The Rainbow Fish Room - Ages One to Two
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Little Toddler Philosophy
Rainbow Fish room carers believe that all children are unique individuals who deserve quality care in a warm and secure environment. Therefore our program focuses on developing an atmosphere of trust, understanding and social well being.
As children develop at their own pace and learn in their own way, the carers will provide many opportunities for exploration of the environment in a flexible and safe program.
Carers will encourage children’s emerging skills and provide opportunities and challenges to extend their development. Through observations of the children and close consultation with their families carers will build knowledge of each child’s strengths, needs, interests and cultural beliefs, which forms the basis of the Rainbow Fish Room’s program and individual planning.
Rainbow Fish carers have realistic expectations of the Little Toddler age group and recognise the importance and need for patience, empathy and firmness. Carers will endeavour to help children gain an understanding of how to express themselves in appropriate ways while gaining their social skills with others.
Short Term Goals
- To work closely with parents, building a relationship of trust and confidence.
- To work and support each child and parent through a stress-free separation.
- To develop and environment that is inviting to the little toddler.
- To take the opportunity to get to know children so as to meet their individual needs.
- To assist each child in developing confidence to become a member of a group.
Long Term Goals
- To provide interactions and experiences which enhance the development of a positive self- concept.
Strategies:- One to one Group time
- Respect each child as an individual
- Bright displays of families and child
- Encouragement on their achievements
- To allow children to develop an awareness of others in the group.
Strategies:- Initiate verbal and non-verbal interactions with adults and peers
- Help children to articulate their feelings to others
- Acknowledge their attempts and achievements
- Demonstrate strategies for coping with frustration
- To foster the little toddler’s emerging language.
Strategies:- Provide opportunities to experience language through music: rhymes, finger puppets; stories: felt, books
- Encourage conversation through open ended questions
- Repeat statements - repetition
- Pace our statements so they are clear
- Recognise body language as well as verbal language.
- To allow children to practice their emerging physical skills (gross and fine).
Strategies:- Encourage children to use new equipment
- Support children when familiarising themselves with equipment
- Allow children the freedom and time to explore their environment
- Stand back and allow independence to emerge
- Provide opportunities both indoor and outdoor
- Provide age-stage equipment
- To provide an environment that promotes a child’s thinking and explorations.
Strategies:- Be aware of a child’s curiosity
- Introduce new equipment and experience
- Provide children with sensory experiences (e.g. water, paint, sand, slime)
- Create a visual display about our world
- Provide opportunities for sorting puzzles
- Provide opportunities for free play and exploring
- For children to expand their independence.
Strategies:- Provide opportunities for self selection
- Encourage self feeding
- Allow children to wash own hands
- Take advantage of routines e.g. undressing, dressing
- Responsible for own belongings
- Encourage child to return bowl and cup to carers after meals.
General Information
The Little Toddler Room ratio is one carer for every five children and has a maximum of ten children with two carers.
Things Parents need to supply
If your child is having bottles they need to be provided. If your child has not had breakfast before arriving at the centre this also needs to be provided (including milk and/or spreads). All nappies, cloth or disposable, are to be supplied by parents. If carers run out of nappies for your child, the centre will provide disposables and parents can replace the number of nappies used. It is also necessary to pack a spare change of clothes and provide a hat applicable to the season (the hat needs to be toggle free). Toys from home are discouraged, unless they are for comfort or settling. If there is anything that may help settle your child, please bring it along e.g. dummy, rug or teddy - it all helps.
Change of Clothing
Due to some experiences on the room programme your child may need an extra set of clothing.
The weather conditions change so quickly, so we need to be able to add or take off clothing as needed. NO SINGLET TOPS or THONGS are permitted - see centre policies.
Meals
The centre provides the children with a hot lunch and morning and afternoon tea. The drinks available are: milk and water. Orange juice is provided on non-meat days and water is available at anytime throughout the day. The menu is displayed and copies are available, recipes are also available. Your child may bring a drink bottle but it would be preferred if water or juice was supplied and not cordial. We are a nut free centre. If your child has any allergies/intolerances please speak to the Director/staff on enrolment.
Signing In and Out
Upon arrival and departure parents/guardians must sign and write the time of arrival and departure on the day sheet, which is located in the hallway near the main entrance to the centre.
Medical Instruction Sheet
If your child requires medication whilst in care, you will need to fill in the medical instruction sheet. Please ensure that this form is filled in correctly as we are unable to give medication if there is an error. Medication must NOT be left in the child’s bag, please hand to room carers.
Programme Planning
Once a fortnight carers in the Little Toddler Room meet for two hours to plan for the children-this is referred to as programme planning. Planning in early childhood settings involves the daily challenge of providing flexible, secure, supportive, peaceful, respectful and collaborative relationships and environments within the centre. Informal chats about children’s development and care also play a large role in planning. Carers use parental input and observation of children to plan a programme of experiences, which will best assist the enjoyment and development of your child whilst in care.
The group plan is displayed in the room for parents to view and make comments. Each child has an individual file, which contains all observations and planning. Parents are welcome to read their child’s file - simply ask one of the little toddler carers.
Parent Information
At the start of the year, carers will give parents ‘a parent information pack’ to fill out. This will contain information about the room and forms for parents to complete. This is so we can share the links between home and the carers to build a more positive relationship that benefits the child.
Incident Forms
If your child should be injured or involved in an incident/accident, a form will be filled out by a carer, outlining what has taken place. These forms are to be sighted and signed at the end of the day. The forms are then kept in your child’s personal file in the office.
Allergies and Intolerances
If your child has an allergy/intolerance to any thing please let the room carers know. You will need to fill out an allergy/intolerance/special diet forms.
Sunscreen
Sunscreen is provided by the centre. Parents can provide their child with their own sunscreen if your child has an allergy to the one provided by us.
Birthdays
Parents who wish their child to celebrate their birthday at the centre are welcome to bring a cake. Due to many allergies and dislikes that other children may have, we ask that it be a plain cake free of cream and nuts or any heavy food colouring (Pedder Patter is a nut free environment!).
Sleeping
The centre has sleep rooms set up for your child’s nap if needed (everything provided). Parents please remember that if your child sleeps up to 2 or 3 hours at home, that this may not be the case here. Many things can play a part here e.g. noise level, other children in the sleep room and general noise from the rest of the centre. If your child has any special sleep requirements or a comforter please let the room carers know.
Toilet Training
As children approach two years old parents may begin toilet training. The carers are more than happy to assist you. In the Rainbow Fish Room we have a toilet and potty to assist with this process. There may be differences experienced between home and the centre. Your child may become absorbed in play and just forget to ask carers to use the toilet/potty on occasions. Feel free to discuss any strategies you wish carers to adhere to in this area.
PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING THAT YOUR CHILD BRINGS INTO THE CENTRE.
As you can appreciate, if every child brings a toy along just think how many toys are brought to each room - we just can’t keep track of them.
Activities We Enjoy
DRAWING - helps develop fine motor skills, hand eye co-ordination and colour awareness. This is an early writing skill.
PAINTING - develops creativity, experimentation with shapes, size, texture and colour.
FINGER PAINTING - develops gross and fine motor skills and is a great tactile experience.
PASTING - develops creativity, imagination, hand-eye co-ordination and problem solving skills.
PLAYDOUGH - a tactile experience that develops gross and fine motor skills and social skills.
HOME CORNER - promotes role playing and pretend play.
CONSTRUCTION - encourages sharing, problem solving and fine motor skills.
WATER/FLOUR/WHEAT PLAY - develops tactile awareness and initial measuring skills.
MANIPULATIVE TOYS - (puzzles, shape sorters and hammering boards) develops sharing and waiting turns, sequencing, persisting and completing tasks.
BOOKS - develops language and literacy skills.
SINGING, MUSIC, MOVEMENT & MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS - develops language, concepts of loud and soft, fast and slow.
STORIES - develops language, anticipation, concentration and imagination.
BEST OF ALL, THESE EXPERIENCES ARE FUN!!
Words We Use
GROSS MOTOR - the use of large muscles, i.e. climbing, running, balance beams, ball games, etc.
FINE MOTOR - the use of the small muscles of the hands and eyes, i.e. puzzles, threading, cutting, drawing, etc.
COGNITIVE - thinking and problem solving skills.
TACTILE/SENSORY - something that you can do with your hands i.e. flour/wheat/water play, play doh, etc.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM - the maintenance of our high standard of care to meet the requirements necessary of the National Childcare Accreditation Council.
DRAMATIC PLAY - includes role playing and pretending, i.e. home corner, dressing up.
CREATIVE PLAY - includes painting, finger painting, drawing, pasting, etc.
CONSTRUCTIVE PLAY - involves blocks, collage, etc.
MANIPULATIVE PLAY - includes jigsaws, threading and shape sorters.
INTEGRATION - is the process of welcoming and settling new children and families into the centre.
TRANSITION - is the movement of children between home and care, from one area to another and from room to room.
MULTICULTURAL - presenting a wide range of materials from around the world and other cultures.
GENDER EQUITY - to ensure that each child, regardless of gender, has equal opportunity to participate in the wide range of experiences offered.
CONTACT US
You can contact us on 03 6344 9993 during business hours, or email us at childcare@pedderpatter.org.au.