BEST TODDLER DAYCARE IN KENNESAW
Toddler I
M-F 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM
Ages 1yr-2yrs
Students must be walking.
At Mt. Elizabeth Academy, our toddler program nurtures the “I can do it!” mindset, while also helping toddlers understand their relationship to the environment and peers around them. Our Toddler I class focuses on:
- Songs & Sign Language
- Oral Language
- Reading
- Motor Skills
- Sensory Skills
- Socialization
- Independence
In the Toddler I Classroom the children are introduced to a class routine. This allows for predictability and a feeling of security among the toddlers. The toddlers are nurtured and comforted throughout the day while engaging in meaningful developmentally-appropriate learning.
Introduction of colors, letters, numbers, and shapes helps enhance the curricular learning of the children. Our learning approach for toddlers includes a balance of child-directed and teacher-initiated opportunities to guide their exploration of new themes, skills, routines, and language. All Toddler I’s engage in Spanish lessons and songs. Their daily needs are addressed with sign language, smiles, and age-appropriate directions. Diaper changes, feedings, rest time, and playtime happen with loving interaction between the toddler and the teacher.
Toddler I Highlights
Children in the Toddler I program leave the classroom with a strong sense of independence. We work with each child to develop gross motor skills such as walking and running, as well as maturing their fine motor skills such as feeding themselves and holding a paintbrush. We encourage them to process and follow one and two-step directions while incorporating sign language to help the toddlers communicate. Oral language such as “please” and “thank you” as well as greetings and other communications are progressing.
The Toddlers participate in Circle Time with their teachers. Sign language is taught and used daily. The toddlers interact and socialize with each other daily, and learn from one another. From songs to fingerplays, sign language to sensory building activities, the children are always engaged in meaningful lessons and play with the other children around them.
The teachers are caring and committed caregivers. This ensures that the toddlers are in a safe and loving environment. The thematic focus in the curriculum helps to provide the toddlers with multiple opportunities to explore and absorb information, develop their five senses, and grow both physically and mentally.
Parents are involved throughout the day with pictures, videos and messages from the teachers using our secure Brightwheel App. Our parents love our seeing their toddlers throughout the day and knowing that they are in a loving, caring, and supportive environment.
Two healthy and nutritious meals, as well as two snacks, are included in the cost of tuition. The monthly menu is available online and given to our families at the beginning of the month. The toddlers are welcome to eat breakfast, lunch, and snacks with their class. During mealtime, the teacher breaks down the food into bite-size pieces to make the meal toddler-friendly. Whole milk and water are served with meals and snacks.
The Toddler I Room
Our rooms are equipped with toddler-sized table and chairs, pillows in the book corners, and shelves with appropriate toddler toys and sensory activities. Each child has their own cubby for personal items and naptime cot with a sheet and blanket. Parents provide sippy cups, diapers, wipes, and extra clothes.
Each room offers toddler-specific reading, math, science & sensory, and pretend play learning centers. The classrooms have doors leading to our outside courtyard to enable easy access to our beautiful outdoor space.
A Typical Day at Mt. Elizabeth Academy for Toddler I Students
The First Hour:
The children are welcomed as they arrive and are given the opportunity to choose activities at the various learning centers. This self-directed play invites the children to explore, discover and learn independently with a wide variety of activities and materials. The learning centers include painting, playdough, blocks, puzzles, drawing, water or sand play, dress-up, dramatic areas, books, floor toys and more.
Breakfast Time:
Children wash their hands and join their friends for breakfast. The teachers serve a nutritious breakfast to all the children. Healthy food choices are given to the children such as fruit, vegetables, cereals. (peanut free). The children enjoy milk and water. We do not serve juice.
Circle Time:
Following a clean-up routine, the children meet on the carpet for Circle Time. A variety of activities are included which reflect the monthly routines. The activities include stories, songs, puppetry, poems, movement, art, crafts discussions and many other ideas to facilitate learning. Circle time concentrates on 5 areas of development: Language, Literacy, Fine & Gross Motor, Sensory & Science, and Cognitive Learning.
Outdoor/Indoor Playtime:
If the weather allows, the children have an active, outdoor play session in our park-like playgrounds. In case of inclement weather, the teachers incorporate gross-motor play through movement activities in our gymnasium, such as dancing, marching, parachute play and more active games.
Lunch/Nap Time/Afternoon Snack:
Catered lunch is delivered to the classrooms. The teachers then serve the meal family style. During this time the teachers stay next to the children and observe encourage their eating habits. Once lunch is finished, the children have their own individual cot on which they rest. Clean cot sheets and blankets are provided. After the children have rested and wake up, each child is given a healthy snack to start their afternoon.
Outdoor/Indoor Play & Story Time:
After snack time, the children have gross motor play time. The teachers take time to read stories, do finger plays, puppets and have interactive sessions with the children. During this time, children also engage in indoor out outdoor play, depending on the weather.
Fine Arts:
The children enjoy Music, Art, Drama, PE & Yoga throughout the week, not only in their homerooms but during their “Specials Class” in the afternoon.
Extras:
In addition to this daily schedule, the teachers incorporate special activities like Bible Class, Chapel Class, Spanish, field trips to our nature trail, and Show and Tell. Parents are always invited to volunteer and participate in the classrooms as well as join us on field trips to our onsite nature trail.
Mt. Elizabeth Benefits
We are a Christian, faith-based private school.
Specials included with tuition:
- STEAM Focus
- Art
- Music
- Chapel & Bible Class
- Holiday Celebrations
- Sensory materials
- Four dedicated developmentally-appropriate playgrounds
- On-site nature trails allow ample opportunity for safe outdoor explorations
- Indoor gymnasium lets kids exercise and play on every day of the year, regardless of the weather
- An engaging and rewarding curriculum, designed by our on-site Academic Director
- Mt. Elizabeth Academy’s leadership team has over 60 years of combined school leadership experience.