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6720 Melrose Avenue, Suite 1, LA, CA 90038 phone: 323.663.5330 fax: 323.663.5586
"An infant always learns. The less we interfere with the natural process of learning, the more we can observe how much infants learn all the time."
--Magda Gerber
--Magda Gerber
Recent Photos
Recent Photos from Parent-Infant Guidance Classes.
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Click photos to view larger)
Free Play
Children work on their large- and fine-motor skills all at the same time when allowed to play freely.
Snack Time
The ritual of snack time offers a wealth of learning opportunities and pleasures.
Simple Objects
Simple, everyday objects have really captured her attention!
Modeling
Modeling gentleness teaches gentleness.
Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) was founded in 1978 by the late educator and infant specialist Magda Gerber and pediatric neurologist Tom Forrest, M.D.
RIE is a non-profit world-wide membership organization, dedicated to improving the quality of infant care and education through teaching, supporting, and mentoring parents and caregivers.
Learn more about how the RIE Approach can add to your parenting or caregiving style through our parent-infant guidance classes and professional training courses.
Based on respect, the RIE Approach helps raise authentic infants who are
competent,
confident,
curious,
attentive,
exploring,
cooperative,
secure,
peaceful,
focused,
self-initiating,
resourceful,
involved,
inner-directed,
aware, and
interested.
The RIE Approach helps parents and caregivers to raise children who are:
Competent
If we could observe and see infants as completely competent for the stage at which they are, we would learn from and about them rather than teach them.
Competent
If we could observe and see infants as completely competent for the stage at which they are, we would learn from and about them rather than teach them.
The RIE Approach helps parents and caregivers to raise children who are:
Confident
The development of a child’s confidence is a slow process established in infancy and childhood, based on security and mastery. Time and opportunity for achieving success in completing tasks during play are important for a child’s developing sense of self.
Confident
The development of a child’s confidence is a slow process established in infancy and childhood, based on security and mastery. Time and opportunity for achieving success in completing tasks during play are important for a child’s developing sense of self.
The RIE Approach helps parents and caregivers to raise children who are:
Curious
Curiosity is a natural trait in children. It is the doorway to creativity, and should be appreciated and nurtured. Let your child’s natural curiosity develop by letting him explore on his own rather than guiding him. Natural curiosity leads to the joy of discovery… Life is, after all, looking at situations and seeing what fits, or is appropriate to do, like figuring out how to assemble a puzzle.
Curious
Curiosity is a natural trait in children. It is the doorway to creativity, and should be appreciated and nurtured. Let your child’s natural curiosity develop by letting him explore on his own rather than guiding him. Natural curiosity leads to the joy of discovery… Life is, after all, looking at situations and seeing what fits, or is appropriate to do, like figuring out how to assemble a puzzle.
The RIE Approach helps parents and caregivers to raise children who are:
Attentive
The less we interrupt, the more easily infants develop a long attention span… If infants are well cared for, if they can do what they happen to be interested in at that time, and if nobody interrupts, they have much longer attention spans than we give them credit for.
Attentive
The less we interrupt, the more easily infants develop a long attention span… If infants are well cared for, if they can do what they happen to be interested in at that time, and if nobody interrupts, they have much longer attention spans than we give them credit for.
The RIE Approach helps parents and caregivers to raise children who are:
Exploring
Young children are explorers and initiators. They learn in spite of what we teach. A safe environment in which the baby can move and explore provides the kind of learning experience the child profits from the most. When infants have enough space, safe space, they will do exactly the movements that they are ready for – because they have the opportunity.
Exploring
Young children are explorers and initiators. They learn in spite of what we teach. A safe environment in which the baby can move and explore provides the kind of learning experience the child profits from the most. When infants have enough space, safe space, they will do exactly the movements that they are ready for – because they have the opportunity.
The RIE Approach helps parents and caregivers to raise children who are:
Cooperative
Cooperation is encouraged during caregiving times. Your goal is to encourage your child’s active involvement by inviting her to become part of the process. For example, during diapering you can talk to your baby and ask for her cooperation, even if she can’t yet understand you. This sets up the beginning of a dialogue between you that promotes cooperation.
Cooperative
Cooperation is encouraged during caregiving times. Your goal is to encourage your child’s active involvement by inviting her to become part of the process. For example, during diapering you can talk to your baby and ask for her cooperation, even if she can’t yet understand you. This sets up the beginning of a dialogue between you that promotes cooperation.
The RIE Approach helps parents and caregivers to raise children who are:
Secure
Babies communicate from birth. If your attitude is, “I cannot know automatically what you need; please tell me,” then the baby will learn to give you cues, and a dialogue will develop. Being understood creates security, trust and confidence.
Secure
Babies communicate from birth. If your attitude is, “I cannot know automatically what you need; please tell me,” then the baby will learn to give you cues, and a dialogue will develop. Being understood creates security, trust and confidence.
The RIE Approach helps parents and caregivers to raise children who are:
Peaceful
Your child will derive a sense of peace as well as competence if you support her in developing naturally, according to her own rhythm.
Peaceful
Your child will derive a sense of peace as well as competence if you support her in developing naturally, according to her own rhythm.
The RIE Approach helps parents and caregivers to raise children who are:
Focused
Non-interruption of play helps children develop competence in problem-solving skills.
Focused
Non-interruption of play helps children develop competence in problem-solving skills.
The RIE Approach helps parents and caregivers to raise children who are:
Self-Initiating
We have basic trust in the infant to be an initiator, to be an explorer eager to learn what he is ready for. Because of this trust, we provide the infant with only enough help necessary to allow the child to enjoy mastery of her own actions.
Self-Initiating
We have basic trust in the infant to be an initiator, to be an explorer eager to learn what he is ready for. Because of this trust, we provide the infant with only enough help necessary to allow the child to enjoy mastery of her own actions.
The RIE Approach helps parents and caregivers to raise children who are:
Resourceful
Contrary to grown-ups’ expectations, infants usually do not get overly frustrated by struggles during play. When a toy gets caught or a ball rolls away, they may even enjoy the situation and certainly learn from it – if adults do not solve the problem for them.
Resourceful
Contrary to grown-ups’ expectations, infants usually do not get overly frustrated by struggles during play. When a toy gets caught or a ball rolls away, they may even enjoy the situation and certainly learn from it – if adults do not solve the problem for them.
The RIE Approach helps parents and caregivers to raise children who are:
Involved
As we observe infants, it almost looks as if they are working rather than playing: they are fully involved, absorbed in what they are doing. We don’t need to invent exercises for them. They learn to follow their instincts and to trust their own judgment.
Involved
As we observe infants, it almost looks as if they are working rather than playing: they are fully involved, absorbed in what they are doing. We don’t need to invent exercises for them. They learn to follow their instincts and to trust their own judgment.
The RIE Approach helps parents and caregivers to raise children who are:
Inner-directed
It can be difficult to step back and let your child take the lead, but in this way you will observe and learn from her. You will discover with delight that your child has many inherent abilities that might have been missed if she had not been allowed to explore in her own way.
Inner-directed
It can be difficult to step back and let your child take the lead, but in this way you will observe and learn from her. You will discover with delight that your child has many inherent abilities that might have been missed if she had not been allowed to explore in her own way.
The RIE Approach helps parents and caregivers to raise children who are:
Aware
Once, many years ago, I saw an infant lying on the floor who was trying to catch something in a very dreamy, beautiful way. I didn’t see anything, but I knew that the child saw something. Only as I walked around did I realize that the dust in the air was creating a rainbow, and that’s what the child saw.
That experience stayed with me as a symbolic reminder, so that now when people do things, I want to say, “’That child may just see the rainbow – don’t interrupt. Wait.
Aware
Once, many years ago, I saw an infant lying on the floor who was trying to catch something in a very dreamy, beautiful way. I didn’t see anything, but I knew that the child saw something. Only as I walked around did I realize that the dust in the air was creating a rainbow, and that’s what the child saw.
That experience stayed with me as a symbolic reminder, so that now when people do things, I want to say, “’That child may just see the rainbow – don’t interrupt. Wait.
The RIE Approach helps parents and caregivers to raise children who are:
Interested
When an infant repeats an action many, many times, he is not bored. Rather, he is learning thoroughly about that action, making it a part of himself and his world. When he has learned it to his own satisfaction, he will move on to another new activity.
Interested
When an infant repeats an action many, many times, he is not bored. Rather, he is learning thoroughly about that action, making it a part of himself and his world. When he has learned it to his own satisfaction, he will move on to another new activity.
MEMBERSHIP
Members receive quarterly issues of Educaring, discounts on class offerings and RIE-sponsored events. It’s a great way to keep informed of RIE’s activities and support our work on behalf of infants.
Download this form to apply for membership »
RIE Parent-Infant Guidance Classes
(Left) Babies really get to know each other in a RIE group and start pre-school with remarkably developed social skills.
(Right) Opportunities to struggle toward self-chosen goals build a baby’s self-confidence.
Classes offer individualized attention to both parents and infants in an infant-oriented environment that encourages babies to become attentive, active, exploring persons who are self-rewarded in the mastery of new tasks. Classes take place in eight-week sessions and are limited to seven infants and their parents.
If you’d like to learn more about RIE and find out what a parent-infant class is like, then please come to one of our monthly orientation nights, held the first Thursday of each month from 7:00-8:30. This is an adults-only event; no children please. Advance registration is required.
Click here to download an Orientation Registration form »
For information about classes, download the request form or call our Class Coordinator, Janet Lansbury, at (310) 457-7412 or call a teacher in your area directly:
Click here to download a Parent-Infant Class request form »
| California | ||
|
Los Angeles (RIE Center)
Janet Lansbury (Class Coordinator) 310.457.7412 |
Hollywood
Maureen McTeague 310.339.6846 |
Manhattan Beach Karen Ziskin 310.318.3883 BabyClasses4parents.com |
| Ojai Elizabeth Memel 805.646.0441 |
Pasadena Ruth Anne Hammond 323.828.6546 Erica Orosco |
Sacramento Ruth Money 916.978.9493 |
| Santa Monica Hari Grebler 310.392.2462 Maureen McTeague 310.339.6846 |
West Hollywood Elizabeth Memel 323.651.0022 |
West Los Angeles Wendy Kronick 310.459.2367 |
| Colorado | Florida | |
|
Boulder
Eileen Henry Parenting Classes/Sleep Consultant 303.953.0203 eileensclasses.com |
Melbourne Beverly Kovach 321.258.3123 |
Tampa Alexandra Curtis Boyer 813.385.2038 acorntooakbaby.com |
| Massachusetts | New York | Canada |
| Cambridge Lisa Sunbury www.regardingbaby.org 617.821.9373 |
Manhattan RIE-inspired parenting classes Johanna Herwitz 212.327.3624 MindfulParentingNYC.com |
Lethbridge, Alberta Anita Cooper 403.327.3424 |
| Canada | ||
| Windsor, Ontario Rosanna Mardegan 519.567.2200 |
||
Before Baby RIE Pre-Natal Course
If you are expecting, waiting to adopt, or thinking about becoming a parent, Before Baby will help you to start off with confidence in yourself as a parent and trust in your baby’s unique ability to show you the way. Classes cover topics such as:
Establishing healthy patterns from the beginning of life
Setting up an infant-oriented environment in the home
Diapering, bathing and feeding your baby respectfully
Synchronizing babies’ needs and parents’ wants
Crying and parents’ responses
Sleep, for baby and parents
The first months of an infant’s life are so fleeting and so important. Before Baby can help make life with your baby easier and more enjoyable for everyone.
Click here to download a Before Baby Information Request Form »
Call the RIE office for more details: (323) 663-5330
RIE Training Courses
Our courses are designed for parents or professional caregivers. The three-part certification training is designed to enhance the skills and competencies of professionals who work in the field of infant care, teach in colleges or work with parents and students of infant care and development. Students will learn to implement the RIE Approach through lectures, videos, seminars, discussions, observations, reading and practicum.
RIE I Fundamentals, Theory & Observation: Overview of RIE Approach, including psycho-motor development, social-emotional development, designing appropriate environments, planning the curriculum, issues in parenting, observational skills and visits to infant and toddler programs. Offered in twelve-week or two-week intensive format.
See Registration Forms for dates and locations.
Click here to download a Registration Form »
RIE II Practicum: Graduates of RIE I may be invited to participate in this practicum for a minimum of twelve weeks. Students practice demonstrating the RIE
Approach with infants in weekly RIE Parent-Infant classes under the guidance of a mentor teacher.
RIE III: Upon completion of RIE II, students may be invited to participate as a student-teacher in the RIE I Fundamentals courses.
Scholarships are available for RIE I, II and III. For further information, please call the RIE Office at (323) 663-5330
Upcoming Conferences and Events
We'll be updating / adding new events shortly.
In Memory of Magda Gerber
 |
RIE is preparing to launch a campaign to raise funds for the creation of a new home for RIE to be named The Magda Gerber Center and an endowment in support of staff and programming.
Click here to download a Donation Form »
Or use this button
to donate with your PayPal account.
Educaring is a quarterly newsletter for RIE members that is an important source of information about RIE's philosophy and activities. If you'd like to place an order please visit the RIE Store.
The RIE Store
The teachings of Magda Gerber and the RIE philosophy are presented in audiotapes, videotapes and DVD's,
as well as in the books Dear Parent: Caring for Infants with Respect, Your Self-Confident Baby and The RIE Manual. Also available are books about the work of Magda Gerber's friend and mentor, Emmi Pikler, M.D.
©2007 Resources for Infant Educarers