A Broad Curriculum
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Little Feet Daycare is a Large Family Daycare serving children ages 15 months through four years. We have a broad curriculum implemented in an environment that promotes social and emotional growth, skills of independence, cultural diversity, problem solving, and most importantly, a love of learning. Within a safe and loving atmosphere, our materials and curriculum are based on developmentally appropriate needs and the interests and passions of the children in our care.
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Schedule and Routines
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Within our daily schedule the children are offered a great variety of learning opportunities. The toys and materials offered vary from day to day and throughout each day. The children learn how to follow a routine and to act as responsible and caring members of a community (e.g. the children participate in clean-up time once or twice daily). As the children grow and develop we encourage the development of their skills of independence. For infants, this means learning to fall asleep independently, self feeding, and, when old enough, being able to sit and play with toys for a few moments. Older toddlers learn to put on and take off shoes and outerwear, use the potty, get in and out of chairs and other furniture, etc.
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Problem Solving and Learning Through Play
Problem solving skills are developed at every turn. In our playground this ranges from motor planning to cooperative play. Young toddlers learn how to climb, get in and out of toy cars, the sandbox and an assortment of riding vehicles. In groups, the children are supported in using their emerging language skills to negotiate turn-taking, take roles in imaginary play and in creating rules of made-up games. Indoors, the toys available to the children consistently present problem solving opportunities. These include but are not limited to bristle blocks, stacking pegboards, magnet blocks, Duplo blocks, shape sorters, stacking toys, puzzles of increasing levels of difficulty, ball mazes and bead mazes.
Our philosophy is that children at this particular age learn best through play. We use books and other materials to teach colors, shapes, counting, sorting and letter and number recognition. We also cover these curriculum areas through circle time and music activities. We continually discuss color, form, texture and learning about our world through art activities, science, cooking, games, puzzles and building toys both large and small. Ours is a language rich environment that promotes the acquisition and use of language to express needs, build relationships, and learn to work and play cooperatively. Storytelling, puppetry and a substantial children's library are some of the ways we make learning language based skills inspiring and fun.
Activities that present opportunities to teach science include cooking, playdough, sand and water play, ball mazes, and blocks. Of course, many of the books in our library also play an integral role in introducing scientific discovery. Examples are Planting a Rainbow, by Lois Elhert, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, Dinosaur, Dinosaur and Bones, Bones, Bones by Byron Barton, Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Leonni. These books are sometimes paired with other activities such as planting seeds and following their growth, playing with toy dinosaurs, or exploring color with paint or food coloring.
Books are used to support many of our curriculum goals. They present not only science, but examples of and opportunities for problem solving, exposure to other cultures, emerging math and literacy skills, and perhaps most important of all ‚ a love of books.
Our philosophy is that children at this particular age learn best through play. We use books and other materials to teach colors, shapes, counting, sorting and letter and number recognition. We also cover these curriculum areas through circle time and music activities. We continually discuss color, form, texture and learning about our world through art activities, science, cooking, games, puzzles and building toys both large and small. Ours is a language rich environment that promotes the acquisition and use of language to express needs, build relationships, and learn to work and play cooperatively. Storytelling, puppetry and a substantial children's library are some of the ways we make learning language based skills inspiring and fun.
Activities that present opportunities to teach science include cooking, playdough, sand and water play, ball mazes, and blocks. Of course, many of the books in our library also play an integral role in introducing scientific discovery. Examples are Planting a Rainbow, by Lois Elhert, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, Dinosaur, Dinosaur and Bones, Bones, Bones by Byron Barton, Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Leonni. These books are sometimes paired with other activities such as planting seeds and following their growth, playing with toy dinosaurs, or exploring color with paint or food coloring.
Books are used to support many of our curriculum goals. They present not only science, but examples of and opportunities for problem solving, exposure to other cultures, emerging math and literacy skills, and perhaps most important of all ‚ a love of books.
“Laurie has set the bar high for toddler care. Our daughter attended Little Feet for a year before we moved, and she absolutely loved going to "school". Her language skills grew exponentially and she constantly surprised us with the new things she'd learned. Laurie has a wonderful library filled with hundreds of books, a large assortment of educational toys and a lovely, private backyard with a garden for the kids to play in. They get lots of outdoor time year round without having to walk to a public park. Weekly music classes are an added perk. All meals are included and I found the hours to be great for a working family.I highly recommend Little Feet.” —Lauren C
