Toddler Classroom
The Toddler room is a group of nine children ranging in age from fifteen months to almost three years. Three teachers staff this room and it often combines with preschool at the end of the day.
Through the careful presentation of open-ended materials, teachers gauge interests and skill levels, and present next steps to encourage deeper exploration and problem solving. They determine goals in all areas of development for each child and track progress towards them throughout the year. It is during the toddler year that children solidify a sense of self and become more interested in others. Problem solving in the social arena becomes an important focus. Typical open-ended sensory activities such as scooping and dumping cornmeal in the sensory table, exploring foam paint, or working on a sticky paper collage on the easel are presented daily. The classroom includes a large block area with building materials that change throughout the year. Books are read to children, both in groups and individually throughout the day. The daily schedule varies a bit by children's activity levels and the season, but always involves a long free play period during which children explore according to their own initiative, a short teacher-directed circle time, and a significant outdoor time mixing walks in the neighborhood, free explorations of nearby fields and woods, and playground experiences. |
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Daily Schedule
7:15 - 10:00 Free Play (morning snack 8:30 / diaper change or potty 8:45- 9:00 ) 10:00 - 10:10 Circle Time (outdoors if possible) (songs, storybook, puppets, felt board story, dancing ....) 10:10 - 12:00 Outside (neighborhood walk, exploring the field, playground) 12:00 - 1:00 Lunch (diaper change or potty) 1:00 - 2:30 / 3:00 Nap 2:30/3:00 - 3:30 Free Play (quieter activities until all awake) 3:30 - 5:00 Outside afternoon snack 3:30, outside if possible |