Peachtree Academy

Infant/Toddler nurturing program

*Our programs for this age usually have a lenghty waiting list. Please contact us well in advance of your need!

Peachtree Academy's Infant and Toddler programs provide personalized care in a nurturing environment. At the time of enrollment, parents provide Peachtree Academy with a personal care plan for their child which allows our staff to accommodate each child's needs. A daily class schedule helps us to keep each child on a regular routine but with enough flexibility for a young toddlers' interests. Each day parents receive a report that informs them of their child's activities and schedule. In order to keep our children healthy, classrooms are cleaned and disinfected o­n a daily basis. We strictly enforce our sick policy for the protection of all children, and are blessed to work with parents who know the importance of keeping children at home until they are well.

Consistent staffing enables children to bond with their teachers and adjust quickly to their setting. Classrooms are designed for safety, and are large enough for a variety of activities throughout the day. Our teaching staff plans activities each week that stimulate the social, emotional, physical and academic development of each child.

A typical day consists of reading, singing songs, finger plays, art and interacting with the array of age-appropriate equipment. Outdoor activities and equipment help meet the growing needs for gross motor skill development such as climbing stairs, running, throwing balls, and etc. Infants and toddlers also enjoy our Bye-Bye buggy that accomodates four children for a ride around the school or playground. They love seeing the older children in action and what is going o­n in the rest of the world.

Helping Toddlers Become Problem Solvers 

All parents and teachers have seen the unique ability of toddlers to use toys and materials in unexpected ways. One child may turn a cup into a hammer or a basket into a hat. Another toddler may stand on a riding truck to try to reach a toy or pull over a chair to climb onto a bookshelf. Observant adults recognize these innovations as signs that children are learning to use their thinking skills to solve problems.

Experiences in problem solving help children develop curiosity and patience, along with thinking skills such as flexibility, and understanding of cause and effect. They learn to work toward achieving a goal, and gain confidence in their ability to reach a solution.

Even very young children make discoveries on their own. An infant who accidentally creates a noise with a rattle may then make the sound again and again on purpose. An older infant discovers that by looking under a blanket, he can find a hidden toy. A toddler who cannot pull a wagon up a hill by herself learns that she and a friend can push it up from behind.

By not rushing in and rescuing young children who are facing minor everyday problems, adults can help infants and toddlers develop confidence and increase their thinking abilities.

It's also helpful for parents and teachers to provide materials that encourage children to explore. Some toys, such as jack-in-the-boxes and busy boxes, provide opportunities to explore simple cause-and-effect relationships. Other common materials like empty cardboard boxes, plastic bowls, or scarves can provide open-ended experiences through which toddlers can make choices and decisions, and find different ways to manipulate the materials.

Other activities can involve materials such as clear plastic tubing (such as the tubing used for aquariums) which children can fill with bright materials, and watch the materials move as they shake the tubes. If you provide inclines or ramps of wooden blocks, a toddler can watch what happens as objects roll down inside the tubes. She may discover that some objects roll faster than others. He may learn about actions and reactions when he sets plastic bottles at the bottom of the ramp to create a unique bowling game.

(Whatever materials you provide to help children experiment with problem solving, remember to be very careful about choking hazards.)

These everyday materials are fun, and can hold children's interest for long periods. They also help children experiment with cause and effect and with gravity and physics. In addition to supporting cognitive development, problem-solving activities help in the social arena as well. Groups of children engaged in these activities negotiate with their friends and learn how to solve interpersonal problems.

By providing interesting materials and enthusiastically reinforcing children's attempts to explore and solve problems, parents and teachers can stimulate children's development, promote advanced critical thinking, and help children take pride in their own abilities to find out more about how their world works.