Welcome to Toddler Room

Your toddler delights you with all they are learning to do and understand. At Kare-A-Lot we share that wonder and work to keep their curiosity safe and secure while they expand their worlds. Monthly themes direct activities but your child will be carefully supervised and directed as they explore communication and physical activities.

Experienced teachers will carefully introduce language, sensory awareness, colors, manipulatives, self-expression and story time. Classrooms are set up into learning centers, allowing the children to explore areas that are of interest to them.

Our Daily Schedule

7:00-9:15 Arrival, Breakfast, Free play

9:15-9:45 Small Group Activities

9:45-10:00 Hand washing/potty/snack

10:00-11:00 Playground/Fancyburg Park/Gym

11:00-11:30 Hand-washing, potty, diapers

11:30-12:00 Group time/stories

12:00-12:30 Lunch

12:30-3:00 Rest time

3:00-3:30 Diapers, potty, snack

3:30-4:45 Playground, Gym, Table toys, Large Muscle Room

4:45-5:00 Hand washing, Diapers

5:00-5:15 Snack

5:15-5:40 Circle time/Stories/Books

5:40-6:00 Free play/Climbing room/Departure

Parent Teacher Communication

Daily Activity Sheets are posted in the classroom, on the Parent Information Bulletin Board. Next to the classroom entrance you will find your child’s mail pouch. We strongly suggest that you check both places every day for relevant information about your child and the daily activities in the room. We develop a weekly lesson plan and a monthly snack calendar. We ask parents to bring a snack item once per month to share with the group (see other side for suggestions). You will find these items in your mail pouch and on the Parents’ Board. Each classroom's Lead Teacher emails a monthly newsletter with details regarding what is happening in the classroom for that month. However, we do not send newsletters during the summer program.

Behavioral goals

In the toddler room, we follow the Step-Up-To-Quality guiding principles and course of action. All daily activities are planned with a behavioral goal in mind. All activities and curriculum are aligned to the State of Ohio Early Childhood Content Standards. We work with your child daily so he/she will improve in all areas of development at his/her own pace. Because we believe strongly in the need for children to learn how to communicate their feelings and ideas, we emphasize language development experiences.

The following are our most important behavioral goals that we want to observe in your child at some point during the coming year:

Language

• To use words to form 4 to 5 word sentences
• To use action words in their speech
• To use words to express their needs and feelings
• To follow two or three step directions
• To acquire some simple listening skills

Self Help Skills

• To sit at the table when eating
• To use a spoon and a cup without a lid
• To put their plates and spoons away
• To put their coats and hats on and take them off
• To help put toys and other equipment back in place

Cognitive

• To recognize and use the names of all the teachers and children in the group
• To repeat and memorize songs and rhymes we sing at school
• To respond to simple what, who, where and why questions
• To increase their attention span
• To listen to stories, poems, flannel board stories, rhymes and finger plays

Emotional

• To begin to learn the concept of personal space, ownership and taking turns.
• To begin to recognize and accept the feelings of other children.

Policy on Biting

Toddlers bite. Eighty percent of children ages 12 months to 36 months will try to bite at one time or another. In a group of 10 to 11 toddlers there is always a biter. There are also two or three bitees. Biters tend to be very active and physical children. Usually they do not have very good verbal skills. Toddlers bite out of frustration, anger and the feeling of being restricted. They will bite if they are tired, sleepy or hungry. Children also tend to bite when they are restricted to small spaces and cannot release their energies. Children who are the targets of biters tend to be quiet, easy going, loving. As parents and teachers we want to protect the bitees as well as teach the biters to manage their frustration and anger in more positive ways. To help everyone cope with this behavior, teachers will follow these steps:

Identify the potential biters and bitees and notify the parents of the behaviors that we are observing.

• Keep the biter and the bitee away from each other as much as possible.
• Role play with the children.
• When biting happens the teacher will immediately go to the child that is hurt and will comfort him/her and provide first aid as needed. Then turn to the biter and remove the child from the group for a short period of time. The teacher will place herself at the eye level of the biter and will hold his/her face with her hands. She will tell the biter, “We do not bite.” the teacher must also complete an incident report to the parents of the children involved in the biting.
• If biting continues on a regular basis, the teacher will talk to his/her parents and explain the circumstances of the incidents. Parents of the biter must use the same method at home that the teacher uses at school.
• Parents and teachers must us positive reinforcement to encourage the biter to stop biting and the bitee to defend his/herself. After a day when the child has not bitten, both the teacher and the parents will celebrate the achievement with some special reward to the biter and to the bitee.
• Parents and teachers must understand children behavior patterns and their motives. It is our job to support them, encourage then and guide them to more positive ways of expressing their feelings and needs.
• Most normal, healthy kids will stop biting by the time they reach two and a half years of age.

Toilet Training Orientation

Potty training should be a positive experience for a child. It should take only a short period of time, if the child is ready. Potty training is as individual as learning to walk. There is no right age by which all children should be using the toilet. Problems in toilet learning usually arise because adults do not pay attention to the child’s lack of readiness. We will try toilet training with your child for 20 days. If the child shows no interest, is fearful, or has too many accidents, your child will go back into diapers until we decide together that your child is ready to try again. We will usually start this process after your child has been in the toddler room for at least three months.

We are listing here a few helpful hints of ways we can work together to minimize frustration and maximize success. Of course, encourage your child and continue the process at home. Have your child wear loose fitting clothing she or he can manage independently, such as elastic waist pants that are easy to pull up and down. Do not dress your child in overalls or t-shirts with snaps between the legs. Dresses are also not a good idea. Supply regular, thin cotton underpants or thick training pants rather than pullup diapers. That way the child is more aware when she or he has had an accident. Bring at least three pairs of extra clothes, including socks, every day. Bring an extra pair of shoes as well. Have your child start wearing underwear at home the weekend before we initiate it here. By all means continue the program at home, having the child wear underwear rather than diapers. If you feel your child needs to

wear diapers at night, sit them on the potty right before bed time. At Kare-A-Lot, the children go to the potty with a buddy for positive reinforcement and to make this event fun. The teachers will tell the child you need to go to the potty now every hour in the morning, and every hour after rest time. Due to health regulations, teachers cannot wash soiled clothes. We will put them in a plastic bag for you to take home. We hope this will help us all assist your child in mastering the art of going to the bathroom on his/her own.

Clothing

Toddlers are very active beings. Always on the move, they need very loose, comfortable clothing. Here are some suggestions: Leave designer clothing for Sundays and holidays. Children like to get dirty. Primary colors and plaids are the best choices. Soft high tops with laces versus Velcro are the best shoes for winter time. Tennis shoes in dark colors are best for summer. Coats with hoods that fit comfortably

around the head are the best choice. Make sure that the sleeves are wide enough to get their hands through. Hats that can be tied and mittens, not gloves, are also the easiest to work with. **During the winter, children must have a hat and mittens at our center at all times. Children will need snow boots/high-tops every day for winter. Please make sure that they fit loosely. It is very hard to slip boots on when they are tight around the foot.

If you have any questions and/or suggestions, feel free to call the center at 614-481-7532.