children’s learning. For children who have or are at risk for developmental delays/disabilities, they represent a critical set of strategies for fostering children’s social-emotional competence, communication, cognitive development, problem-solving, autonomy, and persistence.
The DEC selected interactional practices to promote specific child outcomes, and these will vary depending on the child’s developmental levels and cultural and linguistic background. Practitioners will plan specific ways to engage in these practices across environments, routines, and activities. In addition, practitioners will assist others in the child’s life (family members, other caregivers, siblings, and peers) in learning sensitive and responsive ways to interact with the child and promote the child’s development.
The DEC recommends the following practices to promote positive, healthy interactions with young children. As you read them, consider the interactional practices within your ECE setting. In what ways do you need to alter and/or improve your own attitudes, biases, and behaviors as you interact with the young children in your care?
INT1. Practitioners promote the child’s social-emotional development by observing, interpreting, and responding contingently to the range of the child’s emotional expressions.
INT2. Practitioners promote the child’s social development by encouraging the child to initiate or sustain positive interactions with other children and adults during routines and activities through modeling, teaching, feedback, or other types of guided support.
INT3. Practitioners promote the child’s communication development by observing, interpreting, responding contingently, and providing natural consequences for the child's verbal and non-verbal communication and by using language to label and expand on the child’s requests, needs, preferences, or interests.
INT4. Practitioners promote the child’s cognitive development by observing, interpreting, and responding intentionally to the child's exploration, play, and social activity by joining in and expanding on the child's focus, actions, and intent.
INT5. Practitioners promote the child’s problem-solving behavior by observing, interpreting, and scaffolding in response to the child’s growing level of autonomy and self-regulation.
Division for Early Childhood. (2014). DEC recommended practices in early intervention/early childhood special education 2014.