Tweener Program
At 13 months babies are generally ready to leave the infant daycare portion of the Brass Ring Learning Centers at 104 Wagner Drive, Bethel Park, Pa, and embrace the young toddler daycare program. At this stage the babies are not infants, and they really have not developed completely into toddlers. We call these little ones young toddlers or “Tweeners”, meaning they are not babies but are not ready to become toddlers.
Our Bethel Park young toddler childcare staff is prepared to help the young toddlers develop the skills they need to leave their infancy behind, and become curious adventurous toddlers. We know when our babies are ready to transition to the young toddler group when they are able to stand alone, walk, or in some cases are running. The staff of our Bethel Park Tweener / Young Toddler program is prepared for the new walkers, and will give them every opportunity to be mobile and practice their new found skill.
Tweener / Young Toddler child care
Our young toddler child care staff understand that by the time your baby reaches 13 months old they are much more mobile, active and inquisitive. They are beginning to walk and are ready to take on the next adventure in their lives. They are becoming independent and want to see, feel, touch and even taste everything within their grasp.
We have found that by 13 months young toddlers are not quite ready to be a toddler. They still need help, individual attention and reassurance in their new found world.
Younger toddlers are ready to take on the world, but, at a much slower rate than an 18 month old toddler.
At Brass Ring Learning Center, we have created what we call the Tweener / Young Toddler child care and early learning program. Our Young Toddler child care program is designed with the young toddler in mind. We provide ample space for exploration of new toys and the ability for young toddlers to interact with their peers in a safe, young toddler friendly environment. The staff of our young toddler child care group can be found participating as the young toddlers begin playing with other children in a meaningful way.
Our young toddler child care and early learning group provides the young toddler all the opportunities to explore and discover something new and make friends everyday at their own pace.
Walking, and running, is like anything else that we learn to do. The more of it we do, the better we become at doing it. We encourage the new walkers to walk and play during their free playtime as well as during their outdoor time in our large fenced play yard with a separate area just for the young toddler. This helps the large muscles develop in their young legs, and it helps them to gain control, and balance. We carefully supervise our young toddlers, because when they are practicing walking and eventually running they will have falls. Our Bethel Park Tweener staff members are close at hand to monitor and to help the young toddlers up if they fall and encourage them to continue on their adventures.
As most parents know, young toddlers have not yet become masters of feeding themselves with a spoon and fork. During snacks and mealtimes our staff members will encourage and help each young toddler to practice their feeding skills.
The young toddler group gives our Tweeners plenty of room to safely explore and play. We have age appropriate chairs and tables as well as age appropriate learning and play materials.
The next exciting milestone your baby will reach, is beginning to walk. Your baby will become highly mobile and motivated to explore their world. Your baby has reached young toddlerhood.
Your young tweener will use their new found independence to explore and discover their world
Your young tweener will be learning through their interaction with toys as well as learning materials
Staff members of our Bethel Park young toddler daycare program encourage the Tweeners to participate in organized group playtime as well as circle time. This is the age when the children begin to develop social skills. Learning to play with others, attempting to share toys, and taking turns, is a big deal in the lives of these young toddlers. The staff provides them with the opportunity to play with each other, and helps them to learn how to play well with each other. These are skills that will be beneficial to the young toddlers for the rest of their lives.
At this stage in their lives the young toddlers have very short attention spans. We realize this, but we also realize that this is the time to start introducing them into group learning sessions. We expose them to pre-reading with picture books during circle time. The amount of time that is spent in circle time will vary greatly depending on the young toddler’s response each day. The staff plays this by ear, because after 24 years we have learned to go with the flow of the young toddlers. We adjust and modify our daily lesson plans to accommodate the Tweeners attention spans and abilities.
During this stage the young toddlers are introduced to a lot of music. They love to dance, sing, and listen to music. This teaching tool will be used daily in the Tweener program of the toddler daycare center.
Our young toddler childcare center, located at 104 Wagner Drive , Bethel Park, Pa, is ready to help nurture the skills these young toddlers need to develop so that they can master the skills they will need in the future.
Children thrive in a well-ordered and predictable environment, where daily routines such as arrivals and departures, mealtimes, and nap times happen on familiar schedule. Daily routines also offer young toddlers a sense of stability and control. Brass Ring Learning Center provides this stability through the use of our young toddler schedule of daily activities. Our young toddler schedule provides for the social, emotional and intellectual growth of our young toddlers. Times have been provided for our young toddlers to experience and participate in art projects, music, circle time, story time, structured and free play. Our young toddlers schedule was built to promote positive growth in our toddlers and to provide a balance between cognitive and motor activities.
6:30 am to 8:00 am
Arrival – Children arrive eat breakfast and have free choice playtime with their peers.
8:00 am to 8:30 am
Cognitive Manipulative Learning Centers – Teachers provide puzzles and learning centers for children to explore and manipulate.
8:00 am to 8:30 am
Music and Movement – Children participate in music and movement activities. We have found many budding musicians or ballet stars during this time.
9:00 am to 9:30 am
Teacher assisted Free Play
9:30 am to 9:45 am
Snack Time – We provide your child with a light snack that can consist of cheese, crackers, fruits, pretzels, trail mix, yogurt, the occasional cookie etc. and a drink. Birthday treats are always welcome. We do have children with food allergies so the teachers are very conscientious to check labels before any snack is served.
9:45 am to 10:00 am
Circle Time – The time span for Circle Time is very flexible. If the children are working well and want to go beyond the time, teachers will continue presenting concepts to the children. During this time your child will do the Pledge of Allegiance, calendar, Day, Date, Week, Month and Year. The children learn their Alphabet, Numbers, Colors and Shapes. We sing songs and do finger plays.
10:00 am to 10:30 am
Lesson Time and Learning Centers – The young toddler teacher uses this time to present the lesson of the day to the children. This lesson follows our weekly theme and will encompass the usage of learning centers as well as the use of other learning materials. The lesson is designed to be creative and fun.
10:30 am to 11:00 am
Art Time – The projects can be messy or simple but the children have a chance to express their inner Monet or Picasso!
11:00 am to 11:30 am
Gross Motor / Outdoor Play – This is the time we will go outside (weather permitting) and play games and run and jump or we will do large muscle activities inside to promote coordination and growth. This time also gives the children a chance to blow off steam and shake the wiggles out.
11:30 am to 12:00 pm
Lunch Time – Lunch goes until all children have eaten. The 12:00pm finish time is hopeful but sometimes not practical. Children are given the opportunity to relax and enjoy their lunch. Teachers will assist any child needing help with their lunches. We will send home all unopened food. Due to health and safety issues, we do not save partially eaten items.
12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Nap Time – Teddy bears, binkies or special items for sleeping are always welcome. We play either classical music or a soothing sleepy time music selection. Tweeners are given naps earlier if they need it.
3:30 pm to 3:45 pm
Snack Time – We provide your child with a light snack that can consist of cheese, crackers, fruits, pretzels, trail mix, yogurt, the occasional cookie etc. and a drink. Birthday treats are always welcome. We do have children with food allergies so the teachers are very conscientious to check labels before any snack is served.
3:45 pm to 4:00 pm
Circle Time – The time span for Circle Time is very flexible. If the children are working well and want to go beyond the time, teachers will continue presenting concepts to the children. During this time your child will do the Pledge of Allegiance, calendar, Day, Date, Week, Month and Year. The children go over their Alphabet, Numbers, Colors, Shapes, Phonics and Sight Words. They will also discuss the letter of the week as well as color of the week and number of the week. We sing songs and do finger plays as well as learn our home address and phone numbers.
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Free Play / Departure- The teachers will present the Tweeners with opportunities to play and explore toys and Learning materials.
Thank you for your interest in our Tweener/ Young Toddler Program!
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Keeping your young toddler safe.
We suggest you get on the floor at approximately the same eye level as your child. Take a look around and see all the amazing and wonderful things they are able to see. That really nice picture of grandma on the table, those amazing and wondrous things coming out of the wall that go to the place that is so bright. If you think it is interesting, you can be assured that your young toddler will find it the best toy they have ever had.
Tuck away breakables out of their reach.
Electric cords should be made inaccessible to your young toddler. Not only for the electrocution hazard but also for the potential of what is attached to the end of the cord coming crashing down on top of them.
ALL cabinet doors should be made child safe with safety latches.
Drawers in tables should also be secured with child proof latches.
Plugs will have to be covered.
Your young toddler is able to feed themselves now, so be sure to provide foods that are soft and manageable for them.
Young toddlers are not proficient with utensils yet, so be sure foods are finger friendly.
Introduce your young toddler to a sippy cup. Pour about 2 ounces of fluid in the cup to start with and take that amount out of their bottle. This will help you to break that bottle habit.
Never lay your young toddler down with a bottle.
Young toddlers are not very proficient at walking or even running. Check to make sure all sharp edges on furniture is cushioned.
Doors should be kept closed. Especially, doors to basements and ones that lead to the outdoors. Screen doors should be kept locked.