Natural Inquirers:

When your child is all over the place, they’re discovering their world. Toddlers learn best in safe, loving places where they can explore, in their own way. The activities for this age group at our school are built around toddlers’ limitless curiosity and their natural desire to push boundaries. During their time with us your child will learn to count, discover writing and music, and start building toward following simple instructions. It is a perfect learning environment to provide the child, the extension to home of course!

Toddlers program adopts strategies to enrich learning and development opportunities and provides a structure that toddlers can use to make informed decisions as the trained teachers plan learning environments and experiences for our youngest children. The Toddlers’ learning framework is based on current research on how toddlers learn and develop in four domains:

  1. Social–Emotional,
  2. Language,
  3. Cognitive, and
  4. Perceptual and motor development.

To encompass all aspects, we at TIPS have designed the toddlers’ curriculum on the following three basic principles.

  1. The Environment as curriculum:

Curriculum plans include the selection of play materials that add interest and complexity to distinct areas where infants and toddlers freely play. A thoughtful selection of materials invites infants and toddlers to explore experiences that challenge their emerging skills, concepts, and ideas.

  1. Interactions and conversations as curriculum:

Curriculum plans address ways of being with infants and toddlers during interaction, including nonverbal interaction, conversations, cooperation, conflicts, and times when infants express strong feelings such as delight, sadness, anger, or frustration.

  1. Caregiving routines as curriculum:

Curriculum plans include care routines, particularly mealtimes, diaper changes, and naptimes. Intentional teaching invites infants and toddlers to participate in care routines that deepen their relationship experiences and open up possibilities for building emerging skills and concepts.

Languages

The most important language materials for a toddler are the materials and experiences in the child’s environment. Reinforcing the importance of verbal communication, speaking clearly, and supporting the child’s expanding vocabulary are a daily process in the toddler environment. For the toddler, written language is experienced through the adult’s oral reading and story time.

Pre-reading

  • Matching cards
  • Vocabulary cards
  • Stories read aloud
  • Size and shape discrimination exercises
  • Picture-word cards

Matching

  • Tracing objects
  • Tracing shapes

Word Recognition

  • Sandpaper letters
  • Isolating initial sounds

Pre-writing

  • Sandbox tracing

Mathematics

Every  child’s mind is mathematical and based on the order and perceptual awareness found in the development of the senses. The acquisition of mathematical principles is seen as developing logically from concrete to abstract and simple to complex. The child who has experienced basic concepts involved with the practical life and sensorial materials progresses naturally to the beginning math activities. We make this enjoyable by providing these everyday activities:

Counting activities (1-4 and 1-10)

  • Counting songs
  • Counting fingers, animals, children, objects in the environment, etc.
  • Spindles boxes
  • Sandpaper numerals
  • Numeral sandbox tracing

Concept of Time

  • Daily routine
  • Periods of the day (morning, afternoon, evening)
  • Seasons

Sciences

Science for the toddler means activities where the child can directly observe and manipulate physical properties. The tactile element is the key ingredient for learning about their world. Appropriate science activities for toddlers allow for the maximum child interaction and minimal adult intervention. These activities make a significant contribution to the child’s development because they foster autonomous functioning. When children can manipulate materials and equipment and discover on their own, they feel a great sense of mastery and positive satisfaction which helps build their self concepts. It is extremely important to remember that it is the process not the product that is important and creates learning within the child.

Life Science

  • Plant care
  • Animal care
  • Nature walks
  • Living v. nonliving
  • Life cycles

Physical Science

  • Sink and float activities
  • Gravity
  • Magnetic v. nonmagnetic
  • Color mixing
  • Weight/balance

Earth Science

  • Water properties
  • Weather/seasons
  • Oceans
  • Rocks

Scientific reasoning and technology

  • Observation
  • Measures

Sensorial

A vital component of the curriculum, it stimulate, educate and refine the child’s senses. Sensorial materials are designed to simplify learning and awareness of the environment by:

  •         Isolating the senses at different levels of difficulty
  •          Encouraging mastery through repetition
  •          Possessing self-correction within the material
  •          Presenting an attractive appearance to the child

By working with Montessori sensorial materials, children develop the organization and patterning skills inherent in math and language concepts. These materials include:

Visual

  •    Pink tower
  •    Knobbed cylinders
  •    Broad stair
  •    Knobless cylinders
  •    Color tablets box 1 and 2
  •    Binomial cube

Tactile

  •    Touch boards
  •    Fabric-extreme textures

Auditory

•    Sound cylinders

Physical Control

Movement program guides all children along the path to lifetime physical fitness. The benefits of this journey are many: health, longevity, positive body image, improved overall self-esteem and increased energy and concentration in all areas.

The program is responsive to the needs and interests of the children, and the ultimate goal is the joyful discovery of movement and its benefits, both physical and psychological. It is designed to benefit all children, not just those with particular interest or talent in specific area. We take care to keep the emphasis on fitness and fun, as opposed to individual superiority of skills.

Toddler Classes

  • Rolling,
  • Jumping,
  • Bending,
  • Stretching.

Movement is fun and exploration is exciting!

Music

Our Music program combines individual and group work with lessons designed to appeal to a variety of learning styles. In addition, we schedule numerous opportunities to build community through performances, field trips and assemblies.

 Toddler Classes Include,

  • Repetitive songs
  • Echo songs and action
  • Singing in unison
  • Clapping rhythms
  • Play musical instruments

Real World Exposure

Practical Life materials and exercises are designed to contribute to the development of both small and large motor skills. They also assist the child in becoming self-efficient and independent.

Physical skills

  •    Control of movement
  •    Silence game
  •    Walking the line

Respect and care of environment

  •    Squeezing a sponge
  •    Sweeping the floor
  •    Pouring grains and water
  •    Clamping clothespins
  •    Rolling a rug
  •    Using tools such as hammers and screwdrivers
  •    Opening and closing jar lids
  •    Opening and closing latches
  •    Using a strainer, beater, whisk
  •    Scrubbing a shell, rock, doll
  •    Caring for animals
  •    Recycling

Community service

•    Collecting teddy bears for a local children’s shelter

Grace, courtesy and etiquette

  •    Greeting someone
  •    “Please” and “Thank you”
  •    Walking around the rug
  •    Shaking hands

Independence

  •    Care of person
  •    Dressing frame
  •    Large button frame
  •    Zipper frame
  •    Snapping frame
  •    Hanging up coat
  •    Combing hair
  •    Washing hands
  •    Health and safety
  •    Nutrition and food preparation

Library

Yes! Library!!

There is no formal library or technology instruction at the Toddler level. Instead, toddlers have their own library in their classroom, which teachers keep on changing as per the thematic ideas and seasons. Story time is an integral part of the daily experience in the Toddler classroom. The library comprises of robust collection of picture books and big books.