Little Explorers
Developmental Milestones
Physical:
0 – 3 months
- Sucking, grasping reflexes
- Lifts head when held at shoulder
- Moves arms actively
- Is able to follow objects and to focus
3 – 6 months
- Rolls over
- Holds head up when held in sitting position Lifts up knees, crawling motions
- Reaches for objects
6 – 9 months
- Sits unaided, spends more time in upright position Learns to crawl
- Climbs stairs
- Develops eye-hand coordination
9 – 18 months
- Achieve mobility, strong urge to climb, crawl
- Stands and walks
- Learn to walk on his or her own
- Learns to grasp with thumb and finger
- Feeds self
- Transfers small objects from one hand to another
Emotional/Social:
- Wants to have needs met
- Develop a sense of security
- Smiles spontaneously and responsively
- Likes movement, to be held and rocked
- Laughs aloud
- Socializes with anyone, but knows mother or primary
caregiver - Responds to tickling
- Prefers primary caregiver
- May cry when strangers approach
- Commonly exhibits anxiety
- Extends attachments for primary caregivers to the world
- Demonstrate object permanence; knows parents exist and
will return (helps child deal with anxiety) - Test limits
Intellectual/Cognitive:
- Vocalizes sounds (coos)
- Smiles and expresses pleasure
- Recognizes primary caregiver
- Uses both hands to grasp objects
- Has extensive visual interests
- Puts everything in mouth
- Solves simple problems, e.g., will move obstacles aside to
reach objects - Transfers objects from hand to hand
- Responds to changes in environment and can repeat action
that caused it - Begins to respond selectively to words
- Demonstrates intentional behavior, initiates actions
- Realizes objects exist when out of sight and will look for
them (object permanence) - Is interested and understands words
- Says words like “mama”, “dada”
Schedule
7:30AM – 8:30AM | Drop off, Hand washing, Diapers, Bottles |
8:30AM – 9:00AM | Circle time / Morning snack |
9:00AM – 11:00AM | Naptime |
11:00AM – 11:15AM | Diapers, Hand washing |
11:30AM – 12:00PM | Bottles/lunch |
12:00PM – 2:00PM | Music time, Story time, Sensory play, Outside Play (as weather permits) |
2:00PM – 2:15PM | Diapers, Hand washing |
2:30PM – 4:00PM | Naptime (time may vary depending on the quality of the morning nap) |
4:00PM – 4:30PM | PM snack, Clean up, hand washing, Diapers |
4:30PM – 5:30PM | Diapers (as needed), clean up, preparation for pick up, free play |
This schedule is a guideline for our days. Actual times and activities often vary in response to the children’s needs and interests.
Yearly Curriculum
Monthly | Letter | Number | Colors | Shapes | Themes | Songs / Books | Additional |
January | A, B, C | 1, 2, 3 | White, Blue | Circle | -Winter -Hibernation -Five Senses | “i’m a little snowman” “Winter Hokey Pokey” “ABCs” | -Opposites -New Year |
February | D, E, F | 4, 5 | Pink, Red | Heart | -Friends -Family | “If you’re happy and you know it” “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” | -Valentine’s Day -Presidents’ Day -Groundhog Day -Dental health Day |
March | G, H | 6, 7 | Rainbow | Triangle | -Plants -Spring -Flowers -Seasons | “When the band comes marching in” “The wheels on the bus” | -Rainbow -Gardening -Dr.Seuss |
April | I, J | 8, 9 | Pastel Colors | Square, Rectangle | -Earth Day -Bugs & insects -Easter | “The little caterpillar” “The Tiny Seed” “Planting a rainbow” | -Recycling -Weather -Squirrels |
May | K, L | 10, 11 | Green | Pentagon | -Mother’s Day -Memorial Day -Zoo -Birds | “Old macdonald” “Mary had a little lamb” | -Camping -Community |
June | M, N | 12, 13 | Nature colors | Hexagon | -Summer -Ocean -Backyard Fun | “Row, row , row your boat” “Itsy Bitsy Spider” | -BBQ |
July | O, P | 14, 15 | Red, white, and blue | Heptagon | -Sun -Bees -Water -Under the sea -July 4th | “The star spangled banner” “The farmer and the dell” “Bingo” | -Strawberries -Blueberries |
August | Q, R | 16 | Autumn colors | Octagon | -Bubbles -Balls -Sunflowers -Farmers Market | “Same but different” “Where the wild things are” | -Treasure hunt -Peaches |
September | S, T | 17 | Purple | Nonagon | -Apples -Honey -Pizza -Labor Day -Fall | “Brown bear, Brown bear, what do you see” “Ten apples up on top” “Love Fall” | -Grandparents Day -Johnny Appleseed |
October | U, V | 18 | Orange, black | Trapezoid | -Pumpkins -Leaves -Acorns -Trees | “Goodbye Summer, hello Autumn” “Red Leaf, yellow leaf” October books | -Halloween |
November | W, X | 19 | Brown | Rhombus | -Corn -Thankful -Cranberries -Veterans Day -Turkey | “It’s raining, it’s pouring” “In november” | -Thanksgiving -Book Week |
December | Y, Z | 20 | Red, Green, Christmas colors | Oval | -Winter -Cookies -Christmas -Gingerbread -Kindness | “Rudolph the rednosed reindeer” “Jingle bells” “Little Blue truck” | -Solstice -New Years Eve. -Hanukkah -Kwanzaa |
