Welcome to Toddler 1 the infant/toddler classroom at NIU CDFC! We are so happy to have you as a part of our classroom family. Thank you for your support and continued communication. This helps us give the best care possible for your child.
The children have been busy adjusting to the classroom and the routine. You may have noticed we rearranged the classroom a little. Some of the cribs have been moved to hallway for storage when not in use. This means we have more space for the play area. There are fewer cribs in the classroom because most of the children are taking 1 nap while here at the center after lunch. We bring the cribs into the classroom and spread them out in the play area. This has helped the children get more restful naps. When children wake up and others are still asleep, we have areas open for the children to play away from the children asleep in the cribs. We started the semester with one child on a cot, in October we will have 2 more children turning 15 months and moving to a cot for nap time. Once the children sleep on a cot the Back to Sleep guidelines are lifted. This means the children can have a blanket and a comfort item to help them sleep. If a child is wearing a top with a hood, we don’t need to remove it for sleeping either. Each child gets a book read to him or her before being helped to fall asleep in a crib or cot. These books are called our nap time books and have a calming and quiet theme. These books are brought out for nap time so are more special. There is calming music played in the background during nap to help drown out the noise of us busily cleaning the classroom.
Ever wonder what mealtimes look like in our classroom? Besides messy? We have some children sitting in highchairs next to the table along with children sitting at the table. The children tend to prefer to eat from the trays at the highchairs, dumping their plates or bowls. Once the children are sitting at the table, we encourage them to eat the food off their plate. Many toddler children prefer to use their fingers for feeding themselves even though we offer forks and spoons. The adults sit at the table and model language along with table manners during mealtimes. After the children are done eating and ready; they place their plates, bowls, silverware, and cups in a bucket for dirty dishes. They are beginning to learn to clean up after themselves.
We are looking forward to the changes of the Fall season. We have been observing and talking about the leaves changing color, leaves falling from the trees, and the feel of the temperature on our skin. So far, the first few weeks of the season has been nice for us to continue outdoor play. On rainy days we will have more gross motor activity inside the classroom.
Have a great month!
Kellie and Sarah K.
Reminders:
• Be sure to label your child’s clothing both indoor and outdoor items. It is easy of us to confuse which items belong to each child.
• We will continue to play outside when the temperature is 15 degrees with the wind chill and above. It will be for a shorter time. Please bring appropriate outdoor clothing: hats, mittens, and warmer cots as the weather dictates.
