Infant/Mixed/Toddler Curriculum August 2011
Themes: Star, Sun & Moon
Colors: Silver & Yellow
Shape: Triangle
Concepts
Teachers will teach new songs, finger plays and offer dialogues about the theme and introduce the shape of a triangle and the colors silver and yellow. Teachers will incorporate plenty of pictures and books about the stars, moon and sun. Relevant topics will also include day and night. Curriculum will continue to incorporate sensory activities each day. There will be a focus on self-help skills as many transitions will take place over the month of August.
Language Arts
Teachers will create dialogues with children introducing concepts of the sun, moon and stars. Good Night Moon, The Napping House, and How to Catch a Star are great books to introduce infants and toddlers to the themes. Curriculum will include pictures of the sun, moon and stars and all things silver and yellow (representative of the sun, moon and stars) to create curiosity and exploration. Teachers will talk to children about things they may do during the daytime and nighttime. Teachers will have conversations with children about daily routines and discuss upcoming transitions (new friends, teachers, classrooms). To help encourage language development teachers will use poster boards and photo albums with pictures of children, new teachers and routine times.
Language relating to themes may include:
Moon- night, dark, crescent
Sun- day, hot, rise, shine
Stars- twinkle, sky, bright
Suggested Finger Play:
Four Little Stars
Four little stars winking at me,
One shot off and then there were three.
Three little stars with nothing to do,
One shot off and then there were two.
Two little stars afraid of the sun,
One shot off and then there was one.
One little star not having any fun,
It shot off and then there were none!
Math and Science
Sand and water play will be incorporated in the sensory tables each day. There will be plenty of water in the water tables for scooping and pouring. Activities relating to the theme may include adding sparkles in the water (stars) and small balls in the sand table (representing moon or sun). Shiny silver paper may be used in a variety of ways. Teachers will continue to encourage children to count out their own snack and incorporate counting games at group time. Teachers will count the number of blocks children stack and the number of objects observed in a book. Matching and sorting activities will be incorporated and all children will be encouraged to participate in clean up routines. Cooking activities are an additional activity that promotes exploration into math, science, language and fine motor skills.
The Toddler classroom cooking activities will include:
Wednesday August 3rd 2011 – homemade hummus with cucumbers & celery
Tuesday August 9th 2011- graham crackers with cream cheese topped with strawberry, kiwi &blueberries.
Thursday August 18th 2011- homemade granola served with yogurt
Wednesday August 31st 2011- english muffin pizzas
Fine Motor
Toddlers will be encouraged to use scissors, colored pencils, tear paper and string beads to encourage fine motor development. Children will use pieces of shiny sticky paper to make ‘star’ collages. Puzzles will be incorporated into curriculum as they allow children, including infants, to problem solve while exploring the pieces. Magnet Tiles will be used in all classrooms and are relevant to the theme shape of the triangle. Items will be placed in bins and children will be encouraged to sort by color, shape and/or size.
Gross Motor
Playground time and sprinkler play will be incorporated each day; weather permitting. Music and dancing will also be incorporated to promote large muscle movement. Bike area on the playground will be utilized to encourage children to pedal the bikes. Children will have opportunities to throw balls into the basketball hoop and use the climbers both indoors and out. Stretching games will be included- encouraging children to reach up to the sky!
Self-Help Skills
Teachers have spent time reviewing self-help goals during team meetings as we look ahead to upcoming transitions. Infants will be introduced to smocks during water play; teachers will encourage words when children are talking with their bodies; clean up routines will be encouraged and infants will have the opportunity to eat with spoons and forks. Mixed teachers will encourage children to use their words when needing assistance and interacting with peers; children will have opportunities to assist when getting undressed/dressed; and children will count out snack and master the skill of drinking from an open cup. Older toddlers transitioning to Preschool will practice going up and down the stairs safely and walking with partners. Teachers will continue giving verbal directions and encourage independence by allowing children time to figure out direction and tasks through problem solving.
Tip of the Month: Potty Training at home
- Place a favorite book in the bathroom and encourage your child to sit and "read".
- Praise productions. "Yeah! You did it!" Some children may need a fan club.
- Start a boy sitting to provide consistency with the process and to minimize sprays and dribbles on the walls and floor.