Toddler (18 months – 3 years) |
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Quick LinksInfant 6 wks – 18 mos |
Our Toddler Community is a prepared environment for children 18 to 36 months. Our two toddler classrooms are beautifully designed with child sized tables and shelves, decorated in a way to create a home like atmosphere. The program is designed to support independence as children learn to take care of their basic personal needs and develop language and social skills. Toilet training is a part of this program and is achieved gradually as caregivers observe for signs of readiness. There is a child/staff ratio of 6: 1 in this community.
The toddler environment has toddler sized shelving and furniture. The bathroom area has a toddler sized toilet and sink for handwashing. This carefully prepared environment helps a young child gain skills in independence such as dressing and toileting. One of the first lessons is how to put on and take off one’s shoes and jacket. The classroom is filled with materials that are made to manipulate, providing opportunities for the toddler to develop his sense of order, concentration, coordination and independence. Items in the classroom include materials for washing a floor length mirror, sponging the tables, sweeping crumbs from the tables. There is “work” for the child on low shelves in small baskets and on trays for easy access. Toddlers learn to choose their own work and then restore when they are finished. This freedom of movement and choice in the classroom is very satisfying to the young explorer. Lessons include experience with early math concepts of counting objects and learning about more than, less than, and equal to. In the Language toddlers learn the names of items in the environment through the use of concrete and realistic models. |