Infants & Toddlers
Infants
Ratio 1:3 (with a floating instructor)
Throughout our Infant Program, infant abilities, natural rhythms and feelings are respected and protected in three ways. First, the physical space is safe, unrestricted and interesting to the children. Special attention is given to children’s developing interests; therefore, toys and equipment are chosen accordingly. In an attempt to provide an unrestricted environment, we limit the use of equipment such as “Johnny-Jump-Up’s”, “Exersaucers”, and swings, which tend to limit a child’s movements. Second, a child’s natural body rhythms are respected. Each infant is recognized as an individual with his/her own schedule which changes as the infant grows and develops. Caregivers in the infant program strive to respond to each infant’s needs as they arise. Infants are hugged, rocked, sung to, fed, changed and able to rest according to their own needs. Third, caregivers support the expression of all emotions by validating and acknowledging the feelings that a child experiences.
Additionally, we believe infants’ relationships with adults shape their development and help form a foundation of trust and security. Since the most important relationship in a child’s life is his or her parent(s), they are considered their child’s primary caregivers. Our caregivers will look to parents for information and suggestions on how to best provide support for their child. At the same time, the children develop relationships with our caregivers. These relationships are considered healthy for a child’s growth and development. Children are encouraged to bond naturally and form attachments to all caregivers in the program.
Toddlers – 12 to 24 months
Ratio 1:4 (with a floating instructor)
Our Toddler Program is unique in that the children enter as dependent older infants and leave as independent toddlers. At the start of your child’s life at Trinity, we follow their schedule of eating and napping. As they grow physically and socially, we change to one basic toddler schedule, which everyone follows. We strongly believe in the importance of following the children’s leads, paying special attention to each child’s level of development with recognition of his/her individuality. Children are encouraged to make their own decisions where appropriate and problem solve whenever possible. The caregivers act as facilitators, modeling language development, appropriate social interactions and providing activities and materials that encourage exploration and discovery on the part of the children.
When deciding what activities to offer each week, we consider each child’s interests. We seek to develop a curriculum that emphasizes not only content, but more importantly, the process of learning. We carefully observe your child’s interests, questions and concerns. We strive to provide concrete, hands-on learning experiences for the children to explore in their own way. This allows them opportunities to create new foundations of knowledge. With their reflections from those experiences, our goal is to design new activities to challenge their thinking.