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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>What To Teach Toddlers And What To Teach Preschoolers
Christina72684 08:48 AM 08-14-2014
We have one daycare for just babies and toddlers. About half the kids are under a year, and the other half are 1-2 year olds. I was wondering what other places teach kids at this age. Here's what we do:

-Colors
-Sing ABCs
-Body parts
-Manners (please, thank you, sorry, your welcome, bless you)
-Animals sounds and recognition (what animal says moo, what does a cow say, and what is this a picture of)
-Directions (up, down, in, out, top, bottom)
-Opposites (hot, cold, off, on, big, little)

My mom (who runs the daycare while I run the preschool) is starting to teach them letters and shapes too. I don't want her teaching them too much and then they know a lot when they come to me from 3-5 years old.

On the flip side, what do you teach preschoolers? Here's what we do:

-Calendar time (days of the week, add the date, weather, seasons, etc)
-Counting
-ABCs (letter recognition and sounds)
-Colors
-Shapes
-Some Spanish
-Taking turns, sitting down quietly, hands in lap
-Standing in line
-Manners
-Using scissors
-Tying shoes (haven't taught this yet but want to)
-Study themes (oceans, seasons, holidays, community helpers, etc)
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earlystart 09:53 AM 08-14-2014
Originally Posted by Christina72684:
I don't want her teaching them too much and then they know a lot when they come to me from 3-5 years old.
2 year olds are capable of learning ABC's, 123's, Colors, Shapes, Numbers, why not teach them if they're ready and able to learn? I always start introducing those concepts from as young as 18 months, with no pressure or expectations. I don't see why she should wait to introduce those concepts, it should only make your life easier and you can get on to more advanced curriculum instead of starting from scratch. 3 year olds can begin to learn letter sounds, writing practice, spelling their name, etc.
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Annalee 10:01 AM 08-14-2014
Originally Posted by Christina72684:
We have one daycare for just babies and toddlers. About half the kids are under a year, and the other half are 1-2 year olds. I was wondering what other places teach kids at this age. Here's what we do:

-Colors
-Sing ABCs
-Body parts
-Manners (please, thank you, sorry, your welcome, bless you)
-Animals sounds and recognition (what animal says moo, what does a cow say, and what is this a picture of)
-Directions (up, down, in, out, top, bottom)
-Opposites (hot, cold, off, on, big, little)

My mom (who runs the daycare while I run the preschool) is starting to teach them letters and shapes too. I don't want her teaching them too much and then they know a lot when they come to me from 3-5 years old.

On the flip side, what do you teach preschoolers? Here's what we do:

-Calendar time (days of the week, add the date, weather, seasons, etc)
-Counting
-ABCs (letter recognition and sounds)
-Colors
-Shapes
-Some Spanish
-Taking turns, sitting down quietly, hands in lap
-Standing in line
-Manners
-Using scissors
-Tying shoes (haven't taught this yet but want to)
-Study themes (oceans, seasons, holidays, community helpers, etc)
Children are learning from birth...even ABC's/123's.....they are learning from the world around them.....I am FCC so my children are a mixed age group and they all begin learning all the things you mentioned, etc. from the time they enter the program.
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melilley 10:32 AM 08-14-2014
I have mainly infants and toddlers, they range from 10 months to a new 3. I do weekly themes and we work from that. I also do circle time, for those who are interested. We talk about all that you mentioned, sing, count, do finger plays, read, etc. The older children usually sit and participate and the younger ones come join as they please. The 2 year olds like to do circle time!
I also do a lot of play based "teaching". I talk a lot with them and introduce concepts as we play. For instance "J, you have a yellow star" or just randomly start singing or counting toys.

You will be surprised at what the younger children pick up! One day, I was doing circle time and one of the younger kids was sitting and playing across the room from us and all of a sudden he was holding up fingers and counting (in his baby/toddler talk, he was only 1)! Another child just started saying the ABC's randomly while playing.

They are always listening!
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Laurel 10:35 AM 08-14-2014
Originally Posted by Annalee:
Children are learning from birth...even ABC's/123's.....they are learning from the world around them.....I am FCC so my children are a mixed age group and they all begin learning all the things you mentioned, etc. from the time they enter the program.


Things just come up as the day goes along. I've never had a checklist even in my head. By the time they leave they are ready for pre K which is where they go here because our state has a FREE voluntary pre kindergarten.

I do mentally calculate what I think they should be able to do and concentrate on steering them toward things that I think they should know but don't yet. Nothing formal though. So maybe I do have a checklist in my head?

Laurel
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SignMeUp 01:20 PM 08-14-2014
I think that children will absorb whatever they're exposed to, when they're ready for it developmentally. One of my favorite stories is when I was getting ready to read a book to my group (mixed-age from infant to K).
I asked what letter the first word in the title began with, and one of my 14 month olds chirped "E!!" Well, it was a "C", but hey, she knew a letter, and that the answer required a letter Pretty smart, if you ask me

So, if they come to you already having a base of knowledge that includes the things you listed, why not expand vocabulary? This is one of the indicators of how well children are doing when they enter school. You can do that by introducing units about anything! Dinosaurs, Planets, Moons and Stars, Construction Vehicles, Community Workers, etc. Don't limit them! Listen to what they're interested in. Expand on it. Think about songs that they like, and what the curriculum content in that could be - we did an entire year of curriculum drawn from my kids' favorite songs. Use books that you love to read, and make a curriculum unit around that.

As to the list, if you are up for personalized learning, add learning their address and a phone number. Phone numbers are complicated because many families have at least two, but have parents prioritize one for the child to learn first. I don't like my kids to go to school without knowing their own address, including city and state, and a parent's phone number.
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daycare 01:44 PM 08-14-2014
doing something is better than doing nothing.

with my under 2 I focus on learn through play and coping with emotions.

I expose them to every thing my preschoolers get, except with my under 2 I always do a running dialogue so that they get to hear more words, they are asked tons of questions and shown new objects.'

Like showing them what a hole puncher does or binoculars, or maybe how to play with poms filling up small bowls and emptying them out.

we spend a lot of time reading, play-dough if they dont eat it, writing in salt/sand, singing and dancing.

I gage the children by ability, not just by age.
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Tags:preschool, teaching, toddlers
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