Older Toddlers
A toddler’s world is full of constant exploration and learning. We support the “can do” attitude of our toddlers and utilize their curiosity, social and sensory experiences to develop strong cognitive abilities. Our curriculum is designed to immerse your child in many rich and stimulating activities that lay a foundation for future academic success.
Language development of 2-year-olds is characterized by a rapidly growing vocabulary, the use of longer sentences, and clearer speech. Communicating with our toddlers is one of the most rewarding parts of the day. In addition to meaningful conversations with teachers, children are provided with a variety of engaging language exercises that focus on the development of pre-literacy skills such as matching, labeling, sorting, etc. Our program further supports the growth of these skills through introduction of new theme-based vocabulary, description and discussion of images and illustrations, reading stories and looking at books, singing songs, and playing with puppets. Another important aspect of language development in toddlers is playing together. Through peer interactions, the children begin to understand the power of language and how to use it in the world around them. From opening up a flower shop to becoming a veterinarian, from dressing up as an astronaut to going on a safari, our dramatic play area encourages children to use their expressive language to experiment with various social roles.
Two-year-olds are little people with big feelings. Our classroom provides many opportunities to support their social-emotional learning. Through small group activities such as forming a classroom band, putting together a robot, or building elaborate block structures, our children learn cooperation, compromise, patience, and conflict resolution. NEA teachers model positive behaviors and form strong emotional relationships with children to help them develop trust, empathy, compassion, and a sense of right and wrong.
To introduce toddlers to the exciting world of math, we incorporate math concepts such as counting, shape sorting, sizing, and patterning into our themed activities. Children may order skyscrapers by size, count spots on ladybugs, build a rocket from shapes, or create patterns with desert animals. Many of the science concepts for 2-year-olds revolve around animals, plants, and weather phenomena. Children discover science in our classroom through hands-on science activities and exploration in the sensory table. Additionally, theme-related science experiments help children learn to observe and to understand cause and effect.
The improvement of motor skills enables toddlers to become more independent. Our teachers support the development of these skills by including various fine and gross motor activities in their daily schedule. Children participate in active games, yoga and dance classes, and outdoor play. They learn how to thread, knead, transfer with different utensils, pour, cut with scissors, and fasten snaps, buttons and zippers. We provide a wide variety of small manipulatives for children to play and build with.
Creative arts and sensory explorations are integral parts of our toddlers’ day. In addition to a dedicated teacher-led arts and crafts time, our students have free access to different art media throughout the day. They enjoy listening to music, dancing, and playing various musical instruments. The classroom sensory table turns into a sandy desert, a prehistoric dinosaur habitat, or a peaceful pond full of koi, tadpoles, and lilypads.
