• Welcome to the Toddler Classroom
• Curriculum
• Toddler Independence
• Forms and Paperwork

Toddler Independence

One of the most important things we wil be doing in the toddler classroom is helping your child gain some independence.  It is very important that children learn how to do some things for themselves.  This will also help you are home.  There are several things that we do in the toddler classroom to help your child begin to become a little more independent.

• We have 3 different levels of tables and chairs in the toddler room.  The youngest children start at the first table with the chairs that have sides on them.  The children are still learning how to sit straight up and now fall out of the chair.  Then they progress to the middle table and the chairs have no side, but they are just barely off the ground.  The last table has chairs that are a little higher up.  We progress your child from one table to the next as we see signs that they are ready.

• All of the children drink from sippy cups in this room.  As the child shows signs of being ready, we begin to take the lid off of their sippy cup and have them drink without a lid.  We start out by putting very little milk in the cup and keep refilling it so that your child gets enough to drink.  When they can drink the small amount without spilling, your child feels good about themselves and what they are accomplishing.

• We have a set of steps at the sink so that the child can wash their hands.  The teachers/family members will always be there to assist them, but it is something they will do over and over during the day.

• At the table, your child will be encouraged to eat with their spoon instead of their fingers.  They will also be encouraged to keep their food on their plate.  Your toddler will also be encouraged to put their cup, spoon, and/or plate on the cart when they are finished.

• Cleaning up is a huge skill that we help the children with.  We have a couple of different times during the day that we will need to clean-up the room and put away all of the toys.  The toddlers are encouraged to help clean up.  If they dump a group of toys out of a container, they are encouraged to help clean them up and the teacher will help them.

• The teachers always encourage the toddler to use their words to express what they want/need.

• As far as grooming skills are concerned, the teachers will get the toddler to help pull down and up their pants, zippers, etc.  They will also teach the older toddlers the "flip" method to put on their own coats.  They will begin the introduction to the potty around the time it is getting ready to move to the 2's.  This will help the child not be afraid of the potty.

All of these things are very important to help your child grow from one stage to the next.  Please don't hesitate to ask if you have questions or want some ideas of what you can do at home to help promote independence.