--- title: "Infant Curriculum for Birth to 18 Months in South Dakota" id: "23684" type: "page" slug: "infant-curriculum-in-south-dakota" published_at: "2026-06-01T03:36:37+00:00" modified_at: "2026-06-01T03:36:37+00:00" url: "https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/infant-curriculum/infant-curriculum-in-south-dakota/" markdown_url: "https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/infant-curriculum/infant-curriculum-in-south-dakota.md" excerpt: "SD ELG-alignedDelivered monthlyBrightwheel integratedNAEYC approved Explore other Experience Curriculum age bands in South Dakota Experience BabyBirth to 18 monthsExperience Toddler18 to 36 monthsExperience Preschool3 to 5 years About the curriculum What is Experience Baby? Experience Baby is a research-based infant..." taxonomy_language: - "English" --- [Brightwheel](https://mybrightwheel.com/) › [Experience Curriculum](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/) › [Infant Curriculum](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/infant-curriculum/) › [Infant Curriculum In South Dakota](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/infant-curriculum/infant-curriculum-in-south-dakota/) › Infant Curriculum for Birth to 18 Months in South Dakota # Infant Curriculum for Birth to 18 Months in South Dakota ## A complete, research-based infant curriculum for South Dakota childcare programs — SD ELG-aligned, delivered monthly, and integrated with brightwheel. SD ELG-alignedDelivered monthlyBrightwheel integratedNAEYC approved Explore other Experience Curriculum age bands in South Dakota [Experience BabyBirth to 18 months](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/infant-curriculum/infant-curriculum-in-south-dakota) [Experience Toddler18 to 36 months](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/toddler-curriculum/toddler-curriculum-in-south-dakota) [Experience Preschool3 to 5 years](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/preschool-curriculum/preschool-curriculum-in-south-dakota) About the curriculum ## What is Experience Baby? Experience Baby is a research-based infant curriculum designed for children birth through 18 months. Each month, a complete curriculum kit arrives at your program — including lesson plans, sensory materials, caregiver guides, and family engagement tools — everything you need to support rich, intentional learning for your youngest learners. Unlike curriculum binders or printed guides, Experience Baby ships physical materials organized around a developmentally appropriate monthly theme. Activities are designed to fit naturally into the caregiving routines that define infant care: feeding, diapering, napping, and free exploration. There are no elaborate setups or long prep times. Designed for infant care realities Experience Baby recognizes that infant curriculum isn’t about “lesson time” — it’s about embedding intentional learning into every diaper change, feeding, and moment of eye contact. Activities are designed for 2–5 minute windows, with caregiver language prompts that make every routine a learning opportunity. #### What’s in each kit - 4 weeks of daily lesson plans - Sensory materials (infant-safe) - Music and movement activity guide - Caregiver language prompts card - Family engagement take-home materials - Observation documentation prompts - Brightwheel digital activity companion #### Developmental focus - Secure attachment and trust - Sensory exploration and curiosity - Early language: babbling, cooing, word association - Gross motor: rolling, sitting, reaching, crawling - Fine motor: grasping, transferring, manipulating - Emotional attunement with caregivers - Cause-and-effect early cognitive development South Dakota-specific context ## Why Experience Baby is a strong fit for South Dakota programs ### South Dakota infant & toddler care Key regulatory and market context for South Dakota programs 1:5South Dakota’s infant-to-caregiver ratio for licensed infant care SD ELGSouth Dakota Early Learning Guidelines Shining StarsSouth Dakota Shining Stars — the state’s quality rating system Shining Stars programs receive enhanced Child Care Assistance reimbursement. Documented infant curriculum aligned to SD ELG supports 3-star and above ratings. South Dakota Shining Stars is the state’s voluntary QRIS (1–5 stars). Higher-rated programs receive enhanced Child Care Assistance reimbursement rates. ### South Dakota licensing and ratio context South Dakota’s 1:5 infant ratio (one caregiver for every 5 infants) is a common standard among U.S. states. Infants’ rapid neurological development requires highly responsive, individualized care. Experience Baby’s activity design respects this reality: activities are designed to be implemented one-on-one during natural caregiving moments, not as structured group lessons. Skills & developmental domains ## Developmental domains covered in Experience Baby Experience Baby integrates all eight developmental domains from Experience Curriculum’s 35-skill framework, with activities calibrated specifically for the birth–18 month age range. Every monthly kit embeds 2–3 skills into each activity — supporting whole-child development without siloing learning into subject areas. Social-Emotional Attachment, trust, emotional attunement, early social responsiveness Physical Gross motor milestones, fine motor exploration, sensory-motor development Language & Literacy Pre-verbal communication, early vocabulary, caregiver narration and reading Math & Reasoning Cause-and-effect, object permanence, early spatial and number reasoning Science Sensory exploration, observation, natural curiosity about the world Creative Arts Sensory art experiences, music, movement, early aesthetic awareness Social Studies Family and community identity, cultural connections, sense of belonging Approaches to Learning Curiosity, persistence, initiative, attention — foundational learning behaviors SD ELG alignment Experience Baby activities map to specific SD ELG developmental levels across all domains. An alignment document maps every activity-to-SD ELG-indicator match, so educators can use completed activities as documentation evidence without creating separate records. Sample monthly themes ## What arrives each month Each Experience Baby kit is organized around a developmentally appropriate monthly theme. Themes are designed to be rich for infants through sensory experiences and caregiver engagement — not conceptual complexity. Here’s a sample of what a program year looks like. SeptInfant #### Hello, World! Introductory theme exploring textures, faces, and familiar voices. Emphasis on building secure caregiver-infant relationships and establishing classroom routines. AttachmentSensoryRoutine-building OctInfant #### Falling Leaves Nature-based sensory exploration with safe leaf textures, autumn colors, and outdoor observation. Emphasis on visual tracking, grasping, and early cause-and-effect. ScienceFine motorVisual tracking JanInfant #### I Can Move! Gross motor milestone focus with tummy time activities, supported sitting explorations, and reaching and rolling games. Gross motorPhysical devMilestone-focused MarInfant #### All About Me Identity and self-awareness theme with mirrors, photo activities, and name recognition games. Strong social-emotional development connection. Social-EmotionalIdentityLanguage Digital integration ## Experience Baby and brightwheel: a complete solution Experience Curriculum is now fully integrated with brightwheel, the #1 childcare management platform. For South Dakota programs already using brightwheel for billing, attendance, and family communication, adding Experience Baby creates a seamless curriculum-to-documentation workflow. ### Document as you teach Educators can log observations directly in brightwheel during or immediately after activities. Notes link to developmental milestones and build each child’s portfolio automatically. ### Keep families connected Parents receive real-time photos, videos, and activity updates through brightwheel. Experience Baby family take-home content can be shared digitally, keeping caregivers at home aligned with the classroom. For programs documenting South Dakota SD ELG observations, brightwheel’s note-taking and milestone tagging features significantly reduce paperwork. All SD ELG documentation lives in brightwheel and can be exported for Shining Stars reporting or family conferences. Frequently asked questions ## Questions about Experience Baby in South Dakota #### Is Experience Baby aligned to South Dakota’s SD ELG early learning standards? Yes. Experience Baby is formally aligned to South Dakota’s South Dakota Early Learning Guidelines (SD ELG). An alignment document maps each Experience Baby activity and skill to specific SD ELG measures and developmental levels, and is accepted by South Dakota Department of Social Services (DSS) as curriculum alignment documentation. #### Can Experience Baby help my South Dakota program achieve a higher Shining Stars rating? Many South Dakota programs find that using a structured, research-based, SD ELG-aligned curriculum supports their Shining Stars rating. Experience Baby’s built-in observation tools and family engagement materials also support documentation requirements at higher Shining Stars levels. We recommend confirming specific requirements with your local childcare resource agency. #### How does Experience Baby work for a 1:5 infant ratio classroom? Experience Baby is specifically designed for infant care realities, including South Dakota’s 1:5 ratio. Activities are calibrated for 2–5 minute individual interactions woven into caregiving routines rather than structured group lessons. Caregiver language prompt cards make it easy to embed learning into diapering, feeding, and play without requiring separate “lesson time.” #### What is the cost of Experience Baby for South Dakota childcare programs? Experience Baby pricing is based on program size and the number of children served. South Dakota programs may also qualify for subsidized pricing if serving children through state-funded programs. Pricing details and a free tour are available through the [brightwheel website](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/) . #### Does Experience Baby work for family childcare providers in South Dakota? Yes. Experience Baby is well-suited for licensed family childcare homes in South Dakota. The curriculum is designed for small groups and individual infant interactions, making it ideal for family childcare settings where one provider may serve 1–4 infants simultaneously. Keep exploring ## Related pages [Same stateExperience Toddler in South DakotaFor programs serving children 18–36 months in South Dakota](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/toddler-curriculum/toddler-curriculum-in-south-dakota) [Same stateExperience Preschool in South DakotaPre-K curriculum for South Dakota programs serving 3–5 year olds](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/preschool-curriculum/preschool-curriculum-in-south-dakota) [Standards alignmentSouth Dakota Early Learning StandardsHow Experience Curriculum maps to South Dakota’s SD ELG standards](https://mybrightwheel.com/early-learning-standards/south-dakota/) [Same age bandInfant Curriculum HubInfant curriculum resources and state-specific links for all 50 states](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/infant-curriculum/) ## Ready to bring Experience Baby to your South Dakota program? Research-based infant curriculum for South Dakota programs — delivered to your door every month. [Get a free tour](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/)