Teaching Pyramid Infant-Toddler Observation Scale (TPITOS™) for Infant-Toddler Classrooms: Set

A child's early teachers and caregivers play a vital role in supporting social-emotional development—and that's why more and more center-based infant and toddler programs are adopting the evidence-based Pyramid Model for Promoting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children. If your program is one of them, TPITOS™ is the essential tool you need to ensure that infant–toddler teachers are using the Pyramid Model practices with fidelity. Modeled after the Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT™) for Preschool Classrooms, TPITOS is for early childhood settings caring for infants and toddlers from birth to 3 years of age. Focusing on teacher practices and classroom environment variables, TPITOS measures how well your program's staff is fostering responsive, nurturing relationships with children and promoting strong social-emotional development in their earliest years. How It Works : A trained TPITOS administrator conducts a 2-hour classroom observation, followed by an interview with the teacher being observed. The observer completes three types of items: 1) Observational Items (practices and environmental factors noted during the observation), 2) Interview Items (practices scored based on the teacher’s responses during the interview), and 3) Red Flags (practices that are not consistent with the Pyramid Model). Results of TPITOS show your program which Pyramid Model practices are being implemented effectively—and what teachers need to focus on to ensure positive social-emotional outcomes for infants and toddlers.

About the Author :
Dr Judith Carta is Senior Scientist in the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, Professor of Special Education, and Director of Early Childhood Research at Juniper Gardens Children's Project at the University of Kansas. Mary Louise Hemmeter, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University. She teaches courses, advises students, and conducts research on early childhood issues. She is the cofaculty director of the Susan Gray School for Children, which is an early childhood program for children with and without disabilities. Her research focuses on effective instruction, social–emotional development and challenging behavior, translating research to practice, and effective approaches to professional development. Currently, she directs an Institute of Education Sciences–funded research project focused on the efficacy of implementing the Teaching Pyramid in classrooms, and she works on the National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning and the Office of Special Education Programs–funded Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Interventions. She is a coeditor of the Journal of Early Intervention and serves on the editorial boards of other major journals in early childhood special education. She served as President of the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and received the Merle B. Karnes award from DEC.

Review :
"An innovative and invaluable tool for teachers in infant-toddler settings to create a warm and responsive classroom environment and to improve children's social-emotional skills. The Observation Scale provides a blueprint with specific strategies and suggestions for making a positive, predictable learning environment for our youngest children." --Jane Squires, Ph.D.