Young children are like a piece of white paper, gradually reveals its colours into a wonderful painting. During this period, their brain is more developed and the children’s potential can be better stimulated. With the spread of scientific knowledge, more and more people are aware of the irreplaceability of early education. Therefore, many parents choose to send their children to a professional child care institution during their infancy. Based on the unique physiological conditions and development needs of the children, the child care institution bears the dual responsibility for children care and education.
What kind of childcare can ensure the physiological and psychological needs of the children, and what kind of education can promote the development of the children? Since its establishment in 1995, Agape Little Uni. has its own opinions on the care and education of babies. In this article, we will share some of the experiences of infancy (2 months-17 months) in gardening and education from the three aspects of “relationship”, “environment” and “course”.
Teacher’s Relationship with Agape Little Uni.’s children
Appropriate response: Building trust in children
According to Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, children are utterly dependent, developing trust is based on the dependability and quality of the child’s caregivers. At this point in development, the child is utterly dependent upon adult caregivers for everything that he or she needs to survive including food, love, warmth, safety, and nurturing. In Agape Little Uni., our teacher’s response to our children will always insist – promptly and considering. When the teacher hears the crying of children, they will always come to the children immediately to attend to the children’s needs and solve the problem for them.
Active interaction: Stimulating the development of children
A children’s brain has “neural plasticity” and receives more sensory stimuli and emotional experiences, and the brain gains more development. These stimuli and experiences come mainly from the positive interaction between the children and the outside world, especially with the caregiver.
In Agape Little Uni., our teacher focuses on positive interaction with our children’s body and language. When children make small progress, the teacher will affirm the children with a hug, a caress and verbal praise. When children fail in the attempt, the teacher gently encourages the children to accompany him to try again.
Teacher And Parent Relationship
Good listener: understanding parents’ needs
Parents are inevitably worried when they are handed over their children to others. Therefore, our teachers are empathetic to every parent. Our teachers listen attentively to the requests of each parent and stand in their perspective to understand their needs. Good listening is the first step in establishing a good relationship with parents.
Effective communication: Giving parents the update
Teachers should communicate with parents to eliminate parental anxiety and give parental support. Communicating in an effective way is the second step in building a good relationship with parents.
In written communication, we are using:
• Children Daily Record
• Mobile App (Taidii)
• Newsletter
• Development Portfolio
In verbal communication, we are using:
• Daily conversational
• Parents’ communication is diversity. The constant difference is that in each communication, teachers use a sincere attitude to convey instant messages to parents and provide evaluations and recommendations on children development.
Space in the environment
Dining Area
For children who can’t sit up, our teacher will hold them in their arms or put them on a cloth chair. The babies who can sit are placed on the embedded chairs of the U-shaped table to observe and assist them in eating.
Sleeping Area
When the children is asleep, our teacher will dim the light in the bedroom, put on some light music for children to sleep in a quiet atmosphere. The teacher will also stay in the sleeping room to provide the children a psychological security.
Bathing Area
When the children take a bath, they will stand on a small pool with a non-slip mat, with both hands on the handle and shower by the teacher. In the bath, the teacher helps the baby to recognise their body through friendly language and interaction with the children.
Activity Area
The baby has a large space for activities and a thick cushion to ensure safety. In the activity area, our teacher will move only the equipment needed for the children needed for the activities.
Devices In The Environment
Perception And Movement
According to Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, 2-17 months of children are in the stage of the perceptual movement, that is, they rely on perception and body movement to recognise themselves and adapt to the world. We provide children with small toys that are audible, visual, and tactile, and provide a comprehensive and effective stimulation of the children’s perception. We also offer exercise-based devices that promote the development of large muscles in children, helping children to exercise large muscle skills and prevent vestibular balance disorders.
Early reading and mathematics
In the early reading enlightenment, our teacher will provide the children with a soft, fabric book or cardboard book. Inspired by the teacher, the children reach out to touch, press or stretch the “pop-out“ in the book. In the early mathematical enlightenment, our teacher provided the children with operational materials such as nested classes. Helping the children to feel the size between the items.
Well-design Curriculum
Our children and toddler curriculum is based on the daily interactions, relationships and experiences of children and teachers. Discover and explore activities through a variety of hands-on activities to let children know more about themselves and the people and the environment around them, and open up their horizons.
One of the most important elements of children and toddler curriculum is the game activities. In Agape Little Uni., we guide children and young children to learn through games and promote better development of children and children in all directions. Not only that, but we hope that children who have graduated from Agape Little Uni. will be able to adapt to the needs of the times and become citizens of the world. In order to better meet the challenges in the future, we have integrated I-STREAM into our teaching activities to lay the foundation for our children’s future success.
• i – children
• S – Sensorial
• T – Thinking
• R – Relationship
• E – Engagement
• A – Affection
• M – Movement
Agape Little Uni. Curriculum Models
Agape Course Theory
In the implementation of the course, we divided the activities according to the baby’s month into three classes:
• 2-7 months: Little Baby Class
• 8-12 months: Little Genius Class
• 13-17 months: Little Explorer Class
Sensorial
Teachers provide children with materials that stimulate hearing, taste, touch, vision, and smell, allowing children to perceive and manipulate and promote sensory development.
Thinking
Teachers provide different items for babies to allow children to develop their thinking by size, color, shape, etc., and to increase their intelligence.
Relationships
In daily life, interact with children and children to play games, so that children and young children can trust teachers.
Engagement
The teacher takes the children’s interest as the starting point, and attracts the attention of the children through the stories, songs, rhythms and operations of the children.
Affection
Teachers and children actively interact with each other to encourage emotions with children and toddlers in a way that encourages, embraces, and smiles, so that children and children are willing to interact with others in their own way.
Movements
The teacher provides a suitable activity plan according to the baby’s development stage, for example – big muscles: crawling, walking, standing, sitting, etc.; small muscles: grasping, tightening, pinching, taking, etc., training the baby’s size and muscle development.
Broaden their thinking in fun activities
Express their emotions through interaction with teachers
Get to know their body through interaction with equipment
Children are totally dependent on adult care all the time to gradually adapt to the challenge from the external world;
At the same time, children are born with many potentials, and each day is constantly developing their abilities under the stimulation of others and the environment.
At Agape Little Uni., we have the responsibility to give our children comprehensive care and a suitable educational environment; We are confident to promote healthy and happy growth of every child with professional ability and enthusiasm!
