Infant Classroom
Ages 2 months- 15 months
Welcome to our Infant Classroom! Here, we are dedicated to providing a secure and loving environment where your little one can thrive. Our nurturing space is thoughtfully designed to support each child’s development, helping them grow with confidence and a strong sense of self-worth. We focus on fostering awareness of their bodies, encouraging independence, and nurturing self-motivation through meaningful experiences. At the heart of our program is a strong partnership with parents, built on open communication and trust. Every moment in our classroom is guided by developmentally appropriate practices that inspire and challenge each child’s individual growth.
Curriculum and Child Development
Gross Motor Activities – Supporting head, tummy time, rolling over, kicking legs, creeping, crawling, walking, pushing and/or pulling toys, sitting alone, pulling self up to a standing position, walking, riding on wheeled toys, climbing, outdoor walks, or playground activities.
Fine Motor Activities – Eye tracking skills, hand grasping and releasing skills, finger and thumb grasping, hand skills, stacking blocks, eye-hand coordination skills.
Language – Practicing beginning sounds, listening to adult’s verbalizations, repeating sounds and words, mimicking, naming familiar items and objects, practicing first words, reading and looking at books and pictures.
Cognitive – Exploring environment, developing object permanence, exploring cause and effect, imitating simple games and movements, responding to own name, displaying simple matching skills, mimicking simple functions.
Beginning Self-Help Skills – Finger feeding, holding a spoon and/or fork, drinking from a cup, sitting in a small chair at a small table, pointing out or asking for things desired.
The infant curriculum is based on meeting the individual needs of every child through individual and group experiences. Infant curriculum is a mix of care and education. One of the main components of infant curriculum is consistency. Infants learn through love and security. The role of the caregivers is vital; by having responsible and loving caregivers, infants develop a healthy relationship with people outside their families.
Routine plays a large role in infant curriculum. Since so much of the infant’s time is spent eating, sleeping and diapering, these experiences need to be consistent and enjoyable. Eating is a social time for relaxed interaction between the infant and the caregiver.
Diapering is a time for one-on-one interaction. Naptime should be a calm and peaceful time. A caregiver can make these times a learning experience through the use of eye contact, a welcoming smile, a pleasant voice, and verbal interaction.
Infants not only need time to interact with adults, but also time for independent exploration. Children will be encouraged to explore in a safe and loving environment.
The teachers in the classroom will create developmental goals every three months, along with the child’s evaluation. Some of the goals range from: more tummy time for younger infants to beginning to walk for older infants. These goals are not a pass/fail system, but instead are a way for us to help the children develop to their individual potential while in the infant classroom. You will find your child’s goals in the back of their journal.