Welcome to the Toddler Program!

Ratio- 1: 5 / Ages: 15 months – 2 years

Welcome to the toddler room!  Although sometimes our 15 month olds are thought of as babies, in this room we like to start thinking about them as toddlers and becoming more independent.  By 15 months old and before entering the room there are a few things we would like for your toddler to be able to do in order to get the best experience they can: 1.) Drink whole milk from a sippy cup(unless allergic then a milk supplement  must be used) 2.) Be an active walker and 3.) Be able to feed themselves.  The toddler years are some of the most crucial times in a child’s life to begin learning new things and understanding themselves. We are dedicated to helping your child reach their highest level of learning and are excited to have you join us!  Below is a packet of information that is very important in understanding what goes on in the toddler room and the activities we encounter on a daily basis.  Should you ever have any questions about our program, please don’t hesitate to ask.  Thank you, your classroom teachers.

Independence:

(These are the activities we work on everyday with your child that take the first steps in learning independence.)
 
• Cleaning up toys
• Putting our sippy cups in the sink when finished eating
• Pushing in our chairs
• Using our words
• Washing and drying our hands
• Wiping our face
 

Goals:

(All of the activities we work on for independence are viewed as goals. Below are some of the goals we strive to reach.)
 
• Being able to understand simple directions (ex: bring me your shoe)
• Sit down for circle time ( for at least 5 minutes)
• Using please, thank-you and more in sign language and by using our words
• Sharing with our friends
• Saying “sorry” when needed
• Using nice hands
• Learning to color, paint, and do other art activities
• Recognize familiar pictures (ex: dog, cat, boat, shoe)
• Turning pages in a book
• Pushing, pulling and dumping objects
• Learning a vocabulary of 8-10 words

Structured Daily Schedule:

Our classroom follows a routine as per our daily schedule.  We also plan many fun, interactive themed activities for toddlers.  We follow the schedule posted on our parent board and work with the children to try and follow it.  Though, it is not always precise, we do want the children to learn routine.  This helps children learn how to follow directions and know what is coming next to make smoother transitions.  It also teaches independence.  Please visit our parent board which outlines our daily schedule.

Daily Notes to Parents:

Every day your child will come home with a detailed report for parents to review.  This report also contains parent information regarding any specific items needed for your child’s daily care.  Please review this form upon pick up.

Simple Sign Language:

Our toddlers are just learning how to communicate with using their words and their bodies.  To enhance the communication process, our classroom teachers use simple sign to help facilitate that process.  Sign language is used at random times with words such as help, more, eat, please, thank you, up, down, etc.  It is neat to see a toddler develop his communication methods using their little hands.  Children are like sponges, the more they know, the more they grow!

Items Needed:

(Please do not bring toys from home, outside food, or bottles)
*We are a peanut free industry and a lot of foods contain them*

Everyday Needs:

• Diapers
• Wipes
• Diaper Rash Cream
• Small Nap Blanket – labeled
• 2 sets of extra clothes -  labeled (please include socks!)

Outside Items Needed:

• Sun block –   Please label the bottle
• Swim Wear-  (suit and swim diaper) (Please label swimwear)
• Shoes, closed toed shoes to prevent accidents

Fall/Winter Items Needed:

• Shoes/ Snow boots - labeled
• Coats (must be able to zip or button)
• Hats
• Mittens
• Snow pants- labeled