Infant and Toddler Curriculum
At Whiz Kidz, we know the care that infants, toddlers, and twos receive during their first three years, has a powerful influence on how they learn and grow throughout their lifetime.
In fact, brain research used to show 50 percent of what an individual learns throughout their lifetime, occurs by age 5, now suggests that it occurs earlier, as early as age 3. Acknowledging this is a vital learning period.
At Whiz Kidz, learning and development are tied together around four areas of the child’s development – social/emotional, physical, cognitive, and language — and are promoted through experiences that challenge and interest children.
Examples of some of these experiences include:
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Exposure to various learning opportunities to develop skills needed to regulate the child’s emotions, behavior, and attention.
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Engagement in one-on-one interactions and small groups to foster the development of social skills.
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Exposure to materials and objects of various textures, shapes and sizes that promote mathematical concepts.
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Exposure to opportunities that promote the use of their senses to learn about objects in the environment, discover that they can make things happen and solve simple problems.
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Engagement with literacy experiences that build on the child’s interest and enjoyment of songs, rhymes, interactive games and various types of books.
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Participation with opportunities to gain an appreciation of art and music through age-appropriate learning experiences and materials.
Our skilled teachers observe the children and plan activities and experiences that provide optimal learning and development for every child. Additionally, a large part of our curriculum is centered on the responsive environment in which kids learn.
Infant and Toddler Classrooms
The infant room is designed as a safe environment separated for sleep, play/learning, and eating. The space is designed for the different aspects of the infant curriculum – discovery through toys, imitation and pretend, story time, connecting with music and movement, and outdoor time – and around four developmental areas – social/emotional, physical, cognitive, and language development.
The room has a changing station and see-through cribs allowing teachers to easily monitor infants during sleep. The over sized room allows for growth and movement of infants as they mature through physical phases of development.
The toddler room is a great place for playing, learning, and exploring! Children transition into the toddler room around 15 months of age and remain until they are 2 years-old. Children are fine-tuning their walking and balancing at this age so we have provided them with indoor climbing structures to ensure they have ample opportunity to work on their gross motor skills. The dramatic play center is a favorite among the children in the toddler room! They love dressing in costumes and role-playing in the kitchen. The hard surface area is reserved for lunch and snack time and messy art projects! The windows allow for plenty of sunshine and natural light.