Simple Steps

by Karen Miller

Open the door to teaching infants, toddlers, and two-year-olds successfully with these 300 activities linked to the latest development in child development. Observe what your children are already doing, then give them varied opportunities to develop at their own pace. Simple Steps outlines a typical development sequence in ten social/emotional, fine motor, gross motor, language, cognitive, sensory, nature, music and movement, creativity, and dramatic play. Chapters on appropriate curriculum development and creating a positive learning environment are also included. The activities offer children the opportunity to practice new skills in a developmentally appropriate way.

Genres: Parenting

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

b. 1942

Karen Miller has worked in early childhood education for more than 30 years. She has held a wide variety of positions, including classroom teacher and parent coordinator for Head Start, director of four different child care centers, regional and national training and education director for two national child care organizations, and early childhood education editor for Scholastic Inc.'s Early Childhood Division. She was also a contributing editor for Child Care Information Exchange, writing a regular column called "Caring for the Little Ones," focusing on infants and toddlers. Karen earned her master's degree in human development from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, California.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from my 2-year-old's preschool. And I wish I had it with my first child! It is chock-full of ideas of how to play with your child, help him learn new skills, and encourage him to try new things that are developmentally appropriate.

Each activity has a suggested age, from newborns, through age 2+. And I found that I could adjust some of the ideas to include my 6-year-old in the fun, too. The activities are broken down into different categories: social-emotional, language, fine motor, gross motor, cognitive, music & movement, sensory, creative and dramatic play development, as well as a section on nature appreciation.

I ended up flagging about 3 dozen activities to try. This will definitely come in handy as I try to pack more fun and learning into my kids' day.

[jessica wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could be a good book for those unsure of how to work with infants. I would recommend Respecting Babies by Magda Gerber, or Janet Lansbury's Elevating Childcare instead.

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another great collection of developmental games to play with your baby & toddler. I refer to this one almost daily too.

[Jennah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this book for my student teaching to get ideas for lesson plans. Good resource for infants and toddlers!

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jam packed with activities and written very clear and precise.