A new literature review highlights professional development (PD) strategies, resources, and components that can help caregivers better interact with infants and toddlers. The review shows that PD can successfully enhance caregiver practice, even within a short time, and that online tools are a cost-effective and successful way to provide PD. Other key findings are highlighted in a Research Snapshot that accompanies the full report.
The literature review, conducted by Mathematica Policy Research for the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), summarizes the state of the PD field for early childhood caregivers through a comprehensive examination of 122 studies. Appendix tables summarize key aspects of each study in the review.
The review and accompanying materials are part of the Professional Development Tools to Improve the Quality of Infant and Toddler Care (Q-CCIIT PD Tools) project. Q-CCIIT PD Tools seeks to help infant-toddler caregivers provide effective care by offering them strategies and materials via an interactive website, in the context of supportive mentoring. Mathematica and its partners (University of Oklahoma-Tulsa; Zero to Three; and consultants Margaret Burchinal, Martha Zaslow, and Jay Buzhardt) are creating research-based PD resources and materials to support the project.
Read the full report, “Professional Development Tools to Improve the Quality of Infant and Toddler Care: A Review of the Literature,” and review the Snapshot and appendix tables.
