THE LEARNING CENTER

     The Toddler Room and The Preschool are the two classrooms in DDC’s Learning Center.

     The children in the Toddler Room, ages 13-36 months, enjoy stimulating and nurturing days with a focus on the development of language, fine and gross motor, and cognitive skills.  For the older toddler, the focus is on letter, color, and number recognition, interpersonal skills development, potty training, and personal responsibility.

     The Toddler Room’s children enjoy playdoh, arts and crafts, cooking, music and movement class, and Spanish and Sign Language classes.

     Children in the Preschool Class, ages 36 months and older and potty-trained, enjoy nurturing days filled with yoga, Spanish and Sign Language, story and “Show and Share” discussions, arts and crafts, themes relevant to the season, and imaginative and educational play.

     Interpersonal skills development, personal responsibility, and math and reading readiness are the major focus of the children in our Preschool Class.

THE FRIENDS COTTAGE

     Since infants are on their own individual eating, sleeping, and playing schedule, the Friends Cottage has been designated a separate space just for the babies from the Learning Center’s older children.  Each of the three rooms is a peaceful soothing space for up to four infants with one nurturing caretaker.

     The infants are stimulated by music, touch, singing, visuals, and movement.  The staff is experienced with both breast-fed and formula-fed bottle feedings.

     Many families have found the intimacy of the Friends Cottage to be a wonderful transition to care for their child away from their home.

INDIVIDUAL CURRICULUM
SPECIFIC TO DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES

INFANTS (6 weeks to 1 year): Each infant’s day include cuddling, exercising, music and songs, exersaucers, baby swings, and stimulating toys. 

TODDLERS (1 – 3 years): The emphasis at the toddler stage is to encourage communication and self-expression.  Your child is becoming more independent, but at the same time still needs to feel secure in your or our love.  At this stage, patience and positive reinforcement will help your child develop a positive self-image.  For those who are ready, they are introduced to toilet training.  Activities for your little one will include cuddling, arts and crafts, music and songs, imaginative play, circle time, books and stories, and educationally stimulating toys and puzzles.

PRE-SCHOOL (3-5 years):  The emphasis at the pre-school stage is to encourage personal responsibility and autonomy balanced with effective communication with peers.  Our children can understand the consequences for choices they make.  It will be DDC’s goal to communicate with them about these choices to assist in preparing them for kindergarten.  Activities for these eager little minds will be cuddling (or rolling around!), circle time, books and stories, arts and crafts, music and songs, imaginative play, educationally stimulating toys and puzzles, calendar, weather, Pledge of Allegiance, science, and readiness skills.

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