Infant/Toddler Curriculum

Our approach with infants and toddlers follows HighScope’s infants and toddlers curriculum. It involves key beliefs in how and what infants and toddlers learn, as well as a commitment to creating an environment where such development can best happen.

How They Learn

Infants and toddlers learn…

• With their whole body and all their senses.
• Because they want to.
• While communicating what they know.
• Within the context of trusting relationships.

What They Learn

Despite their young age, infants and toddlers make big steps in their learning about…

• Sense of self (e.g., express initiative).
• Social relations (e.g., form attachments to primary caregivers).
• Creative representation (e.g., imitate and pretend).
• Movement (e.g., move parts of their bodies).
• Music (e.g., listen to music).
• Communication & language (e.g., listen and respond).
• Exploring objects (e.g., explore objects with hands, feet, mouth, eyes, ears and nose).
• Quantity & number (e.g., experience “more”).
• Space (e.g., explore and notice location of objects).
• Time (e.g., anticipate familiar events).

What We Do

At Calvary Childcare Center, we support how and what infants and toddlers learn as we:

Promote supportive adult/child interactions.

• We establish policies that encourage continuity of care.
• We create a climate of trust for the children.
• We form partnerships with the children.
• We support the children’s intentions.

Arrange and equip an active learning environment.

• We build order and flexibility into the physical environment.
• We provide comfort and safety for children and adults.
• We support children’s sensory-motor approach to learning.

Establish schedules and routines.

• Arrival and departure.
• Feeding and mealtime.
• Bodily care.
• Naptimes.
• Choice time.
• Outside time.
• Group time.

Encourage partnerships between the caregiver team and parents.

• We encourage open communication.
• We make joint decisions about program issues.
• We focus on parents’ strengths.
• We provide a welcoming environment for families.
• We value parent participation.