Early Exploration Opportunities for 9months-24month olds
 

I offer a wonderful program for children from the ages of 9months (or sitting independently) to 24 months.  It is developmentally appropriate, which means the activities are based on age level, are adaptable to the child’s individual abilities, and are meaningful in that I consider children’s interests and offer hands-on experiences and real objects to manipulate. The activities stimulate creativity and foster exploration, while promoting active participation and interaction with others in the setting.  Many of the themes that the older children enjoy, I am able to adapt for our youngest learners.

This is a very special time with little ones.  While they are not able to enjoy a lot of self-help they are very able and eager to explore their world and learn new concepts.

My goals when developing my infant/toddler program were:

• To enhance the child’s awareness of self

• To observe each child’s interests in order to provide opportunities for exploration and discovery

• To offer play-based developmental activities

• To provide a safe and nurturing environment

I offer activities and materials to promote and enhance physical, mental, and social growth in four areas- Language Development, Physical Development, Creative Exploration, and Cognitive Development.

Language Development activities include songs, rhymes, finger plays, vocabulary, and communication skills.

Physical Development focuses on large and fine motor skills.

Creative Exploration alternates among art projects, sensory activities, and dramatic play.

Cognitive Development introduces basic concepts and opportunities to develop problem solving skills.

Each month I encourage you to visit this site and share the songs, books, and activity suggestions with your little one. Not to mention see great pictures of what your child has been doing during the day! The continuity between home and childcare is very important and reinforces to your child that The Kids’ Spot is an entrusted, special place for them.

Daily notes are sent home until infants turn one year of age.  After your child’s 1^st birthday I will no longer be keeping daily notes unless there is a special concern that we want to track.

Preschool Program for 2 years-5 years
 

For the children in my home who are 2-5yrs old, I offer a wide range of preschool activities that address the Nebraska Early Learning Guidelines.  Through these guidelines children’s growth and learning is broken into seven domains: Social & emotional development, creative arts, approaches to learning, health & physical development, language & literacy development, mathematics  and science.

To achieve the goals of these guidelines I utilize a variety of resources.  We enjoy the Fireflies preschool curriculum year-round with the summer months being a review of what we have learned during the school year.  I also share the Read2Learn program with the children.  Read2Learn develops a two week program that highlights a featured book.  All of our learning and guided play activities relate to the book and at the end of the two week period I present the children with a certificate of completion.  The kids love it!

I believe children learn best through interacting with their environment and I strive to present activities with that in mind.

Each month, your child will participate in integrated activities related to three educational themes. He or she will also be introduced to three alphabet letters, one color, two to three numbers, and one shape. Watch for related activities to arrive home!

In addition to the songs, recipes, craft ideas and downloads that you will find here on my site, you will also receive a copy of “The Parent Express” Newsletter each month, along with Weekly Family Notes. These resources include a description of each theme’s goals, several of the songs and rhymes your child is learning, a Book List, and more. You may wish to gather some of the suggested book titles to share with your child at home.

All of the opportunities that I offer to the children in my care are developmentally appropriate. Developmentally appropriate practice means that activities and programs take into account

what each child is ready for. Developmentally appropriate for ages 2 - 5 means that children should be offered a wide variety of hands-on opportunities to explore the world around them.

By taking into account the developmental readiness of each child I can offer them the opportunities to boost self confidence and independent thinking. Children are also provided opportunities for individual expression, and are able to practice decision-making. This type of environment promotes skills and discipline, inspires creativity, encourages flexibility, and provides for emotional release.

My program is designed to be open-ended and flexible. As parents, you can support developmental appropriateness by following the lead of your child’s teacher. Be supportive and involved in their efforts! Read the newsletters, visit this site and take advantage of the activity suggestions for you and your child.  Also, remember that children can accomplish many things without you seeing a specific project each day.

Craft projects are sent home regularly.  Learning and practice sheets are kept in your child’s Preschool Portfolio.  You are always welcome to look at your child’s work.  If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, please contact me and we can arrange a parent/teacher meeting.  Each child takes their Preschool Portfolio home at the end of the preschool year on June 1^st.  It’s a wonderful way to see how your child has progressed thru the months and another opportunity to see how proud your child is to show you what they have accomplished!