Tiny Turtles - 1 to 2 Year Old Toddler Daycare Program
We go above and beyond to create an inspiring safe early education childcare environment for our early toddlers.
Our Tiny Turtles Program is designed to provide interactive challenges that will encourage our students to emerge from their shell of shyness. This is the true stage of discovery and exploration: children have a natural desire to “push it to the limit” and experience the world around them without boundaries. Driven by curiosity and a newfound sense of confidence, toddlers are more self-aware, expressive and pensive in their daily activities.
A proper toddler program engages energetic children by inviting them to interact with their environment. We expand classrooms as they go up in age to incorporate more complex manipulatives, play centers and activities. At this age, children mimic what they see, so we work to foster a toddler’s understanding of safe and socially appropriate behavior.
Milestones
Communicative
- Early language and literacy skills are displayed when babies listen, react and respond to verbal communication with their attention and body movements.
- Babbling, cooing, gurgling and laughing help to express their needs and wants.
- Listening to stories read aloud and studying the lips of a speaker prepares them to know how to form their first words phonetically.
Executive Function
- Early language and literacy skills are displayed when babies listen, react and respond to verbal communication with their attention and body movements.
- Babbling, cooing, gurgling and laughing help to express their needs and wants.
- Lisztening to stories read aloud and studying the lips of a speaker prepares them to know how to form their first words phonetically.
Cognitive
- Using senses to investigate their surroundings · Memorizing familiar sightings and faces · Learning through repetition · Displaying critical thinking skills by trying to figure out how things work · Beginning to understand the relationship between cause and effect
Social - Emotional
Teachers cuddle and spend one-on-one time with each baby so that they feel loved and begin to trust their environment. · Making friends and showing affection to others · Using body language, sounds and facial expressions to share their feelings · Showing separation anxiety
Creative Expression
- Noticing the contrast between different color hues · Exploring textures, sounds and tastes to develop a preference · Gathering and combining objects in attempts to create · Enjoying and moving to music
Physical Development and Wellness
- Learning to lift head, roll over and sit up · Attempting to rock on hands and knees and push off to crawl · Exercising fine motor skills to grasp objects · Manipulating objects intentionally to test its features
Sample Activities
- Tummy time with friends (socialization, strengthens early muscles that’ll control future gross motor skills)
- Story time and dramatic play: (our teachers are also pretty good actors that have fun being silly with puppets to hear those sweet little giggles)
- Music and movement (teachers play music and instruments while assisting your little one with moving their limbs to improve flexibility and create body awareness)
- Arts & Crafts (baby bugs finger paint and create their own little masterpieces, too!)
Communicative
👨👩👧👦Toddlers have a strong sense of self and possession. You may hear them exclaim “Mine!” or assert themselves with a firm “No!”. At this age, little ones understand instructions, positional phrases and can better express their needs and wants. Toddlers begin to demonstrate literacy skills by identifying people, places and objects by name. They follow along as you read and can sing songs with an understanding of patterns and rhyming sounds through their expanding vocabulary.
Executive Function
🧠Toddlers have an increasing attention span and memory capacity. They remember where objects are placed when out of sight and can identify common faces, places and things in their everyday lives. They can follow simple instructions and control impulses better as they are more self-aware.
Cognitive
🧮Toddlers develop a sense of mathematics in relation to depth, shapes, sizes and quantities. They explore these concepts by filling and dumping objects, stacking or matching puzzle pieces. Their curiosity leads them to think critically as they test new theories out with cause and effect. They also have a newfound awareness and interest in the environment and learning how the world around them works.
Social - Emotional
😻At this age, you may receive your first heartwarming “I love you” from your Toddler. They can sense the emotions of others and show compassion by hugging and drawing near. Toddlers are very expressive of their emotions and begin responding to social situations. Group play and collaborative work are readily embraced as socialization is their favorite new activity.
Creative Expression
🖍️Now that your toddler’s fine motor skills are more controlled, they can scribble and doodle little masterpieces. It’s never too early to put pictures on your refrigerator! Toddlers love to dance, wiggle and make sounds in their playful moods. You will notice their individual personalities arise and a sense of humor emerge. The world of make believe comes alive as they act and improvise during playtime.
Physical Development and Wellness
⛹Toddlers are so active that they have their own verb: toddle! Running, jumping, spinning and climbing are all signs of a physically fit little one. Their hand-eye coordination is more precise, and they can utilize their muscles to pick up and manipulate new objects. Toddlers also understand safety and health concepts, such as knowing not to touch something hot or understanding that no matter how much they play, bath time is a must.
Sample Activities
🛁“Bath Time” – Toddlers bathe baby dolls to create body awareness and encourage them use their executive function to bathe and care for themselves.
🗣️“Simon Says” – Teachers give basic instructions to engage the children’s focus, memory and bodies. “Stomp your feet, jump up and down, spin around!”
👂Body parts – Teachers will ask students to point to their nose, ears, eyes and so on to help them identify their body parts and learn their purpose.
🔣Teachers introduce math, science, social studies and literacy building activities through stacking and building blocks, teaching about the weather and environment, discussing family roles and helping them annunciate, state their name and expand their vocabulary.
Schedule A Tour At ABC Learning Academy
The best way to discover what makes us special is to see it firsthand! We provide engaging and interactive tours at our academy daily. You can schedule a tour via the link below. We look forward to meeting you soon and getting to know you and your child more!
