Toddler
For children 12 through 24 months.
Many parents are looking for help with socialization skills for their children at this age. These are important developmental skills to learn at this time, and we will enthusiastically help each child with these skills.
Keep in mind that each child is unique. While certain attitudes, behaviors, and physical milestones tend to occur between 18 and 24 months, a wide spectrum of growth and behavior for each is normal. It is perfectly normal for one child to attain some milestones earlier and other milestones later than the general trend. We keep this in mind when we plan our daily activities. Between 18-24 months, some children will walk and some will run. They will pull or push toys, some will begin to speak in phrases and respond to simple requests. They can start sorting colors and shapes and playing make believe is a favorite of many! The children may get frustrated easily but also show affection easily too. We understand all of these emotions and care for them with love and affection. We also take pride in celebrating every milestone with the children. This is an exciting time for them and we are lucky enough to watch the daily strides they make.
By helping the children to feel special each day, they will feel good about themselves and you as parents will know about the special times they spend with us. Open communication with our parents reinforces all the hard work they do! Our daily communication logs that go home with the children, tell you about all that they did that day. This is a wonderful journey for you and your child. Socialization is just the beginning….Welcome to Ivy Hedge.
Beginners
Children should be 2 1/2 years old, and they DO NOT have to be potty-trained.
In our Beginner’s Room, our little ones are busy learning the all-important task of socialization. During free play, imaginations soar in our cheerful classroom designed for this age level. Blocks, puzzles, and many other skill-building toys are on hand to encourage cooperative play. The concepts of taking turns and working together are taught in a loving and nurturing environment.
The children also work on fine motor skills and following directions during one-on-one art projects with their teacher. Creativity is nourished with “free art” using a variety of art media such as paints, markers, crayons, glue, finger-paints, and more.
Music and movement are an important part of the fun with instruments, singing, and dancing. We work on large motor skills in our outdoor playground equipped with a giant sandbox, a climber with slides, and ride-on toys that are just our size. During a short circle time we learn about the calendar, the weather, and we sing songs related to the current season or different animals.
It is truly amazing how self-sufficient these children become, putting on their own coats, washing their hands, and helping out in the classroom. Their independence gives them a feeling of gratification. They are so proud when they can say, “I did it myself”.
Beginners Daily Schedule
• Free Play and Art Clean up/bathroom Snack
• Outside or Gym Bathroom
• Group Time – games, play dough, puzzles, etc.
• Music Program – singing, rhythm, marching with instruments
• Stories – children are read to throughout the day Circle Time
• Dismissal or lunch
Nursery
Children should be three by October 1st and able to communicate.
Our Nursery level is kept to a group of 24 children with both A.M. and P.M. sessions. Two rooms are equipped with 12 children at a time in each room. Both rooms have two teachers in them making a ratio of teacher to child one to six. They begin at 9:00 am and for the first hour they play and do whatever each room is set up for. One room has our art program in it and the other has our computers and offers a 15 minute circle time where the children are exposed to many learning experiences.
At 10:00 each room cleans up and then they all have snack. After snack the children switch rooms. Twice a week the music teacher comes and takes them out in a group of 12 and they go to another room where they enjoy singing while the teacher plays her guitar and playing any number of musical instruments. They are also taken out for a lesson in Spanish by our Spanish teacher in small groups of eight.
Our art projects are presented in conjunction with a lesson. Many times the lesson is just learning how to work with the different materials, discovering how many different ways one can use a type of art medium, how to care for the art supplies, smocks, etc., or the ever- important, how to clean up after the fun of creating is over. All lessons are prepared in weekly or longer units. These units provide the children with a strong sense of continuity and the feeling of something to look forward to next time they come to school.
Outdoor space and equipment are provided for the running, climbing and balancing skills which are essential to the development of self-confidence as well as the obvious healthy physical growth patterns. When it rains we have our large muscle activities in an indoor space which we use as a gym.
Pre-K
Children should be four by October lst.
With our present day Kindergartens expecting so much more academic knowledge than they used to, I had to face the challenge of our changing times and find a way to introduce more academics into our program WITHOUT sacrificing the children’s priceless play time. This is the reason several years ago I made a dramatic change in our Pre-Kindergarten program. I divided this level into four groups of eight children. Each group begins in their own homeroom and then travels to spend about 35 minutes in all the other rooms.
There is an Art and Science room, a Math room, a Reading room and a Gym. The children are also taken out for Music and Spanish like our Nursery children. All the rooms are arranged with a variety of different materials for the children to choose from. While most of them are choosing and playing freely within the room the teacher works with one or two at a time. In this way the children receive the maximum exposure to the necessary academics in the least amount of time and precious playtime is still there to be experienced and enjoyed by all.
Pre-K Daily Schedule:
• 9:00 Opening Circle – Hello song, flag salute, calendar, weather, and Show and Tell
• 9:20 Groups – Red – Reading / Yellow – Math
• 10:30 to 10:40 – Washing up and snacks for all groups
• 10:45 Groups – Blue – Art & Science Green – Gym
• 12:00 to 12:10 Dismissal or getting ready for lunch
Movement and Wellness Program
Our Philosophy
We believe children should learn in a fun and safe environment that contributes to their developing and acquiring movement skills. Children learn through movement and should have structured opportunities to develop physical skills. We believe that when children are presented with age appropriate movement challenges in a constructive, positive way they begin to develop physical skills that lead to a positive self-image and encourage them to lead healthy, active lives.
We believe that in addition to the physical child, there is also a mental, emotional, social and spiritual child that needs to be nurtured. Our movement and wellness program will address these other areas with sensitivity and care. This is our way of developing a sound mind in a sound body