Infant / Toddler Room Program Plan

Sandcastle is licensed 6:30 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday, twelve months per year. Our program has received a variance from the Minnesota Department of Human Services to have a mixture of Infants and Toddlers in this room with a one-to-four ratio, not to exceed ten children. (Normally, eight are enrolled.) Children in this room are twelve to twenty months of age. Lesson plans will be appropriate for each age group served. Sandcastle offers a quality experience to infants and toddlers through primary care giving and a safe and inviting environment in which the children are able to explore and learn at their own rate. Staff interact with the children during play activities. Parents are encouraged to participate in any part of their child's day and/or activity during their child's stay in the program.

A.	Our staff seek the following goals for each child in the program:
	1.	To h elp a child develop a healthy self-concept through positive guidance and discipline techniques in a loving, caring environment.
	2.	To provide an atmosphere where older infants and young toddlers can play individually and in a group and begin to learn social skills by learning to share.
	3.	To encourage communication skills and language development by role modeling and speaking to children at their level.
	4.	To give the children a love and respect for nature by providing opportunities to play and experience outdoors.
	5.	To provide for each child's emotional and developmental needs as described in the following goals and objectives:
		a.	Physical development (gross motor and fine motor):
			Gross -	Large muscle play - encourage climbing activities
				Physical movement - variety of physical movements
				Balance - becomes aware of obstacles that can create loss of balance
			Fine -	Small muscle play - encourage manipulation of fingers
				Eye-hand coordination - encourage use of toys, books, etc.
		b.	Intellectual development:
			Language development - encourage use of words
			Problem solving - figuring out by exploring
		c.	Social development:
			Basic routine - following the same pattern daily
			Behavior skills - encourage good habits, discourage undesirable
			Playing skills (alone and in group) - encourage social interaction and individual times
		d.	Emotional development:
			Create self-confidence - encouragement of doing various activities for themselves
			Allow choices - provide different areas to explore
			Encourage curiosity and self motivation - provide a cheerful, inviting atmosphere for play and work
B.	Some of the activities / equipment provided are:
	1.	Physical:
		Gross -		sliding, climbing on climbing toys, ball play, dancing to music
		Fine -		coloring, painting, playing with blocks and puzzles, turning pages to books, water and sand play, play dough, lacing beads.
	2.	Intellectual: storytime, singing songs, puzzles, art, naming pictures, recognizing animal sounds
	3.	Social: group games, art activities, quiet activity time, wagon or buggy rides. (The two Bye Bye Buggies are shared between Infant I, Infant II, and the Infant / Toddler rooms.)
	4.	Emotional: self-help skills in dressing and undressing of dolls and personal clothing, learning to use a spoon.
C.	A developmental observation / conference will be done before each child moves to the next group. The developmental observation informs parents of the progress of their child in the four major areas of development. A copy of the developmental observation is given to parents and also kept on site in each child's file. Daily reports describing each child's day are also given to parents. An Open House will be held each November. Parents can come and see their child's room and talk to their teachers about any concerns.
D.	Daily schedule:
	6:30 - 8:15			Combined with infant I II, Free Play
	8:15			Go to Infant / Toddler room, prepare for Breakfast
	8:30 - 9:00			Breakfast
	9:00 - 9:45			Diapering / Free Play
	9:45 - 10:00			Movement / Music using scarves, pom poms, bean bags, etc.
	10:00 - 10:30			Art and/or Sensory experiences
	10:30 - 11:30			Outside / Large Muscle
	11:30 - 12:15			Lunch and then Diapering
	12:15			Storytime
	12:30 - 3:00			Nap
	3:00 - 3:30			Snack
	3:30 - 4:00			Diapering / Free Play
	4:00 - 4:45			Outside or indoor activities
	4:45			Combine with Infant II
	Note: This is merely a general description of our day. Children may also nap in the morning, if needed.
E.	This plan will be available at all times for parents to review. This program plan will be reviewed and evaluated annually by the Director and teacher.

Rev. 8/03

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