Respectful Caregiving

Independent Study

This course is a similar level of time commitment as a semester-long college child development course. Expect to spend around 4-6 hours on the course each week:

• 1-2 hours in Zoom class, doing group activities and participating in discussion

• 1-2 hours watching recorded lectures and other videos independently 

• 1-2 hours on reading, journaling, and assignments​

Observation and Practice Assignments

Each week, you will choose a way that you intend to put what you have learned into practice. This can reflect a big, overarching goal, or something small and concrete from that week’s work. This Practice for the week will always include a short Observation, ensuring that the work you are doing takes into account real-world information coming from the child in front of you. Each week, you will write something in your journal about what you experienced or learned from your Observation and Practice. Your journal becomes a tool for sharing your learning journey with your instructor and your future self.​

This course is designed primarily for those who spend time with infants and toddlers in their everyday lives. However, families expecting a child and those who are currently between childcare jobs can still attend the course and will be able to conduct weekly Observation and Practice using our library of videos and tailored suggestions from the instructor.

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Other Assignments

In addition to the weekly Observation and Practice Assignments, you will be asked to complete

• A mid-course self-reflection

• A short presentation for your small group on a course topic that is of particular interest to you

• An end-course self-reflection

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Our goal is to support multiple modes of learning and to make the course as accessible as possible. For this reason, there are multiple options for these assignments and your weekly journal. You may type, handwrite, record a video, or schedule office hours with your instructors to complete your assignment in a dialogue format. We look forward to welcoming all students as they are and adapting the course to suit any individual needs that may arise. Read more about our welcome policy here.

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Course Completion

All assignments in the course are graded on a complete/incomplete basis, with qualitative feedback standing in the place of a letter grade or percentage. In order to complete the course and receive a certificate, you will need to complete all assignments and attend all Zoom classes. To give you some flexibility, you can use a free pass on up to 2 assignments and up to 2 Zoom classes. If you need to be absent more than 2 times or need to miss more than 2 assignments, please contact us before signing up for the course.

You Will Need

There are a few required textbooks and other materials that you will need to participate in the course:

• tech requirements:

  • access to a computer (it is possible to use a borrowed computer for one day and a smartphone for the rest of the course)

  • a consistent internet connection

  • the Zoom app for video conferencing

  • a web browser such as Chrome or Safari for our online course platform

  • a word processing application such as Word, Pages, or Google Docs (recommended, but it is also possible to handwrite or use other formats)

• a physical journal for your reflections (example), or you can type your journal

• Teaching and Learning with Infants and Toddlers by Mary Jane Maguire-Fong (2nd Edition)

• The RIE® Manual for Parents and Professionals (Expanded Edition)

• Dear Parent: Caring for Infants With Respect

• to borrow: a baby doll of realistic size, with clothing and a diaper (example)

• a collection of household items from your kitchen or loose parts from nature for free play

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Questions? 

Check out the FAQ below.

Tuition: $1,395 USD

• Early Bird Pricing - use coupon code EARLYBIRD for 10% off if you register at least one month prior to course start date.

• Limited needs-based financial assistance is available.

• Nonrefundable installment plan available.

About Your Instructor:

Christina Vlinder

I have been working with infants, toddlers, and older children in child care and private homes since 1999. I began my career with some ideas about what I didn't want to do, but no concrete plan for what I did want to do. I worked with many families and slowly began to figure out what felt right. Once I began studying child development in a more rigorous way, I was able to relate those gut feelings to the huge body of scientific knowledge we now have about what children need and what helps them thrive. 

I discovered that the approach that most accurately satisfies both my gut and the research about infants and toddlers is the Educaring Approach (also known as RIE for Resources for Infant Educarers), created by infant specialist Magda Gerber. I began studying with RIE in 2010 and became a RIE Associate in 2017.