WADDLERS: 1 Years to 2 Years
About
At Growing years, we believe waddlers are like sponges; they want to absorb everything about their environment!
Young toddlers (waddlers) are a very inquisitive bunch! That’s why it is so important for parents and caregivers to stimulate meaningful play with this age group by singing and reading to them and encouraging them to explore their environment. In this way, caregivers are taking an active role in their cognitive development.
This age group loves to learn through using their senses and through motor experiences as well. They are learning that objects have different textures, colors, shapes, and sizes. They can now discriminate your voice and your face from others. As they listen to you speaking to them and to others, they begin to imitate your words and facial expressions. They are eager to hear the sounds of our language as we speak and read to them and it is very important for their cognitive, sensory, and language development.
Developmental Milestones & Assessments
Primary caregivers, with the help of the lead teacher, provide parents with a developmental milestone report approximately every 3 months to let parents know what we are experiencing with their child at Growing Years. These reports become the vehicle we use to share our understanding of early childhood development as outlined by child development professionals.
More Information
Although waddlers still need a lot of flexibility in their day, they also enjoy and need some structure and routine as well. Having a routine of events throughout the day gives waddlers a sense of security. They can begin to anticipate the order of events while becoming familiar with how those routines are carried out, such as group time, eating time, going on a walk, etc.