Twos Program
IVY PREP EARLY LEARNING ACADEMY TWO'S PROGRAM
A two year old program can help to immerse children in a supportive learning environment at an early age
When children are two, everything around them is so exciting, They need to be able to touch and closely examine objects to find out how to use them. Words from songs begin to have meaning, communication further develops, and every experience is an adventure.
At Ivy Prep Early Learning Academy locations, we believe that this stage of development is wonderful. There is no better place to safely explore and develop than our 2 year old classrooms! Our goal is to provide new opportunities for children to explore and develop learning habits while also providing them a safe environment in which to do so. This program is designed to assist 2 years old with important developmental milestones such as potty training, learning to drink from a regular cup, and developing independent skills. It provides guidance and support to parents and caregivers on how to help their little ones master these essential tasks in a positive and encouraging way. Through a series of fun and engaging activities, the program aims to make these transitions smoother and more enjoyable for both the child and the adults involved.
Since at this age interest can be lost as quickly as it is brought on, it is important to offer variety when it comes to toys, songs, games, and other activities. With this in mind, our 2's program uses Creative Curriculum, and offers 2 year olds additional enhancement programs.
Furthermore, our instructors understand that every children may learn in different ways. therefore, we aim to provide a number of different strategies to learning. For example, while one child may benefit from learning to count using a book about numbers, another child may learn about numbers by actively counting objects. This is why, our curriculum for the 2 year old preschool program strives to include a mixture of audio, visual, and physical learning strategies, this way all children may benefit and will meet learning goals.
Our teachers utilize resources designed specifically to support the unique demands of each day in a toddler program. Teachers and caregivers can provide children with the opportunity to develop secure attachments through developmentally appropriate resources that allow them to gain confidence as learners.
Every child is different, so it’s no surprise that they learn differently, too. Ivy Prep Early Learning Academy meets toddlers exactly at their level with The Creative Curriculum’s unique color-coded progression that shows the typical development of milestones from 12 to 24 months of age.
Tracking Your Child’s Social Development
Developing social cues and recognizing words is a big part of learning for a two-year-old. Our rubric includes some expectations for social development. Some ways we determine if children are effectively developing socially is to measure:
- How a child responds to adults’ verbal greetings
- That a child shows awareness of others’ feelings.
- That a child is able to sustain play with caregiver/peers
- If a child is able to repeat actions many times to cause the desired effect
- That a child attempts to complete basic daily living tasks
- How a child responds to requests for action
- That the child can point to and can name at least two body parts when asked
- That a child can signal needs with sounds or motions
While a program for a two-year-old may differ much from an older child’s curriculum, it’s still important that the desire for learning is instilled at a young age. And, this is a big part of our two year old preschool program. So, we track how your child may react to learning and various methods which instill learning by measuring:
- If a child shows interest in wanting to perform self-help skills
- If a child directs attention towards objects by reaching, grasping, or staring at them
- Whether a child focuses on reader or storyteller for brief periods of time
- If a child displays recognition and excitement about game or toys from the previous day
- How a child applies knowledge to new situations
- If a child tracks people and objects by moving head as they move
Two is the age when individuals start to recognize and memorize words and phrases. So, it’s important to track that your child is developing communication skills on track with others his/her own age. To track communication in our 2 year old preschool classrooms, we record:
- If a child uses 8-10 understandable words in home language
- That a child has a receptive vocabulary of over 50 words
- If a child can combine words and gestures
- That a child uses some pronouns
- If a child can change volume and pitch to convey meaning
- Whether a child points to words in a book or not
- How a child shows preference for certain books
- If a child shows pleasure when read to
- If a child makes marks on paper with crayons/markers
- How a child experiments with grasp when using a variety of writing tools
We want to make sure that all children are physically developing the way they are expected. So, to determine that your child is developing physically like those around him/her, we measure if:
- A child stoops or squats to explore things on the ground
- The child consistently reaches for toys, objects, and bottles with both hands
- A child can turn pages of large book
- The child coordinates eye and hand movements
- A child initiates active play
- If a child attempts new gross and fine motor activities
- The child assists with hand washing
To make sure children are cognitively developing the way they need, our instructors track:
- Whether a child begins to demonstrate to repeat actions many times to cause the desired effect
- If a child can imitate behavior seen in another place and time
- If a child uses objects as intended
- Whether a child understands how familiar objects are used in combination with one another
- If a child can imitate rote counting using some names of numbers
- How a child explores measuring tools
- If a child recognizes the beginning and end of an activity