Ms Emily's Class - Toddler 4

Hello from the Toddler 4 classroom!

We have been doing great things this month! Our class has been working on developing our communication skills with a focus on expressing our needs, thoughts, and interests through words. One tool we have been using in the classroom and can be used at home is taking the children’s words and offering an expanded response using new vocabulary. When a child comes to you with a book and says “book,” you can respond by saying, “You have a book. Would you like to read this book with me?” This allows the child to have confidence that they are being understood as well as developing new words that they can attach to their wants and needs. Every day experiences can double as a way to expand children’s vocabulary and develop their communication skills.

We are continuing our fascination with the outdoors and everything it has to offer. We painted our own bumble bees and monarch butterflies this month, and the children were so excited to create something of their own! We also have been exploring our playground when the weather allows us to. We have found toads, beetles, and worms. The children love investigating the new creatures they come across outside.

As we move into the next month, we will be expanding on our children’s desire to demonstrate early scientific inquiry skills such as questioning, exploring, problem solving, discovering, and examining. Did you know your toddler is a scientist? Every day they are exploring their environment and asking themselves, "Will this work if I stack the blocks this way?", "What will this ball do if I drop it?", or " What does this taste like?" These simple encounters are your child’s way of exploring their environment using their senses to discover and practice problem solving.

This coming month, we will be adding different materials to our sensory table so that the children can explore with their senses. We will also be setting up provocations in the classroom that will allow the children to create using materials they do not often put together. One example of this is setting up blocks and animals together on the table and allowing them to create whatever they see in their minds.

We are excited to learn new things this coming month and encourage you to explore with your child at home. Every day experiences can be opportunities for your child to learn simple scientific inquiry skills that can facilitate learning later in life. Encourage your little scientist!

Ms. Emily