At Stanley Knowles Pre-School Center Inc. we feel infants and toddlers learn best by building relationships that promote learning and development between the staff, the parents, the infants as well as the infants interacting amongst themselves. How we go about this is by constant communication, talking and interacting with the parents during drop off and pick up times as well as throughout the day, when necessary, via e-mails and phone calls. The staff also do daily info sheets for the parents with a snapshot of their day, accomplishments and if anything is needed.
The staff will interact with the children using sign language, verbal, and non-verbal communication. Staff will talk throughout the day explaining step by step what is happening. They provide activities that encourage listening and comprehension skills, such as reading books, finger play songs, and felt board stories. They will role model group play and provide opportunities for the children to express themselves nonverbally through arts and crafts, dancing, and exploration of play.
Staff will help children interact and build relationships with staff and other children, by role modeling appropriate behaviors for social interaction such as taking turns, helping each other, using positive words for praising, encouraging, explaining children’s feelings, and empathy. Simple problem solving through play.
The infants also partake in outdoor time and spend as much time as we can outdoors connecting with nature. The children enjoy going out on strolls in the neighbourhood in their 4-seater buggy, as well as a 2-seater stroller. Those that can walk will take turns walking along side the buggy and rotating a rest in the seats.
In our backyard they have the freedom to crawl, walk, or push a walking toy to get around to explore their play space. Their favourite spots are the sandbox digging and pouring, as well as sitting on the hill singing songs. Those that have the skills to get up onto the climber will work on their climbing skills and use the slides. We have two separate slides for different developmental levels, so they will start off on the small short one and work their way up to the taller semi-circular one.
The staff continuously changes the room dynamics through the equipment within the room based on the needs of the children of the day. Toys are rotated and changed weekly and based on the children’s interests and age appropriateness to promote learning and development, such as pulling out the climber when children are starting to learn how to climb and need a challenge or need to expend some energy if the weather does not cooperate and we are stuck inside. The child’s developmental needs are met through the progression of the equipment supplied in the room such as moving from highchairs to sitting at the table in a child size chair, from play pen to mat, and bottles to Sippy cups to cups. This promotes independence. The furniture in the room is easy access for the children as it is child sized, so they can access the toys on the shelves, which are filled with a variety of skill levels to challenge the children. The staff will enhance their play by setting up different play areas within the room such as a quiet area, drama, daily living, and gross motor, all of which can be moved and changed daily for flexibility.
