New to teaching two year olds???

Question

i work at a daycare...and ive been with infants..and branching out...and going with two year olds...but i'm going with no idea...cold turkey...i dont have a clue..i've seen some things online...but theres only so much i can do..i've got activites but some deal with corn syrup and sugary stuff...like eatable clay..its to sugary for them..i've been trying to find things online..like books on curriculum etc..and i cant seem to have much luck for twos...i'm going with a letter a week? and have things surrounding the letter..like eat apples for a snack...color an apple...i saw a project on painting break and toasting it..so i thought that would be good for t...i'm lost though....any help??

Answer 1

I would wait until they turned three!

Answer 2

I am going to be teaching the two's at a Preschool this year.  It is my first time with the 2's.  I have taught 4's and helped with 3's.  One thing I am finding out is that curriculum for 3's and 4's is too much for two year olds.  The activities are too involved.  The 2's need something really simple.  For the first week, I'm not planning much.  I think getting used to the room and being without their Mom is a big enough challenge.  Keep in mind, I am at a Preschool, and not a daycare, so the kids I'm seeing will not be used to being dropped off yet.  For the first month, my theme will be "God Made Me" (we are a Christian Preschool)- first we will talk about eyes (for a whole day or maybe a week), then hands, then feet, etc.  I have found some books I really like- I agree they are not easy to find.  Here are the ones I like.  You can get them on Amazon.com or try looking at your local library:

MaryAnn Kohl is the author of many art books, including "Scribble Art",  "First Art", and "Preschool Art".

The Toddler Calendar by Elaine Commins

Toddler Art by Susan Hodges (Totline Publications)

Toddler Theme-A-Saurus by Jean Warren

The Complete Resource Book for Toddlers and Twos

by Pam Schiller

Answer 3

Two year olds are busy but a blast!  Keep things simple, I would suggest a theme a month.  For example August is water, we are doing everything water, week one is things that live in water.  Week two playing with water, water table, sprinkler etc.  Week three what floats and sinks in water...and so on.

They also enjoy simple changes to things they already know.  They love to paint, so add sand to their finger paint, add shaving cream, etc.  A new twist to what they know.

Best of luck

Answer 4

the theme idea is a great one!

we do themes at the daycare I work at as well. Except that we do weekly themes, because if you do themes for too long the kids can get bored of them.

This week is bug week. We've went around and did bug hunts (although these are preschoolers...we didn't really take the 2 year olds out). But we made bug bracelets. We took coffee filters and let them color them and then had then decorate a pipe cleaner with fruit loops and then we scrunched the middle of the coffee filter up so it looked like butterfly wings and we wrapped the pipe cleaner around enough so it makes a bracelet.

There are so many things you can do with themes. You can do things outside (like the bug hunt or a nature walk or water activities). You can have them color pictures dealing with that theme. Do various projects. Read books to them that have to do with that theme. All of our books this week have dinosaurs and bugs in them. I remember one time we had all the circus ones out.

Anyway...I really liked the theme idea that the other person mentioned.