Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Curriculum>Infant Class Ages 4 Months to 2 Years
Flowerchild 11:07 AM 09-21-2018
So I have an infant class with various ages. The oldest is 2. My classroom is so different from the other toddler rooms that I find it impossible to really teach anything to these kids. I'm afraid the 2 year old doesn't know anything or is learning. I've been trying to incorporate circle time for older ones to teach colors shapes etc. I'm just worried that I am not teaching them anything.i feel like the 2 year old makes things a game and doesn't try to really learn. Like pointing at shapes and making me repeat the colors. She also says every color is black or red. It's hard making lesson plans too. I kn ow I'm probably over reacting to it but it's frustrating me with having more toddlers than babies and needing to work on a schedule different from theirs. Toys which are hard to come by are age less than what they probably need.
Reply
Flowerchild 11:12 AM 09-21-2018
Originally Posted by Flowerchild:
So I have an infant class with various ages. The oldest is 2. My classroom is so different from the other toddler rooms that I find it impossible to really teach anything to these kids. I'm afraid the 2 year old doesn't know anything or is learning. I've been trying to incorporate circle time for older ones to teach colors shapes etc. I'm just worried that I am not teaching them anything.i feel like the 2 year old makes things a game and doesn't try to really learn. Like pointing at shapes and making me repeat the colors. She also says every color is black or red. It's hard making lesson plans too. I kn ow I'm probably over reacting to it but it's frustrating me with having more toddlers than babies and needing to work on a schedule different from theirs. Toys which are hard to come by are age less than what they probably need.
Does anybody have any suggestions on lesson plan ideas and themes and activities? I try to teach as a go but I feel like maybe this age needs a toddler room structure?????
Reply
Blackcat31 12:57 PM 09-21-2018
4 months to 2 years encompasses a lot of vast developmental differences...

In my state, infants are only up to 12 months
Toddlers 12 months to 24 months
Preschool 2yrs and up....

We are required to have written lesson plans for all those age groups but like I said, they are all different age groups here so the lesson plans are really reflective of their ages.

What I would put under large motor skills for example on one lesson plan, I couldn't see meeting the same need on a different age group lesson plan.

Sorry that isn't much help in regards to what you are asking but maybe there are others here who also have age groups that cover a wider age range than I do.

Here is an example of infant lesson plans covering a whole year that may be helpful.
Reply
Jiminycrickets 01:31 PM 09-21-2018
I keep lesson plans and themes simple (Fall, Water, Dogs, Fish) when I have littler ones or mixed ages (I do home day care now, but have worked with every age in centers, too.) Circle times I keep very short until they are about 2/2.5. Like, we read a book and sing a song and maybe look at some interesting theme objects or something together. If they won't stay, then no big deal, they will learn soon.
If I have one bigger one, I wait until the littles are occupied playing and then sit with the big one and play a simple game one-on-one, even for just 3 or 4 minutes. If they are a little silly, that's fine, they are learning even if they are pretending not too. If they are ridiculous (throwing cards or something) we are done, and they lose their one-on-one attention, which most don't like.
I don't know what your center requires, but even for 2 year olds you don't need to push letters and numbers and that sort of thing real hard. Just point them out in books or around the classroom, or get out some big crayons and color shapes and write their names. My 3s gave no hoots about letters until 2 weeks ago and suddenly they are obsessed with knowing what letters are for who and what, so when they are ready they will pick it up super fast.
Lots of sensory things can be good for that age, especially if you have a smaller group you can keep a close eye on. I like to put messy stuff in a plastic ziploc if it's something they might eat or get all over when you don't have time to clean up. Like paint, shaving cream, slime, leaves, colored rice. If you tape it shut they have lots of fun mushing it around but no mess.
Things like clean cardboard boxes, washed out milk cartons, balls, extra baby blankets or squares of cloth, plastic cups, are inexpensive or free. You can use them to stack, knock down, wrap up things like presents, hide things under, hide in or under, and any age will happily play with them.
Sing lots of songs, dance. I've had toddlers that love to try yoga poses and think push ups and jumping jacks are great.
For art with little ones I spread some white glue on paper and give them things (feathers, corn, paper bits) to stick to it, most of them pick that up pretty quickly. If your center is one that emphasizes academic-type things, you can put the glue down in the shape of letters, numbers, or geometric shapes, or do various objects in the same color. Or cut out some construction paper letters and let them paint or color them.
Older babies/toddlers can be a hard group to think of new ideas for, for sure, especially when they are at different levels from each other, but I think it's also okay to be fairly repetitive with them, doing the same sort of thing with little variations. They are still figuring out how their bodies work and how the world works, so they don't necessarily need tons of new and exciting all the time.
Reply
Flowerchild 02:00 PM 09-21-2018
Originally Posted by Jiminycrickets:
I keep lesson plans and themes simple (Fall, Water, Dogs, Fish) when I have littler ones or mixed ages (I do home day care now, but have worked with every age in centers, too.) Circle times I keep very short until they are about 2/2.5. Like, we read a book and sing a song and maybe look at some interesting theme objects or something together. If they won't stay, then no big deal, they will learn soon.
If I have one bigger one, I wait until the littles are occupied playing and then sit with the big one and play a simple game one-on-one, even for just 3 or 4 minutes. If they are a little silly, that's fine, they are learning even if they are pretending not too. If they are ridiculous (throwing cards or something) we are done, and they lose their one-on-one attention, which most don't like.
I don't know what your center requires, but even for 2 year olds you don't need to push letters and numbers and that sort of thing real hard. Just point them out in books or around the classroom, or get out some big crayons and color shapes and write their names. My 3s gave no hoots about letters until 2 weeks ago and suddenly they are obsessed with knowing what letters are for who and what, so when they are ready they will pick it up super fast.
Lots of sensory things can be good for that age, especially if you have a smaller group you can keep a close eye on. I like to put messy stuff in a plastic ziploc if it's something they might eat or get all over when you don't have time to clean up. Like paint, shaving cream, slime, leaves, colored rice. If you tape it shut they have lots of fun mushing it around but no mess.
Things like clean cardboard boxes, washed out milk cartons, balls, extra baby blankets or squares of cloth, plastic cups, are inexpensive or free. You can use them to stack, knock down, wrap up things like presents, hide things under, hide in or under, and any age will happily play with them.
Sing lots of songs, dance. I've had toddlers that love to try yoga poses and think push ups and jumping jacks are great.
For art with little ones I spread some white glue on paper and give them things (feathers, corn, paper bits) to stick to it, most of them pick that up pretty quickly. If your center is one that emphasizes academic-type things, you can put the glue down in the shape of letters, numbers, or geometric shapes, or do various objects in the same color. Or cut out some construction paper letters and let them paint or color them.
Older babies/toddlers can be a hard group to think of new ideas for, for sure, especially when they are at different levels from each other, but I think it's also okay to be fairly repetitive with them, doing the same sort of thing with little variations. They are still figuring out how their bodies work and how the world works, so they don't necessarily need tons of new and exciting all the time.
That helps. Thanks. Ive been trying to do all of that. Does flash cards help? I've got color and shape cards I show them at circle time
Reply
Josiegirl 03:48 PM 09-21-2018
Originally Posted by Flowerchild:
That helps. Thanks. Ive been trying to do all of that. Does flash cards help? I've got color and shape cards I show them at circle time
If you're trying to teach colors/shapes, I would make the learning into a fun active game instead of using flash cards. Put painter's tape on the floor in the shape that they can hop on, crawl on, drive cars on, line blocks up on it. Or when doing circle time, show them what color you're working on and then say anybody who is wearing red, jump up, or bring me something red, or exploring red apples.
Whenever I've got a group that is ready for colors/shapes, I'll ask them to find me something yellow, or show me the circles during meal time(cups, english muffins, etc.). Learning can happen anywhere, anytime. Just reading a simple book to them and pointing out colors, or asking them to hand you the red block...
An activity that's fun is to attach a large piece of contact paper, sticky side out, to a window and wall, and collect bunches of leaves for them to put on it.
Reply
Jiminycrickets 09:12 AM 09-23-2018
Also, what Josiegirl said.
If I use flash cards it's usually with older kids and either we play matching or sorting type things with them, or they are ones with pictures of animals or places or something and we just look at them together and talk about them. Not really the "hold it up and say the letter" type of thing. Though there are some kids that really like that and that's fine, too.
I do usually have some wall decorations that are colors/shapes/numbers/letters and we talk about them and look at them kind of one-on-one when there's a quiet moment or when someone needs re-direction ("Hey, Sammy, look, circles! This one is red. Yes, that one is blue.")
Reply
LK5kids 04:07 PM 09-23-2018
I say expose your toddlers and two year old to shapes, andColors, read stories, sing, offer creative -open ended art, sensory experiences, walks outside, talk to them, build vocabulary, things like patty cake, music, rhythm ribbons, etc.

I don't think it's required they know shapes and colors at 2! Exposure and when they are ready they will retain the info! When you think about it what use do they really have for that knowledge any way?

It's Better to build language skill, social skills, gross motor and fine motor, eating skills, etc. etc. etc!
Reply
Flowerchild 08:35 AM 09-27-2018
Originally Posted by LK5kids:
I say expose your toddlers and two year old to shapes, andColors, read stories, sing, offer creative -open ended art, sensory experiences, walks outside, talk to them, build vocabulary, things like patty cake, music, rhythm ribbons, etc.

I don't think it's required they know shapes and colors at 2! Exposure and when they are ready they will retain the info! When you think about it what use do they really have for that knowledge any way?

It's Better to build language skill, social skills, gross motor and fine motor, eating skills, etc. etc. etc!
Thanks! I was just freaking out a bit. I'm afraid that my toddlers aren't learning as much in here than in the waddler room. The dynamic in here is just so different. I didn't want them to be behind
Reply
Tags:center workers, infant curriculum, iters-r, lesson plans
Reply Up