Autumn in the Young Toddlers Class

Using logical reasoning (with toddlers!) to prepare for the cold weather
There was a new visitor at circle time - his name was Froggy. Froggy wanted to play with us in school - but he wasn't wearing any clothing yet. We looked through his basket of clothing to find his yellow shirt, blue pants and black shoes. The children were really excited to sing our good morning song to Froggy as he joined in our circle time.

When it was time to go outside we noted that Froggy isn't ready to go outside yet. It is cold and windy outside - he needs a jacket. We got Froggy a jacket and put on our own jackets as well.

Froggy has been helping us build our vocabulary as we decide what clothing he needs. He shows us how we need to assess and prepare before going outside in the cold. This is a skill we work on continuously with many of the activities we do. For example, when we want to paint we need to first get a smock, paper, paint and paintbrush until we are ready.

We live in such a beautiful world!
While a toddler cannot grasp the concept of a "season", our goal with our seasonal units is to give the children an appreciation for the world in which they live. We have been going on nature walks together to the woods (which we are so fortunate to have - right near our outdoor classroom) to give the children the experience of autumn in "untouched" nature. We heighten our sense of observation by stopping to notice all of the things around us.

There are so many leaves around! Can you here them crunch as we step on it?

Look at this one...

Take up a look up here. The leaves are all red.
I wonder what this tree feels like...

I can throw leaves up in the air

Using art to represent something we've seen
Once back in our room we took a look at the tree we have on the wall. The children noted 'Tree" as well as "No leaves there". We worked together on painting red leaves which we added to our tree. As we go through the seasons we will continue to use this tree to represent what we see outdoors.

This week we will begin our Thanksgiving unit. Please be reminded that we will be having a Thanksgiving Feast together on Wednesday, November 24, at 11:30.

All the best,
Morah Chaya and Morah Gittel

Communicating with Toddlers

The more time I spend with toddlers the more amazed I am at how much these little people can understand and grasp - even before they can speak that much. We want them to build their vocabulary bank so that they can communicate their thoughts and wants without the frustration of not being understood.

In our classroom we surround the children with a rich vocabulary environment to show the children how we can use our words. The words are slowly spoken to the child so that they follow the flow of the conversation.

What are we talking about? Just about everything!

We talk about what the child is doing at the moment - "I see you have one green peg and another green peg." Hearing this raises our awareness of colors and amounts. It also builds their observation skills.

We speak about what has happened - "Uh oh. Some water spilled." Leaving a space for the child to problem solve we might continue with, "What should we do?" "Lets get a paper towel to dry it.". This helps us learn to be responsible and care for our classroom.

Before we do something new we talk to the children about it. For example, during our trip upstairs in the elevator - "The door is going to close now. Can you listen for the beep? When we hear the beep the door will open." This helps ease our nerves in this new situation.

Our school has a strong focus on building self-confident, empowered children. Trust is an important element to that. So when someone needs a spoon at snack time, I say, "Morah Chaya is going to get a spoon for the yogurt. I will be right back. Morah Gittel is here with you." This helps build the child's trust in their Morahs. We make sure the children don't feel "acted upon"; they feel "in control" of what is happening.

And so for the big question - how can we ease the transition from home to school each day?
Here are some ideas...

- Talk to your child about what they do and who they see at school. Through your tone they will pick up the sense of "Mommy and Daddy are happy that I am with my Morahs and friends at school. It's okay for me to feel that way too."

The pictures on the school website can be a great "conversation maker". (zimmerpreschool.org /Eye into our Classroom / Pictures /Young Toddlers)

- While driving to school you can talk about what they might see or do when they arrive. This eases them into the school day.

- Be part of their school day routines by helping them put away their jackets and backpacks. Even being part of their choice of which toy/activity to begin their day. Talk, talk, talk as you are doing this. "Mommy/daddy loves to help you put your backpack in your cubby. Com, should we choose a toy together before mommy/daddy says good bye?" Etc.

This is such a special age and we enjoy them all so much!
Morah Chaya and Morah Gittel