Toddler Program
For children ages 18–30 months

Schedule

8:30 AM–10:00 AM: Class Inside
10:00 AM–10:30 AM: Outside Play
11:30 AM–12:00 PM: Lunch
Children bring their own lunch.
12:00 PM–12:30 PM: Clean-up and Dismissal of Half-Day Students
Children who require full day care may enroll in the Toddler 2 class, which includes nap.
12:30 PM–3:00 PM: Nap Time and/or Quiet Play
3:00 PM–3:30 PM: Wake up and prepare to leave for the day
Flex Care is available for toddlers.

The Toddler Environment
Your child is an acute observer, eager to learn, to explore, to try new skills and to master them through practice. At a very young age, the child is able to concentrate on a task, absorb sequences and procedures, and master new language and physical skills if they are introduced in a way appropriate to the child's age, size and “needs.” In our Toddler Room, active toddlers thrive in an environment where the various aspects of the physical world are introduced in a systematic way by specially trained people.

The Program

Practical Life
After toddlers begin walking, usually around 12 months, their hands are free to work. Imitation of adult tasks is the favorite activity at this age. A child between 18 and 30 months is becoming aware of himself / herself as a separate person and shows a need for independence. They are interested in:

Dressing and undressing independently
Brushing his own hair and teeth
Putting things away around the house
Feeding himself and cooking
Setting the table and washing dishes
Using the toilet
Learning to fold, pour, sweep and mop

These activities comprise the “practical life” area of the Toddler Program. Grace and courtesy lessons are also introduced to the child at this age. Lessons include waiting until everyone is served before beginning to eat, use of cutlery at the table, greeting others politely, waiting until a person has finished a conversation before approaching them, and respecting one another’s workspace.

Sensorial
The toddler’s senses are challenged to match objects by size, shape, color, smell, or texture in the environment. Sorting is used to assist the child in creating mental categories, which will soon be named with developing language skills. Exploring how water, sand, clay, and other materials behave when manipulated is fascinating to the child of this age. Simple puzzles assist the development of special relationships.