Tadpoles

Ages: 12-24 months

Ratio: 1 teacher per 3.5 students

Welcome to the Tadpole room, where each day is a journey of exploration, discovery, and learning. The youngest of the classrooms here at UTCS, the one year olds are encountering immense growth and change as they progress through this exciting year of toddlerhood. From unsteady walkers and crawlers to runners and jumpers, from single word vocabularies to speaking in sentences, from self-feeding with hands to using a spoon, the changes that occur during this year are numerous.

“When we treat children’s play as seriously as it deserves, we are helping them feel the joy that’s to be found in the creative spirit. We’re helping ourselves stay in touch with that spirit, too. It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives.” -- Mister Rogers

We believe that children learn and grow best in a positive, playful, and loving environment. Therefore, our days are filled with fun, active, and meaningful activities with plenty of hugs, kisses, and conversation. Music is a constant in our classroom, from world and classical music, to folk music and circle time. Books are very popular, and especially enjoyable when repeated again and again. Art is definitely a learning process. At first simply an interesting object to explore, a crayon becomes a tool used to create masterpieces. Sensory materials and physical activities, both inside and outside, engage the mind and strengthen the body.