Toddler One

CURRICULUM AND PROGRAM GOALS

The Toddler One Curriculum is designed to support the growth and development of children between the ages of fifteen and thirty-five months...also known as toddlerhood. Along with the developmental areas of fine and gross motor, language expression and comprehension, and self-help skills, toddlers begin the task of forming a sense of self in relationship to others and the task of defining their autonomy. In Toddler One, we provide an environment, which promotes social relationships and facilitates each toddler's individual growth.

Active learning by toddlers occurs when they experiment with their environment. In our room, this philosophy is key. Daily activities are designed to foster this active learning by allowing toddlers to explore with all their senses, to use their emerging gross and fine motor skills, to choose activities or materials, and to combine materials. Each part of your toddler's day is structured to support their growing ability to communicate ideas and feelings, develop a sense of their own needs and how they can meet these needs, and finally, to form close bonds with others.

Although all of the children in Toddler One follow a daily routine, incorporated into each day is individual time and group time. The routine provides both a sense of predictability and a beginning sense of time. During choice times, toddlers may choose to paint, cook, use the sensory table, do puzzles, participate in large and small dramatic play activities or look at books. These activity times provide opportunities to play alone, near peers and/or with peers and teachers.

During group times (five to twenty minutes), the toddlers come together for songs, books or felt board stories; this serves to promote their increasing language expression and comprehension through listening and participating. Toddlers begin the year waving good-bye to felt pieces which symbolize specific songs, then participating in simple finger motions, then providing the final word in a phrase of a song. By the end of the year, toddlers can be heard down the hall as they sing whole phrases to songs. Toddlers don't have to participate in group time; however, once encouraged to join, enthusiasm is high!

A toddler's language undergoes huge changes during the year and children are encouraged to use these growing language skills often. Walks provide opportunities to describe sights and sounds, and of course to differentiate among the many types of construction vehicles. Toddlers also begin to realize the importance language expression can have on their environment. They can communicate their needs, likes and dislikes, as well as, their ideas and feelings.

As supporters of this discovery, teachers have two responsibilities: to model words and phrases and to be sure to provide time for toddlers to use their words. A clear example happens when two toddlers want the same toy. We offer words to translate the yells of frustration: "agghhh" becomes "mine" becomes "I want one" and then "I want to be next". Although this takes longer than returning the toy to the original holder and finding a replacement, toddlers develop a sense of self-efficacy through language when we provide them with time to communicate with us and each other.

Another important Toddler One area is gross motor development. Toddler Ones master walking and then need more challenging motor tasks to try. Frequent visits to the Red Room provide toddlers with opportunities to use steps, slides and riding cars. On the playground, the climbing structure provides gross motor challenges. During walks, there are opportunities for toddlers to run in open fields, stand or sit in the carts or walk while they hold onto the cart.

Toddlers especially enjoy using their growing motor skills when accomplishing tasks on their own. Our routines at meals and transitions provide ample time for toddlers to meet their needs independently. When meeting the children's physical needs, we talk about the process, offering them words to describe these needs and actions that meet these needs: "You have yogurt on your thumb." "Let's wash it." or "Your socks are wet." "Let's take them off." We want the children to be active participants in the care of their own bodies.

Throughout the year we offer toddlers more time to meet personal needs themselves; encouraging them to dress and feed themselves. As with supporting language, a large part of our job is providing plenty of time for toddlers to attempt these tasks. Manipulating spoons and yogurt or socks and shoes is tricky and can be daunting. By allowing time for attempts (and the messes or frustrations that sometimes follow), we strive to give the children the message that we have confidence in their growing abilities.

Toddler One is a year of tremendous change. As your toddler begins exploring her/his own autonomy, we provide an environment that fosters attempts at new skills and mastery of old skills.