The Toddler Experience

The majority of toddlers attend CGL two or three days per week. (Experience has shown that one day a week is difficult for children as they have a hard time bonding and establishing continuity with their teacher and their peers.) Toddlers range in age from 18 months to three years, and are divided into two classrooms of seven children each.

WHAT DOES A TODDLER’S DAY LOOK LIKE?

Throughout the day, children are exposed to enriching, open-ended materials that stimulate creativity, problem solving, independence and confidence. They engage in social interactions with their peers which, in turn, foster and develop their sense of self and their discovery of others. Much of the focus is on self-help and social-emotional skills, both of which are important foundations for preschool and beyond.

Gathered into a circle, children at Good Morning Circle (GMC) enjoy a time for singing songs, counting, jumping, discussing current events, sharing stories and listening to books with props. It is a time that supports individuality, introduces social guidelines, and develops language, cognitive and gross motor skills. Many parents comment that the lessons and experiences at GMC are the ones children most often discuss at home.

During Free Play, toddlers develop self-confidence as they learn to communicate their needs and master challenges in their classroom and their world. Toddlers flourish when they are free to explore and when they feel encouraged by the adults around them.

Critical to Free Play is the well designed classroom environment that offers toddlers the opportunities to be in control and to participate in group play, fantasy play, and independent activities. The classroom also offers toddlers opportunities to foster cooperation and a sense of self.

TODDLER DAILY SCHEDULE