Academic Programs : Toddler : Curriculum

Toddler Curriculum

Practical Life
Children learn to care for themselves and grow in confidence through the use of child-size materials; they pour water from small pitchers, wipe tables using small sponges, and serve themselves snacks using tongs the right size for small hands.

Bathroom activities also are an important part of the Practical Life curriculum for Toddlers. The only one who can decide when a child is ready for potty training is the child. Our teachers work closely with families to determine readiness and a routine for toileting. In addition, students learn to be independent with their personal hygiene, such as washing hands and blowing noses.

Parents are asked to provide their child a supply of diapers and wipes for toilet training.

Sensorial
Sensorial materials enlarge their perceptions of the world; they experiment with shapes, colors, sizes, and sounds to refine their abilities to understand and distinguish between the differences. In doing this, they learn the language that describes the materials: round, dark, large, loud, etc., and comparative terms: small, smaller, smallest.

Social
Social Lessons begin with the most basic method of teaching: by example. Teachers model for the children how to share, saying please and thank you, pushing in chairs when standing, and being respectful to others and their work by asking to work with others before sitting with them.

Children are taught to care for materials in the classroom through lessons. Toddlers learn to care for nature through class pets and plants. Also, children learn to care for and respect each other through games, songs, and activities.

Toddlers enjoy basic creative work such as cutting, gluing, coloring, and painting at an easel as part of their Social work. In terms of Music, Toddlers are interested in words as well as melody, so both singing and listening to Music are enjoyable. ALso, these children are learning to control their movements, so they enjoy simple finger plays and whole body movement.

Language
Toddlers are learning new words every day.  Language is an integral part of the Toddler classroom as the teachers describe materials, read stories, and encourage verbalization from the children.  Children who are ready and interested may begin learning letter sounds with the sandpaper letters.  Researchers estimate that children have learned about 70% of the vocabulary they will use as adults by age 3.  In a toddler classroom, students will be exposed to books, objects, and pictures for naming, as well as conversation with their teacher.

Cognitive
Cognitive skills refer to such pre-mathematical skills as problem solving, sequencing, grouping, number of skills, and identifying geometrical shapes. The cognitive skills that Toddlers learn from this community will prepare them for later mathematics lessons in the Primary classrooms.

Motor Activities
Motor activities are intended to help toddlers develop an understanding of object permanence, the concept that objects placed into containers can be retrieved and do not disappear permanently, Motor activities include those that focus on fine motor skills as well as gross motor skills and involve eye-hand coordination, visual acuity, and manual dexterity.