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Young Toddlers
Researchers have documented that encouraging a toddler’s verbal communication is important for ongoing development. Speaking slowly and with careful enunciation helps a toddler distinguish individual words. For this reason, the Rollins Child Development Center maintains a very strong focus on language development. Utilizing LENA programs, Highscope, and other curriculum approaches as guides, each teacher can support language development, independence, and cognitive awareness in each young toddler. In addition, faith-focused opportunities that include prayer, Christian songs, and Bible stories are also part of each young toddler’s day. By combining music, sign language, foreign language, art, and stories into daily routines, young toddlers have many opportunities to build confidence and language success.
We encourage toddlers to investigate the classroom environment exploring texture, size, shape, and weight through a variety of hands-on activities. Climbing, pushing, pulling, and walking will encourage gross-motor development to help with climbing stairs and other physical tasks. Within a different domain of development, building with blocks or other smaller materials can assist each learner with small-motor skill development that is needed to prepare for writing, math, and other fine art manipulatives.
Young toddlers will eat meals family-style, encouraging conversations with friends while exploring new tastes and smells. Rest time and diapering will also be part of your toddler’s day. Your toddler will form a strong bond of trust with their assigned care giver; this will encourage wonderful opportunities to share and encourage vocalization along with quiet moments to listen to soft lullabies.
Outdoor time, circle time, and sing-a-longs will promote behavior needed to gain valuable concepts of socialization and sharing.
Older Toddlers
Research has proven that sensory experiences and social interactions with supportive adults will help your toddler develop thinking abilities. At the Rollins Child Development Center toddlers are immersed in an environment that is rich and stimulating the student both emotionally and intellectually.
Our curriculum encourages dialogue that will lay the foundation for strong phonics development as teachers support opportunities that build language skills and critical thinking. These skills will help prepare a toddler to read, write, and learn mathematical concepts essential for later learning and growth. We ensure that these students receive important faith-based opportunities of prayer, Christian songs, and Bible stories as part of the child’s day. Gathering together in circle time supports the developed theory that recalling from memory, sharing, identifying songs, and expressing emotion are necessary to the continued development of children in this age group. Our faith-based atmosphere is a gentle and caring way to support this development and encourage kindness and sharing.
Toddlers will work in small groups with their assigned teacher to begin holding a crayon, using safety scissors, sorting and counting, and recognizing familiar objects. Developing a passion for art, music, and foreign language are key components of this developmental time and each Rollins Child Development Center teacher understands these very important activities. Family-style dining, outdoor play, a print rich area, the sensory table, and lots of conversation expand this inspirational environment for each emerging learner.