WELCOME TO THE SPROUTS PROGRAM
Ages 18 months to around 36 months
Your toddler’s early experiences, and the bonds they form with their first learning experiences, are building blocks for their future development. At Bloomingdale Day Care, we focus on this early period to establish their ongoing success. We know that each child develops at their own pace. Our program leverages a Creative Curriculum approach to education so we can nurture and help them grow.
SPROUTS 1
The Sprouts 1 classroom serves our young toddlers, from approximately 18–30 months of age. This classroom is designed to allow students to express their emerging sense of self by offering more “pods” with a larger array of toys to choose from.
Each Sprouts 1 student is assigned his or her own cot for naptime. A refrigerator is available to store any perishable food brought in for the day. Potty training may begin in the last three months of a child’s time in the Sprouts 1 classroom. This is in preparation for a transition to the Sprouts 2 classroom if the child is willing and the parents are ready to commit to providing consistency by starting potty training at home. Children do not need to be potty trained to move to Sprouts 2. Students, teachers, and parents must remove their footwear before entering this classroom to keep the floors clean. Siblings are not allowed to enter this classroom, and teachers are happy to assist with drop-off and pick-up when a parent has more than one child.
The Sprouts 1 classroom is designed for the children to begin to explore more independently. In the young toddler group, we help them to strive for independence. We believe that allowing them to discover on their own helps build social/emotional skills. The classroom is designed to promote each child’s development at a rate that is their own. Children are introduced to various experiences in order for them to begin to explore the world around them. Although this room builds its activities to align with the Infant/Toddler New Jersey State Standards, we understand that children learn in many different ways and at many different rates and therefore children are never forced to master any skill they are not ready for.
SPROUTS 2
The Sprouts 2 classroom is the first classroom a child will enter that is in the preschool center. It serves students from approximately 30–36 months, but a child may stay in Sprouts 2 longer depending on their birthday. In the preschool center, we begin to group children based on their kindergarten groups. This room is arranged with five individual learning centers that students can move around freely between.
Each Sprouts 2 student is assigned his or her own cot for naptime. Naptime is approximately 2 hours, with a quiet activity provided to students who do not fall asleep after a period of time. At this level, students are asked to bring a lunchbox each day with an ice pack to keep perishable items fresh. Because we make frequent trips to the restroom in this classroom, shoes are kept on during the day. Teachers will work with the parents of Sprouts 2 students to help children learn to use the potty. Children must be potty trained to advance to the Blossoms 1 classroom.
This is our “class of discovery” because in this class your child will be given opportunities to discover their world and how it works. For young children this is a very exciting time. They are not only able to explore the world more independently, but are also learning how to express their own ideas. The teachers create all the lesson plans for this group to align with the standards we expect our kids to be before they enter Preschool. This helps to ensure that your toddler’s milestones are being met before their transition to the preschool program.
SPROUTS 3
This is a flexible classroom that serves as an important transition space for young children. In this classroom we can schedule and approach young students at their age and stage as they transition to our Blossoms program.
We use a secure app, Procare, to send updates to you throughout the day. Procare. We’ll share information with parents such as naps, meals and activities. We also send messages about the toys your child has enjoyed, as well as pictures and videos.
How We P.L.A.Y. in Sprouts
P
Physical
Fine motor & gross motor development, engaging the five senses, and learning through movement & music.
L
Language
A
Activities
Y
Yet
Science
Cooking, mixing colors, and water play are just some of the fun ways we explore science concepts.
Math
Young children love to explore the world around them. This interest area includes activities such as sensory boxes, matching, shapes, size,
Art
This interest area allows the children to explore colors and textures as they exercise fine motor skills and their creative ability.
Exploration
Spending time in the fresh air is very important. We take our little ones out to play each day the weather permits.
Language
Language is a large part of every one of our programs. Teaching the children to communicate in an effective way helps to prepare them for the “bigger world”.
Music & Movement
Music is a large part of our curriculum. The children love to sing and dance as well as explore the instruments we have in the space. At nap time a soft choice of music is also played
Our Creative Curriculum
This comprehensive curriculum features exploration and discovery to help children learn. We enable young students to develop confidence, creativity, and lifelong critical thinking skills to fuel each child’s success.