Toddler Experience

Life in the Toddler classroom begins at 8:35.

The door closes and, for the next 190 minutes, MSR’s youngest greet friends, select their works, and go. They may choose to create art or work puzzles, serve themselves a snack, measure, pour, go for a walk, or—perhaps the most important of all—practice patience. They are exploring their world and learning how they—as real people, not babies—fit into it. They are our toddlers, children so young age is still measured in months, and they are busy.

The Real World
You may be surprised the first time you look into one of our Toddler classrooms. There’s no plastic, no bright primary colors, and no pictures of flying dogs. Everything is real, natural, and tiny. Everything invites a conversation.

What’s important? “Language, language, language,” Susan Gray, Toddler II co-director said. “We do what we call ‘sportscasting.’ For example, when a child is painting we might say, ‘I see you’re using a lot of colors.’ ”

Indicating a picture of a crying baby, Toddler III Director Caryn Collins adds, “Or we would say, ‘Look at her face. Does she look happy?’ ”

Development
“With this age child, everything is ‘real.’ The imagination develops later,” Cathy Bocklage, Toddler IV Director, explains. This is why real things—plants, dishes, art materials—are present in the classroom and vibrant, squishy, stuffed animals are not. Cathy adds, “If we talk about something, we bring a real example and let the children experience it. There’s no plastic for them to play with, because that’s not real.”

“Another thing: You won’t see six dolls here or six sets of anything,” Judy Goff, Toddler I director, explains. “We teach patience and waiting to take a turn.” In this situation, where ‘sharing’ can lead to a false sense of entitlement, ‘patience’ guides them to conflict resolution.

The Guides Confess
Ask our Toddler Directors and Assistants to describe what they do and you’ll hear words such as advocate, observe, and guide. Ask them why they do it and their words reveal not only a profound respect for the children but insights and daily cause for celebration.

“It feels really good when a little child ‘gets’ the work cycle for the first time,” Shelley Cruse, Assistant in Toddler IV said. “When you see him go get the work, complete it, and put it away.”

Elaine Rogers, Toddler II Co-Director, described a three-year-old child in her class who helped one of the youngest. “The youngest child has trouble pushing the button on the water cooler and the older child has started helping. First, he helped by getting water. Now he is teaching how to press the button. At age three not only is he learning to teach but to have empathy and recognize when someone needs something.”

“These are little people,” Shelley added. “And when a two-year-old child sees a younger child crying and the two-year-old says, ‘Let me read a book to you,’ you get a glimpse of the people they will become.”

These are little people. And when a two-year-old child sees a younger child crying and the two-year-old says, “Let me read a book to you,” you get a glimpse of the people they will become. —Toddler Directress