Ariel Jensen’s Reviews > The RIE Manual > Status Update

“RIE’s goal is to help raise authentic infants who are: competent, confident, curious attentive, exploring, cooperative, secure, peaceful, focused, self-initiating, resourceful, involved, cheerful, aware, interested, and self-directed.”

cnt’d… “Involvement of the child in all care activities to allow the child to become an active participant rather than a passive recipient. Sensitive observation of the child in order to understand her needs. Consistency, clearly defined limits and expectations to develop discipline.”

“In order to foster quality care, RIE encourages: Basic trust in the child to be an initiator, an explorer, and a self learner. An environment for the child that is physically safe, cognitively challenging, and emotionally nurturing. Time for uninterrupted play. Freedom to explore and interact with other infants.”

"As a result of better educational work the children become more difficult to manage in certain respects. They become less quiet, the number of conflicts will increase, supervision must be closer, they call for increased attention. A good many routine methods of care and organization must be discontinued."

"As you will see, from the newborn period on, we keep in mind our goals to guide infants to become self reliant and independent. When I say independent, I mean independent in choosing and using a toy, in moving any way he wants to, in using his time as he pleases, to become gradually more and more independent in feeding, clothing, and bathing himself."

"But I have to stress that to meet the needs of infants in groups and out of their families is not an easy task. It works well only with professionals who are specially trained to work with children under three years of age, with suitable staff-infant ratio, adequate equipment, and plenty of room for the children, indoors and outdoors."

"Accordingly, a satisfactory relationship between adult and child is formed primarily during the physical contacts, i.e., dressing, bathing, feeding, etc., when the adult and child are in intimate personal contact."

"An intimate, trusting relationship is the prerequisite for healthy separation and individuation of the child. Only after he gets 'refueled' during the unhurried time he spends with his carer will he be willing to let go of the carer and explore his environment."

"3. Respect is shown by treating the infant as an active participant, rather than as a passive recipient in all interaction. 4. The infant does not need direct teaching or help to achieve natural stages of gross motor and sensory-motor development."