Ages 2 To 3 years

Below are the program goals for children in our Toddler Program. Generally by the end of this stage, children may be  able To do the following:

Emotional Development

• Begin To assist with dressing self (e.g. jacket, hat, etc.)
• Care for some physical needs with supervision
• Follow basic daily routines with staff assistance
• Assist staff in putting some materials, toys and equipment in the proper place with supervision
• Play alone and in small groups some of the time and with the total group occasionally
• Deal with emotions in a way suitable for developmental level, most of the time
• Respond To praise and suggestions from others
• Make the transition from home To center with a minimum of anxiety

Social Development & Living

• Participate in the total group some of the time
• Share in a small group some of the time
• Identify family members
• Cooperate most of the time
• Learn about some adult roles in the neighborhood (e.g. doctor, firefighter, etc.)

Physical Development / Gross Motor

• Perform simple loco motor tasks, including walking forward and backward, running and jumping
• Walk a few steps on a line on the floor
• Throw a large ball at least two feet
• Roll large and small balls
• Perform simple somersaults with assistance
• Manipulate large toys and wheeled equipment
• Use some of the playground equipment (e.g. slide)
• Begin To participate in simple group games

Fine Motor

• Construct simple block structures
• Stack at least three small objects (e.g. over two inches in diameter)
• Complete 3-5 piece puzzle
• Use crayons To create free-form designs
• Practice turning book pages one at a time
• Feed self using spoon and tumbler
• Place pegs in pegboard, shapes into shape box, etc.
• Begin To participate in simple group games

Cognitive Development

• Use words “big” and “little”
• Follow at least one direction
• Recognize and name two colors
• Identify familiar sounds in environment (e.g. car horn, baby cry, etc.)
• Identify major body parts on own body
• Name some familiar animals and identify the sounds they make (e.g. ducks quack)
• Identify a missing part of an object in a picture (e.g car without wheels)
• Identify functions of some familiar objects according To their use (e.g. furniture, food, clothing, etc.)

Language Development

• Recognize own name and the name of caregiver
• Give simple answers To questions
• Identify some common objects and familiar people when names are given by staff
• Name some familiar objects in his/her environment
• Pronounce most words correctly (except for some articulation errors)
• Express own needs and wants
• Repeat a few simple finger plays
• Relate a simple activity or event

Reading Readiness

• Begin recognizing some letters of the alphabet
• Recognize simple, common story characters (e.g. The Three Bears)
• Tell what is happening in a simple picture
• Retell a part of a familiar story
• Listen To short stories
• Attend To films, filmstrips, puppet shows, etc., appropriate To developmental level

Science

• Show concern and care for animals
• Help plant and maintain simple plants (e.g. indoors and outdoors)
• Identify some textures (e.g. hard, soft, fuzzy, etc.)
• Identify some foods according To taste
• Assist with a cooking experience
• Learn about some insects (e.g. butterfly, ant, etc.)
• Give simple descriptions of the weather (e.g. it’s raining, cloudy, hot, etc.)

Premath Skills

• Use simple number songs, rhymes and finger plays
• Indicate age in numbers of fingers and verbally
• Rote count from 1-5
• Sort like shapes (e.g. triangles, circles, squares, etc.)

Art, Music & Movement

• Assist staff with care of art materials
• Use some art media including crayons, markers, paints and play dough
• Use paste with supervision
• Use various art techniques with supervision, including collage and painting
• Listen To music
• Participate in simple singing games and songs
• Use rhythm instruments
• March To music
• Use free-form movement and perform simple exercises To music