Q. Dear Dr. Darling: I am currently teaching a class of older babies and younger toddlers and need some tips on working with them.  How can I increase their attention span and help them learn to sit in their seats for more than 3 minutes?
– A Mississippi early childhood teacher

A. Dear Early Childhood Teacher: It is developmentally appropriate for older babies and younger toddlers to be on the move; they are learning to control their bodies and explore their surroundings, and they cannot do that by sitting still.  You need to create an environment that supports their need to crawl, pull-up, and walk by providing them with a clean carpeted space where they can move freely.  Sturdy furniture that they can pull up on helps them develop the muscles they need to walk.  Walking with support when they are able helps them master this all-important milestone in their physical development.

Cognitively, older infants and young toddlers are extremely curious.  They love to experiment with cause and effect, so provide them with toys such as blocks or nesting cups that they can build up, then knock down.   They enjoy putting objects into containers, then dumping them out again, so have busy boxes on hand, as well as small buckets with balls or other toys. Sturdy wooden puzzles with knobs, interlocking blocks, and textured toys all help children develop their natural curiosity.  Provide them with toys that they can reach on their own, with plenty of space to experiment.  Have plenty of sturdy board books on hand that the children can look at on their own, as well as reading to them regularly.  This is an important component in helping them develop language.

Children at this age love to listen to music and sing songs.  They will dance to music and can learn very simple finger plays, like “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”, and are happy to repeat them.  Find a few easy songs and play or sing them often.  Using specific songs for transition times, such as clean-up time, helps young children learn the routine of the classroom.

Do not try to force young children to sit for long periods.  It is developmentally appropriate for them to be on the move, and you need to support this need by structuring your day to minimize whole group instruction, and focus instead on free choice time where children can explore your classroom.

The National Center for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has several excellent resources for teaching young children, including the book “Educating and Caring for Very Young Children: The Infant/Toddler Curriculum”, and two videos, “Infant Curriculum: Great Explorations” and “Toddler Curriculum: Making Connections.”  They are available online at sales.naeyc.org.  Search the online store by subject.