During the third year, children develop rapidly and dramatically. They now not only understand what is said to them, but they can use words to communicate their own thoughts and feelings. They enjoy playing alongside and cooperating with other children their age and are becoming increasingly more independent. Their ability to learn through actions, solve problems and anticipate results is exciting to watch. They will master many new physical skills during this period when given the opportunity to challenge their large and small muscles.
Our curriculum is designed to stimulate and facilitate their development in an atmosphere of love and fun. The content areas we explore include:
The Cognitive Areas
Language Arts
Children learn and develop language skills and literacy by using language in many different ways: by being spoken to; by speaking themselves; by hearing others extend and expand their utterances; by being aware of written language; by being read to, and by having opportunities to experiment and explore with words, sounds and letters. Our curriculum for two’s fosters language development and facilitates the natural progression into later reading and writing.
Math
Number concepts develop gradually through the preschool period. By providing concrete hands-on experience with objects, we start to develop the child’s beginning sense of numbers. We use everyday, real-life experiences and theme-based activities as well as manipulative toys designed to foster mathematical concept development. Rote counting is taught through enjoyable games, songs, and finger plays. We take advantage of the natural opportunities during the day to make children aware of the concepts of “one-two-three” and beyond, as they are ready. They will match and sort, experiment with patterns, build with unit blocks, count, serrate objects by size, learn relative terms like “biggest/smallest” and “heaviest/lightest,” spatial concepts like “on top of,” “under,” “inside,” etc.
Science
Two is not too early to capitalize on children’s sense of wonder at the world around them. We will explore everyday things by touching, looking, listening, tasting, and smelling. We will learn about water and ice; all kinds of animals, including farm and zoo animals, dinosaurs, fish, birds, bugs, and reptiles; seeds, leaves, and plants; air, airplanes, and rockets; light, color, and shadows, and our own bodies and how to take care of them.
Art
Everyday, we have an art project of some kind. Sometimes it is the chance to explore and to “mess” with media, or we will make something related to our learning themes. We will use water, finger paints, tempera paints and brushes, watercolors, play dough, paste, and a lot of paper.
Social Studies
We begin to learn about living together in a group, and to use words when expressing our feelings; how to clean up; and how to take care of the world around us. Celebrating all of our holidays, customs and traditions are ways of learning about our world and are a part of our monthly themes.
Music and Movement
Singing and moving to music are an important component of every day. We learn many songs, finger plays, and rhymes. We delight in the songs of Raffi and other popular children’s musicians and listen to folk songs, jazz, classical music, and sometimes rock and roll. Quiet music helps us rest and is a part of nap and quiet times.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Large and Small Muscle Development
Weather permitting, we will be outside for up to two hours each day – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Children have a natural need to run, jump, climb, swing, and balance. Our playground equipment, that includes swings, a slide, climbing structures, a sandbox, riding toys, etc., stimulates and encourages children’s joyful use of their bodies. In inclement weather we will use the rainy day playroom next door.
Puzzles, beads, pegs, towers, small blocks, ringamajigs, counting bears, links, paper punches, and other manipulative materials are used as part of the everyday schedule to develop eye-hand coordination and small muscle strength and flexibility.
INDEPENDENCE
This is the psychological stage of autonomy, which includes growing desires to “do it myself.” The two year old is becoming more independent each day. We patiently encourage their efforts to dress and undress, wash hands, develop table skills, and begin to learn to use the toilet.
SOCIAL SKILLS
The child’s natural drive to autonomy and egocentricity, coupled with the social world’s need to limit it, can create conflict for the two year old. By having the opportunity to play with peers, and begin to learn to use words rather than physical aggression to negotiate what he/she needs (with Teacher help), the child develops self-esteem and social skills.
