Infant One

CURRICULUM AND PROGRAM GOALS

The curriculum in Infant One serves the basic needs of the infant. The environment is designed to be warm, safe, inviting, and challenging. The room is coordinated to challenge the various ages of infants in the room at a given time, and we continue to make the room challenging as the infants develop over the year. Throughout the year, teachers keep track of developmental changes and set appropriate goals for each child. Goals serve as guidelines for teachers as they plan activities for the group.

Infants learn through their own play. Teachers help to facilitate play by giving each infant opportunities to be in control of his or her own play and make discoveries on their own. Placing a peg back in its hole for the first time, making a pop toy pop, pulling a toy by a string, learning peek-a-boo, reading a book, and remembering finger plays to a song, are all ways in which babies learn through play and explorations on their own and with their teachers.

The room is designed with objects that hang for visual stimulation, as well as texture patches on the floor and small manipulatives that even the youngest of infants can grasp and mouth. As the infants become mobile and are able to crawl and pull up, they begin to use the pull-up bar and climbing structure, as well as tunnels to crawl through, mirrors to look in, and many kinds of toys that can be pushed, pulled, opened and shut. Walks are taken whenever possible; across campus, downtown and to the duck pond. As the infants become older, we also spend time out on the playground and in the Red Room.

Infants are given love, emotional support, and affection throughout the day. Both diapering and bottle time provide additional opportunities for teachers to give individual attention to a baby. The changing table is an inviting place with a mirror directly above the table and hanging toys that can be played with. Infant and teacher can exchange smiles, gurgles, and giggles while a diaper is changed. At bottle time, infants are very relaxed while sucking on a bottle and sitting in a teacher's lap.

Infants have their own schedules for sleeping and eating, but the twice daily snack times are a group affair. In addition to a group snack time, most of the babies have lunch at about the same time. Snack and lunch are occasions for social interaction, as well as eating. As the year progresses, new finger foods are introduced, and teachers help babies learn to drink from cups.

The crib room is a cozy and dark place where music plays continuously; each baby has his or her own crib with sheets, blankets, and a soft toy from home to make them feel secure. Teachers help infants go to sleep with rocking, back pats, and back rubs.

Throughout the year, teachers meet the individual needs of each child and work with families to provide a positive childcare experience!