TODDLER 2
Two-year-olds like to be independent! Favorite words are "mine" and "No" and "I do it!". Emotions take on a roller-coaster quality, going from excitement to anger to laughter within a few moments. A great deal of time is spent exploring, pushing, pulling, feeling and touching.
Toddlers are very attached to their caregivers. You may find them trying out new ideas and exploring their surroundings, but still staying close to you as they need a base of support and trust. Two-year-olds are usually interested in other children. However, social interest and physical abilities sometimes collide as a hug becomes a tackle and a gentle pat becomes a whack. We will work with your child to teach him/her how to express affection appropriately.
We believe in creating many life-long, positive memories in our classroom. This classroom is filled with children at the age who are constantly seeking attention and praise daily. This is the room where they see themselves as independant individuals who love having all eyes on them! From circle time to outdoor play to toilet training, it all happens here.
Using the infants milestones as a basis, the staff will continue to observe and document newly aquired skills. They will use these observations to plan new experiances that encourage growth in your child. As toddlers get older, our staff will provide activities that promote social growth and help prepare them for the transition to the young pre-school program.
Learning experiences are planned to promote the toddler's growing independence, to enhance social skills, and to build the confidence needed to reach their individual potential and prepare for pre-school and beyond.
Stated simply, children learn concepts and form ideas through self-initiated actitivies-moving, listening, searching, feeling, manipulating-in which the adult takes on the role of participant-observer not director. For young children, this exploration and learning occurs naturally through their play. When engaging in play, children experience the critical elements of active learning: direct action on objects, reflection on actions, intrinsic motivation, invention, and problem solving (Hohmann and Weikart, 1995, p.17).
A big part of being two years old is becoming more independent. Here are a few things we will be encouraging your child to do on their own...
- Drinking from a cup without a lid
- Washing hads properly for 20 seconds
- Using utensils
- Putting on/taking off shoes
- Putting on/taking off coat
- Pulling up/down pants
In this classroom, your child will be encouraged to use the toilet. They probably have started to show signs of readiness. We will be here along the way to teach them the skills they will need to toilet train.
We also incorporate family rituals and routines throughout the day to help the children feel safe and have fun. We see conflict as opportunities to teach, and focus on ways to be kind and helpful instead of hurtful.
We thank you in advance for your cooperation in making your child's experiance in the Toddler 2 room, a fun-filled educational experiance. Please let us know how we can help you with anything, and we will be sure to do the same!