Respect is a key component of the curriculum that Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers advocates. Curriculum has to do with respecting and responding to each child's needs in sensitive ways that promote attachment. Curriculum for infants and toddlers embraces everything that happens during the day. This textbook consistently outlines well-established practices related to sensitive care and program planning that are designed to promote well-being and identity formation in infants and toddlers.

The focus of Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers is on action - putting theory into practice. Knowing "about" is different from knowing "how to." The authors appreciate that even people with considerable understanding of early development may have trouble acting on that understanding unless they have also learned to apply theory. The caregiver role incorporates that of teach and education. Appreciating diversity, cultural and linguistic difference, and inclusion have grown in significance with each edition, and are reflected in positive, non-biased terminology throughout the textbook.