Wawanesa Wee Care Inc. |
Infant Program
Wawanesa Wee Care Infant Statement....
Wawanesa Wee Care Inc. is designed to promote a developmental approach to the social, emotional, physical and cognitive growth of each child’s individual abilities, needs, and interests. We follow the “Best Practice” standards of quality care, including ongoing training, health, safety and security, program requirements, room arrangements, and the daily routine care and well-being of each infant enrolled in our program.
Play base is the central building block of Wawanesa Wee Care Inc. that is a child centered program. A child-centered curriculum includes a combination of child-initiated spontaneous play and planned activities designed around children’s interests and needs. Building trust and security, caregivers encourage independence and experimentation. Play provides unlimited possibilities for learning and development and allows infants a combination of exploring new objects, practicing new and familiar skills, opportunities to problem solve, meet new challenges and build language skills. This allows infants to develop to their fullest potential.
Environment: The environment both indoors and out is designed to be a warm, safe, inviting and challenging space for the variety of ages of the infants, and caregivers continually modify the space as each infant grows. Through play and safe exploration the infants learning environment allows them to investigate at their own pace and to use their senses: touch, smell, sight, sound, taste and vocalizing. Everything in the infant’s environment contributes to brain development. Therefore, the infant learning environment is set up to be challenging yet gives opportunity to be successful and also encourages exploration and discovery that is both planned and spontaneous. For example, planned activities usually include holidays such as Christmas, Halloween etc. The indoor environment is decorated accordingly and art activities compliment the holiday. Most of our curriculum is self-chosen free play. The infant program may piggy back on some Preschool themes, such as colours, where the children are asked to wear a particular colour, food is that colour, art activities are that colour etc. Spontaneous activities may include extension of an outdoor walk, for example, discovering a flower, stopping and allowing the children to touch and smell the flower. The opportunities are endless. We have a large outdoor play area with lots of grass and area to explore. They have a large variety of toys to explore and discover while outside. The infants have a quad stroller that they can go on walks around the town with for outings.
Our infant environment is equipped with developmentally appropriate materials and equipment to enable the children to learn and grow. Open ended materials, (such as nesting blocks which can be used for many things; filling, dumping, and stacking and as the child grows they can be used for sorting, car garages, towers, homes for animals etc.) are arranged on low shelves so children can find play materials easily. Open-ended materials are objects or playthings whose use is not predetermined or narrowly limited in action or purpose, example: ribbons, tissue paper, shells, pots, wooden spoons, different types of bottle covers, paper towel rolls, boxes, empty plastic food containers,
blocks, baskets etc. The play space includes opportunities for: gross and fine motor play, blocks, water, sand, creative art, science, imitative or dramatic play, reading and music and movement. In the reading area when we share a book with the children we are helping them develop a close relationship through staff/child bonding experience; language as they learn new vocabulary (words); begins to “read” the pictures to see what is happening; and creativity as he uses his imagination to make up stories on his own. Our science area provides sticks, shells, acorns, and other natural elements that are infant safe.
We provide duplicate play material in each area to support parallel play and avoid waiting times for the children. As a new term begins we put out a variety of toys and open-ended materials. As we observe the children’s interest we expand on that area. Creative play experiences come from the child's interests and abilities. It’s the process that’s important in creative play – what they do, not the product they make in the end.
Staff will sit or lay on the floor to interact with infants while they play and explore to provide them with more learning opportunities. Staff asks questions, label child’s actions, sing songs, read books, all to enhance the child’s play. Through play, children learn how to get along with others. Although young children may not be developmentally ready to “play” with other children, interactive experiences will help set the foundation for future relationships.
We use materials such as music, play food, books, photos, clothing, people, figures and dolls that show a variety of ages, abilities, races, cultures and genders. This exposes children to similarities and differences in a positive way. Visuals, such as posters, pictures, dolls, books, foods, clothing, etc. reflect and represent similarities and differences of ages, abilities, races, cultures and genders in a positive way. Children’s artwork and photos of the children and their families are displayed within easy reach. This comforts the young child when he can see familiar items and faces.
Communication
Language development is particularly crucial during the infant period. We provide many opportunities for infants to engage in meaningful dialogue. We acknowledge and encourage the infants’ forms of communication. Caregivers are alert and tuned in to infant’s cues, providing them with important information for example; when a child is crying we need to determine, is the child hungry, hurt, dirty, lonely, scared or maybe bored! These sensitive and caring actions will help develop a sense of trust between caregiver and infant.
Positive interactions between caregivers and infants during daily routines such as diapering, feeding, napping and playing with peers or staff, helps children learn to communicate and expand their vocabulary. For example; telling the child what is happening around him while performing daily routines and responding to his sounds, words and gestures, lays the foundation for health brain development as well as success learning how to read and write. Throughout the day the infants diapers will be checked every 2 hours and changed to meet individual needs. During a diaper change, give child step by step happenings, “I am going to change your diaper.” “I need to lift you on the change table.” “I need to take down your pants” etc.
Infants benefit most from individualized care and we follow their own schedule for eating, sleeping and playing. Infants are dependent on close, nurturing relationships as the source of positive physical, social, emotional and cognitive growth. Infants learn about their world by observing adult reactions and association with peers. We understand child development and how infants learn and are able to read and respond to their needs and behavior, for example, infants investigate materials with their whole body, placing interesting objects near infants will encourage them to reach, move and explore. As they grow and gain movement a safe, healthy and interesting environment is provided.
We provide opportunities for peer interactions. During the day the children have three meals, the older infants sit at a round table and the infants in the highchairs are arranged in a semi-circle. This enhances social development, by allowing children to become friends and encourages communication and to explore ways of interacting. Throughout the day children are brought together for singing, reading and play.
Because communication is the key to keeping parents involved and aware of their child’s activities and growth while at the center we will provide the following:
* Parents must visit program prior to enrollment, during this visit parents are welcome to share the child’s routines at home.
* Greeting parents upon arrival and departure
* Information board for infant group
* An information sheet for parents to fill out upon child’s enrollment
* A daily sheet tracking each infant’s activities, meals, diapering, sleep and events of the day.
* The opportunity to develop relationships between the caregivers and the families through our daily contact
* Our center’s open door policy which allows parents to visit at any time and spend time in the infant area.
During nap time we stay at a ratio of 1: 4, direct supervision is provided with a staff in the room at all times and sleeping infants get checked in their cribs by staff every 10 minutes. Each infant has their own crib. All cribs are numbered and a list is posted on the wall. All bedding is taken off beds every day when the infants wake up, they are put on their own labeled shelf where they are not touching each other. All bedding and cribs are washed at least once a week or more when needed to meet individual needs.
Ratio is met of 1:4 from 7:30-430, and the infants will mix with the preschool children at the beginning and end of the day, and as they approach 2 years of age to ease with the transition to the preschool side.
We encourage parents to send a healthy lunch and 2 snacks that coordinate with Canada’s food guide for healthy eating. The infants will sit in a semi-circle in order to see each other eating and can communicate with each other. They will each have their own high chair that is low to the ground to promote independence when they get older, so they can get in and out by themselves. When they reach 18 months we will start to transition them to sit at a table to eat.
We are committed to meeting the needs of each individual child. This includes ensuring that each child experiences the full curriculum and strive to make the exploration and play environment a place where the children want to be – where they are comfortable and feel they belong.
Wawanesa Wee Care Inc. is designed to promote a developmental approach to the social, emotional, physical and cognitive growth of each child’s individual abilities, needs, and interests. We follow the “Best Practice” standards of quality care, including ongoing training, health, safety and security, program requirements, room arrangements, and the daily routine care and well-being of each infant enrolled in our program.
Play base is the central building block of Wawanesa Wee Care Inc. that is a child centered program. A child-centered curriculum includes a combination of child-initiated spontaneous play and planned activities designed around children’s interests and needs. Building trust and security, caregivers encourage independence and experimentation. Play provides unlimited possibilities for learning and development and allows infants a combination of exploring new objects, practicing new and familiar skills, opportunities to problem solve, meet new challenges and build language skills. This allows infants to develop to their fullest potential.
Environment: The environment both indoors and out is designed to be a warm, safe, inviting and challenging space for the variety of ages of the infants, and caregivers continually modify the space as each infant grows. Through play and safe exploration the infants learning environment allows them to investigate at their own pace and to use their senses: touch, smell, sight, sound, taste and vocalizing. Everything in the infant’s environment contributes to brain development. Therefore, the infant learning environment is set up to be challenging yet gives opportunity to be successful and also encourages exploration and discovery that is both planned and spontaneous. For example, planned activities usually include holidays such as Christmas, Halloween etc. The indoor environment is decorated accordingly and art activities compliment the holiday. Most of our curriculum is self-chosen free play. The infant program may piggy back on some Preschool themes, such as colours, where the children are asked to wear a particular colour, food is that colour, art activities are that colour etc. Spontaneous activities may include extension of an outdoor walk, for example, discovering a flower, stopping and allowing the children to touch and smell the flower. The opportunities are endless. We have a large outdoor play area with lots of grass and area to explore. They have a large variety of toys to explore and discover while outside. The infants have a quad stroller that they can go on walks around the town with for outings.
Our infant environment is equipped with developmentally appropriate materials and equipment to enable the children to learn and grow. Open ended materials, (such as nesting blocks which can be used for many things; filling, dumping, and stacking and as the child grows they can be used for sorting, car garages, towers, homes for animals etc.) are arranged on low shelves so children can find play materials easily. Open-ended materials are objects or playthings whose use is not predetermined or narrowly limited in action or purpose, example: ribbons, tissue paper, shells, pots, wooden spoons, different types of bottle covers, paper towel rolls, boxes, empty plastic food containers,
blocks, baskets etc. The play space includes opportunities for: gross and fine motor play, blocks, water, sand, creative art, science, imitative or dramatic play, reading and music and movement. In the reading area when we share a book with the children we are helping them develop a close relationship through staff/child bonding experience; language as they learn new vocabulary (words); begins to “read” the pictures to see what is happening; and creativity as he uses his imagination to make up stories on his own. Our science area provides sticks, shells, acorns, and other natural elements that are infant safe.
We provide duplicate play material in each area to support parallel play and avoid waiting times for the children. As a new term begins we put out a variety of toys and open-ended materials. As we observe the children’s interest we expand on that area. Creative play experiences come from the child's interests and abilities. It’s the process that’s important in creative play – what they do, not the product they make in the end.
Staff will sit or lay on the floor to interact with infants while they play and explore to provide them with more learning opportunities. Staff asks questions, label child’s actions, sing songs, read books, all to enhance the child’s play. Through play, children learn how to get along with others. Although young children may not be developmentally ready to “play” with other children, interactive experiences will help set the foundation for future relationships.
We use materials such as music, play food, books, photos, clothing, people, figures and dolls that show a variety of ages, abilities, races, cultures and genders. This exposes children to similarities and differences in a positive way. Visuals, such as posters, pictures, dolls, books, foods, clothing, etc. reflect and represent similarities and differences of ages, abilities, races, cultures and genders in a positive way. Children’s artwork and photos of the children and their families are displayed within easy reach. This comforts the young child when he can see familiar items and faces.
Communication
Language development is particularly crucial during the infant period. We provide many opportunities for infants to engage in meaningful dialogue. We acknowledge and encourage the infants’ forms of communication. Caregivers are alert and tuned in to infant’s cues, providing them with important information for example; when a child is crying we need to determine, is the child hungry, hurt, dirty, lonely, scared or maybe bored! These sensitive and caring actions will help develop a sense of trust between caregiver and infant.
Positive interactions between caregivers and infants during daily routines such as diapering, feeding, napping and playing with peers or staff, helps children learn to communicate and expand their vocabulary. For example; telling the child what is happening around him while performing daily routines and responding to his sounds, words and gestures, lays the foundation for health brain development as well as success learning how to read and write. Throughout the day the infants diapers will be checked every 2 hours and changed to meet individual needs. During a diaper change, give child step by step happenings, “I am going to change your diaper.” “I need to lift you on the change table.” “I need to take down your pants” etc.
Infants benefit most from individualized care and we follow their own schedule for eating, sleeping and playing. Infants are dependent on close, nurturing relationships as the source of positive physical, social, emotional and cognitive growth. Infants learn about their world by observing adult reactions and association with peers. We understand child development and how infants learn and are able to read and respond to their needs and behavior, for example, infants investigate materials with their whole body, placing interesting objects near infants will encourage them to reach, move and explore. As they grow and gain movement a safe, healthy and interesting environment is provided.
We provide opportunities for peer interactions. During the day the children have three meals, the older infants sit at a round table and the infants in the highchairs are arranged in a semi-circle. This enhances social development, by allowing children to become friends and encourages communication and to explore ways of interacting. Throughout the day children are brought together for singing, reading and play.
Because communication is the key to keeping parents involved and aware of their child’s activities and growth while at the center we will provide the following:
* Parents must visit program prior to enrollment, during this visit parents are welcome to share the child’s routines at home.
* Greeting parents upon arrival and departure
* Information board for infant group
* An information sheet for parents to fill out upon child’s enrollment
* A daily sheet tracking each infant’s activities, meals, diapering, sleep and events of the day.
* The opportunity to develop relationships between the caregivers and the families through our daily contact
* Our center’s open door policy which allows parents to visit at any time and spend time in the infant area.
During nap time we stay at a ratio of 1: 4, direct supervision is provided with a staff in the room at all times and sleeping infants get checked in their cribs by staff every 10 minutes. Each infant has their own crib. All cribs are numbered and a list is posted on the wall. All bedding is taken off beds every day when the infants wake up, they are put on their own labeled shelf where they are not touching each other. All bedding and cribs are washed at least once a week or more when needed to meet individual needs.
Ratio is met of 1:4 from 7:30-430, and the infants will mix with the preschool children at the beginning and end of the day, and as they approach 2 years of age to ease with the transition to the preschool side.
We encourage parents to send a healthy lunch and 2 snacks that coordinate with Canada’s food guide for healthy eating. The infants will sit in a semi-circle in order to see each other eating and can communicate with each other. They will each have their own high chair that is low to the ground to promote independence when they get older, so they can get in and out by themselves. When they reach 18 months we will start to transition them to sit at a table to eat.
We are committed to meeting the needs of each individual child. This includes ensuring that each child experiences the full curriculum and strive to make the exploration and play environment a place where the children want to be – where they are comfortable and feel they belong.