The Wonder Years Academy - Toddlers (Little Quackers)

Toddlers (Little Quackers)

The toddler stage can be seen as one of the most challenging times, as well as one of the most rewarding times! Children at this stage are very mobile and active using all five senses to discover the world. Teachers are challenged to provide a safe but stimulating environment in which the child can grow. The toddler responds well to a regular daily routine with clear and predictable rest times, play times and meal times. Toilet teaching is best accomplished by taking the child to the facilities at the same times each day.

Important independence skills are being acquired during these years, including personal care such as toilet training, feeding and dressing. Patience is essential as a toddler struggles to put on a sweater (developing independence at this stage occurs after much repetition and encouragement). Realistic toys will enable children to engage in increasingly complex types of play. The toddler stage can be seen as one of the most challenging times, as well as one of the most rewarding times! Children at this stage are very mobile and active using all five senses to discover the world. Teachers are challenged to provide a safe but stimulating environment in which the child can grow. The toddler responds well to a regular daily routine with clear and predictable rest times, play times and meal times. Toilet teaching is best accomplished by taking the child to the facilities at the same times each day.

Important independence skills are being acquired during these years, including personal care such as toilet training, feeding and dressing. Patience is essential as a toddler struggles to put on a sweater (developing independence at this stage occurs after much repetition and encouragement). Realistic toys will enable children to engage in increasingly complex types of play.

The Toddler Program provides for the following goals:

To provide a nurturing, flexible and calm atmosphere where physical affection is freely given, self concept skills are introduced and enhanced, independence is encouraged and expectations are made clear.
To meet each child’s physical needs while at the same time teaching rudimentary self-help skills such as toilet teaching, dressing, washing their own hands, etc.
To establish respect for equipment and toys in the center as their own
To promote emotional growth:
a. Build self confidence and a sense of self worth by allowing choices within limits and to concentrate on successful experiences.
b. Always provide an accepting environment in which children can work and play.
Promote social growth.
a. Adults modeling acceptable behavior is critical to toddlers learning cooperative and group play.
Promote intellectual growth.
a. Instill a sense of curiosity.
b. Provide an atmosphere where children can discover and explore, offer experiences with open-ended questions, where emphasis is placed on the process and not the product.
c. Provide a wide variety of activities within an outline. Curriculum areas of art, math, science, cooking, music, movement, dramatic play, etc. Through these activities the child learns to be able to trust his/her own feelings about what they learn, see and do. They also begin to share what they have learned with others.
Promote physical/motor development
a. Children will participate in a variety of activities to develop their fine and large motor skills both with indoor and outdoor programs.
b. Engage in simple games and songs.
Provide for the language development that is so important at this stage.
Make available a good variety and quantity of materials easily accessible on shelves
Help develop independent behavior by encouraging self helping skills.
Provide care in small groups to offer more personalized attention, creating a relaxed atmosphere where the child feels safe and important.

The toddler group is a diverse one. Providing a variety of activities with many choices is essential to enhance each child’s developmental progress. The following are a few suggestions for activities:

Sensory Experiences:

Pudding Play Tasting/Smelling/Touching Boxes Cornstarch Play
Jell-o Play Water Tables Sand Tables
Rice/Pasta Flour Music/Rhyming
Bubbles Play Dough Texture Books
Corn Meal Play Flashlight Play Karo Syrup Finger Painting Shaving Cream Noise Makers Bean Shakers

Cognitive Development and Language Acquisition includes:

Reading and re-telling favorite stories
Work on recognizing and naming the teachers and children in the classroom using photos of the children
Reinforce aspects of routines such as snack time, lunch time, nap time, toilet time.
Work with the older toddlers on learning the words and actions to songs we sing frequently
Enhance their effect by introducing puppets
Always ask questions….children love questions
Help the children to learn and say the names of their classmates in the room.
Language skills shall be incorporated into every activity throughout the day through:
Simple songs Tape recording & playing Puppet Plays
Nursery Rhymes Story time Memory Games
Counting Games Alphabet Games/Songs Color Matching
Sorting Activities Doll Play
Increase the child’s ability to recognize common objects using picture association of simple, common objects.
Begin shape recognition using three of the basic shapes—circle, square & triangle.
Begin to introduce simple cooking activities— pouring, mixing, stirring.

Self Help

Children will be provided with opportunities to participate in activities designed to promote the growing independence desired by toddlers. Potty training will be provided where and when appropriate.

Washing hands & face
Eating with spoon and fork
Throwing away of napkin, cup, etc.
Taking off of socks and shoes at naptime
Cleaning up toys
Washing and drying dishes
Washing and drying dolls
Obeying rules of safety

Social and Emotional Development

Begin to work on setting limits in such a way that the child learns self regulation.

By following the rules—you may not hurt yourself: you may not hurt others: and you may not hurt the equipment or materials.

Encourage children to use their words rather than actions such as pushing or hitting. Methods such as distraction, redirection or substitution may also assist to correct behavior with little or no negative reaction. Help children play well independently while amongst a larger group of children.

Fine Motor Development

Provide materials and activities important to the advancement of a child’s small muscle coordination such items can be:

Pouring and sifting Cutting dough with scissors or child safe knife

Filling and dumping Puzzle Work Peg Boards Shape Sorting Nesting Items Sewing Cards Snap Beads Nuts & Bolts Stringing Beads

Macaroni Necklaces Button/Snap boards Twisting Jar Lids

Basic Art Activities such as:

Tearing paper Coloring with crayons, chalk, markers Painting with brushes

Water Painting Cutting Paper with Scissors Bead Stringing

Gross Motor Skills:

Dancing/Marching Swinging Walking

Sliding Climbing Crawling

Jumping Stretching Ball Play

Creative Expression:

On a daily basis the children will be given the choice to participate in scheduled activities that encourage them to express themselves creatively, these activities may include:

Easel Painting Finger Painting Collages/Mobiles Sponge Printing

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