2-3 PRESCHOOL

Our Preschool Programs for 2-, 3-Year-Olds Offer Important Lessons

A big part of being a 2- or 3-year-old is learning to be away from family for periods of time at preschool.  The children learn they are in a safe and caring place, and that their family will return for them at the end of their day.  Children also work on toilet training, a major milestone.  The children are guided with this skill from diapers to the child-size toilet.

Great care must be taken to maintain a calm and loving atmosphere.  Staff voices are always gentle and reflect sincere concern for the children.  Loud, harsh voices are unacceptable and violate our belief in developmentally appropriate behaviors for interactions. While we encourage growth away from the “comfort items” such as pacifiers and blankets, children who need them for security will be allowed access to them when appropriate.  Some of these times would be rest time, arrival time or other times when children are distressed.  Many children do not immediately feel comfortable at meal and snack times and may exhibit smaller-than-usual appetites.  Children will be offered food and encouraged to eat. But at the end of a reasonable eating period, all children will be allowed to leave the table regardless of the amount of food consumed.  Parents will be kept informed of eating habits as a part of regular communication.

The top priority in these preschool programs is nurturing and security.  Children enrolled in these programs are very young and have not yet experienced much of life.  They truly need to be “taught” in areas like playing cooperatively, feeling comfortable somewhere new, learning to be part of a group, eating in a community setting, and a wide variety of sensory education experiences.  We cannot expect 2- and 3-year-olds to come to us with a strong sense of “appropriate group behavior,” as their world is still very self-centered.  During the year, we will guide them to see the rest of the world a little more and encourage them to interact positively with others throughout their preschool education.