Classrooms

Welcome to the Toddler Express Room!  In the Kiddie Koral Room, your child will be offered daily opportunities to explore, to problem solve and to flourish in his/her own way.  Weather permitting, outdoor play occurs twice a day, both morning and afternoon, to provide children with fresh air, a connection with nature and opportunities for large muscle activities. 

What to expect in Toddler Express!

6:00-8:00AM: DROP-OFF AND FREE PLAY IN GYM
As parents arrive; they drop off their children in the gymnasium.  Teachers supervise the children while they free play.

8:00-8:45 AM:  BREAKFAST & CLEAN-UP
In the Kiddie Koral classroom we begin our day at approximately 8:00am by sitting at the table and eating breakfast with all of our friends.  After finishing breakfast, we prepare the children for group Circle Time activities. 

8:45-9:00AM:  BATHROOM BREAK
Each child is taken one by one to the bathroom for a diaper change and hand washing.

9:00-9:30 AM:  CIRCLE TIME ACTIVITIES
Circle Time consists of everyone sitting on the Circle Time rug and participating in group activities.  We begin Circle Time with a Welcome Song emphasizing face and name recognition, followed by a Weather activity, Calendar Time, Story Time, etc.

• Welcome Song – “Who’s Here Today”
• Weather Song/Activity
• Calendar Time – Learning Days of the Week, Months and Year
• Number of the Week – Focus at this age is on one number, every two weeks; Numbers 1 thru 5.
• Letter of the Week – Focus at this age is on one letter, every two weeks;  Learning the ABC’s (Uppercase Only)
• Color of the Week – Focus at this age is on one color, every two weeks;  Primary Colors (Red, Yellow, Blue) and Secondary Colors (Orange, Green, Purple)
• Shape of the Week –Focus at this age is on one shape every two weeks;  Basic Shapes (Square, Circle, Triangle, Heart)
• Story Time – Teachers read 1-2 stories that correlate with the weekly theme.  Many times teachers incorporate felt board activities and puppets when reading stories to enhance the learning experience.
• Sign Language – At this age we focus on 3-5 basic signs per week (Food; Clothes; Colors; etc.)

 9:30-10:00AM:  GYM TIME / OUTSIDE PLAY
 Our gym time and/or outside play time consists of both large and small motor activities.  Each ½ hour of gym time and/or outside play time includes 15 minutes of structured play (specific games and activities planned for the children) and 15 minutes of free play.  The activities used are meant to help develop a child’s balance and muscle development.  The games selected for this age group are designed to help develop coordination and balance and help the children integrate using different parts of their body together.  These games also involve other types of skills, such as learning about animals and developing language and comprehension.

• Bouncing Balls
• Duck-Duck-Goose
• Parachute Play
• Rolling Balls
• Playing catch with large balls
• Animal Games – Walking like A Dog; Slithering like A Snake; etc.
• Bean Bag Toss

10:00-10:45AM:  ART / SENSORY PLAY
During this time, the classroom is split in two groups.  One half of the children are taken to the tables to create an art project that is geared around the theme of the week.  While the other half of the group is taken to the sensory table where they play with items chosen for that specific week geared around the weekly theme.  An example of sensory play would be putting shredded paper in the sensory table with magnetic items.  The children would use magnetic wands to sift through the shredded paper to find the special items!

10:45-11:00AM: BATHROOM BREAK
 Each child is taken one by one to the bathroom for a diaper change and hand washing.

11:00-11:45AM:  LUNCH TIME / CLEAN-UP
During this time, all children sit at the table and eat lunch with their friends.  A homemade meal is served while teachers initiate conversation with the children.  As the children finish eating, the teachers will take them one by one to the bathroom to wash their hands and prepare them for nap time.

11:45-12:00PM:  QUIET TIME/STORY TIME
It is at this time that we begin to prepare the children for nap time by reading 1-2 stories while they are sitting on their cots.

12:00-3:00PM:  NAP TIME
All children are encouraged to nap and have quiet time.  This time is supervised by a teacher in the classroom at all times.  As the children wake from their naps, they are taken to the gym for free play until all other classmates are awake.

3:00-3:15PM:  BATHROOM BREAK
Each child is taken one by one to the bathroom for a diaper change and hand washing.

3:25-3:30PM:  SNACK / CLEAN-UP
During this time, all children sit at the table and eat a snack with their friends.  We do encourage the children to serve themselves (learning portions and manners). 

3:30-4:00PM:  GYM TIME / OUTSIDE PLAY
Our gym time and/or outside play time consists of both large and small motor activities.  Each ½ hour of gym time and/or outside play time includes 15 minutes of structured play (specific games and activities planned for the children) and 15 minutes of free play.

• Bouncing Balls
• Duck-Duck-Goose
• Parachute Play
• Rolling Balls
• Bean Bag Toss

4:00-4:15PM:  AFTERNOON CIRCLE TIME
Our afternoon Circle Time consists of repeating the learning materials from our morning Circle Time (Letter of the week; Number of the week; Shape of the week; Color of the week; Sign of the week; etc.)

4:15-5:30PM:  FREE PLAY / GETTING READY FOR PICK-UP
During this time of the day, the children are allowed to free play in the classroom.    

5:30-6:00PM:  PICK-UP IN THE GYM
Children are taken to the gym for free play and parent pick-up