We practice kindness. We are not born kind; kindness is learned just as math and reading are learned. Kind people are happier and healthier.
Plum Tree Room
With a maximum group size of 8 infants, our "Sugar Plum Tree" room is designed specifically for young babies with separate crib and play areas.
Each baby is kept on their own individual schedule, and all feedings and changes are recorded daily for parents.
Curriculum in this room focuses on the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development of the infants.
Infants are read to throughout the day.
Music is played regularly.
Focus on large and fine motor skills (sitting up, grabbing objects, crawling)
Language Communication (creates sounds, respond to own name, or object names)
Social skills (cuddling, rocking, playing with toys, interacting with others, mirrors)
Birch Tree Room
At this age children are very curious and eager to explore and figure out how things work.
The curriculum in this room (for up to 8 children) will help to encourage exploration and curiosity. Our emphasis will be on playing, exploring, and cuddling. "If your child is interested and involved in an activity and having fun, they are learning. Formal classes and other activities that push toddlers to learn concepts before they are ready do not help their development or make them do better in school. In fact, they can even make children feel like failures when they are pushed to do something they can't succeed or don't enjoy."
Our daily activities are adapted to their individual readiness.
Recognize themselves in pictures or in the mirror and smile or make faces at themselves
Show intense feelings for parents and show affection for other familiar people
Play by themselves and initiate their own play
Express negative feelings
Show pride and pleasure at new accomplishments
Imitate adult behaviors in play
Show a strong sense of self through assertiveness, directing others
Begin to be helpful, such as by helping to put things away
Evergreen, Maple and Willow Tree Rooms
After careful deliberation and a trial-run, The Growing Tree began mixing up our rooms to include ages 2-5 within a group. The reason for this approach is multifaceted and provides various benefits.
"Mixed age grouping can provide older children with the opportunity to be helpful, patient, and tolerant of younger peers' competencies, and thus give them some of the desirable early experiences of being nurturing that underlie parenting and helping others who are different from oneself. Exposure to older children as nurturers provides young recipients with models of behavior they can emulate when they become the older members of a group. Research on cross-age interaction, peer tutoring, and cooperative learning indicates that an age range of greater than one year can provide a level of intellectual stimulation that supports the development of both intellectual and academic competence. This sort of learning environment is also likely to generate greater social benefits than same-age groups, especially for children who are at-risk in particular social development categories (Katz et al., 1990). This approach is also similar to Montessori or Emilia Reggio.
Thoughtful consideration was made in creating the room assignments. We looked at children's friendships, their behaviors, and their social and emotional wellness.
This approach is a quality initiative. Our goals are to give children the best opportunities for happiness, health, and success in their futures. We feel the mixed-age rooms will help in facilitating our children's wellness and success.
So many great things happen with your two year old. They begin making friends, and demonstrating how capable and independent they can be by doing lots of things for themselves. Children begin to experience themselves as more powerful, creative "doers." They explore everything, show a stronger sense of self and expand their range of self-help skills. Self-regulation is a big challenge. Language development also soars at this age, as children begin to use words to express their thoughts and feelings. Reading together and exploration-play are key components in the programming development for this age. At this age children are learning that their bodies can do "big kid stuff" like dressing themselves with help, drawing, and pedaling a tricycle.
Children at this age begin to speak more clearly and are able to tell stories. Their imaginations begin to run wild. Fantasy and pretend play becomes more important and involved. Children are learning how to control their emotions, and you may notice fewer tantrums.
The Growing Tree will work with the New Glarus Elementary School in efforts to prepare children for when they begin 4-K. We will continue to work on the fundamentals of self-regulation so that children will be socially and emotionally ready to learn. We want children to have the best opportunities for success in school and in their lives.
Hickory and Oak Tree Rooms
The Growing Tree offers before and after school care and summer care for school-aged children. During school months we assist children with homework completion. We offer activities for children that can help them expand their interests and knowledge. We encourage social and emotional well being through structured activities.
The school age programming continues to work on developing quality characteristics. Perseverance; activities will be developed to encourage children to not give up. Curiosity; programs will be offered that will encourage children to explore and learn. Conscientiousness; programming will contain discussions about consequences, self-control, and appropriate behaviors. Optimism; all staff will model positive behaviors. Discussions and examples will be provided on how to learn from any failures or adversity a child faces. We will continue to work on social and emotional balance.