| Infants | Toddlers | Preschool |
6 weeks-12 months
Infancy is a very special time in a child's life. It is a time for developing a sense of trust and emotional security. It is also a time of rapid motor development and change- more so than at any other time in a child's life!
The Wonder Years Learning Center has developed a program especially attuned to the uniqueness of infancy. Our caregivers are nurturing, warm, and reliable. They attend to your infant's individual needs for holding, sleeping, eating, and playing much as you would at home. In addition, a wide variety of sensory and motor experiences are offered for infants to explore at their own pace and developmental level.
Curriculum
Curriculum in infancy is closely tied to individual caregiving and routines for feeding, diapering, holding, and sleeping. Our caregivers are especially attentive to your baby's individual needs. Each day they will provide many one-on-one interactions based upon your baby's development and schedule. In addition, we will provide daily activities designed to facilitate:
Our responsive caregivers, appropriate equipment, and relaxed atmosphere will provide your baby with the support needed to enter the toddler years with a strong sense of trust and a healthy curiosity about the world.
Toddler I: 12-18 months
Toddler II and III: 19-33 month
Toddlerhood is a time of great curiosity and exploration. Children of this age use their newly developed skills of walking, running, climbing, and grasping to discover their widening social and physical world. They are also developing a stronger sense of themselves and the limits of their widening world.
The Wonder Years Learning Center has designed a toddler program with these characteristics in mind. Active exploration and involvement with people and objects provide the cornerstone for all of our toddler programs. Caregivers remain nurturing and supportive while encouraging toddlers to explore their environment and use their newly developed skills, imagination, and creativity.
We have three toddler classrooms. Toddler I is designed for our oldest, mobile infants and youngest toddlers, ages approximately 12-18 months. The staffing has been enhanced with this age group to accommodate their developmental needs, including more one-on-one care and morning naps if needed. Our Toddler II and III classrooms are divided into two age groups, middle and older toddlers.
Curriculum
Toddlers learn best when they feel secure and are offered plenty of opportunities to play, observe, and explore at their own pace. Each day children will experience a relaxed environment with the opportunity to experience a variety of activities designed to facilitate:
These and other activities will provide your toddler with the experiences necessary to encourage a positive sense of autonomy and an eagerness for learning in the preschool years.
Preschool I: 2.9-3.4 years of age
Preschool II: 3.5-4.0 years of age
The Preschool years are a time of great discovery for children. They are eager explorers in their quest to gain a better understanding of their social and physical world. They also relish every opportunity to use their newly acquired gross motor and language skills.
The Wonder Years Learning Center creates environments for preschoolers that invite discovery learning and social interaction. Our experienced staff carefully prepare the environment, then facilitate learning through individual attention to each child's needs.
We offer two preschool classrooms. Preschool I serves our youngest preschoolers 2.9-3.4 years of age. Our staffing has been enhanced in this classroom to accommodate the developmental needs of this transitional preschool group, including more one-on-one attention and toilet training as needed. Preschool II serves our older preschoolers.
Curriculum
We provide a balance of structured and unstructured activities throughout the day. Our daily schedule includes time for free play, large group activities, story time, learning centers, outside experiences. and a host of other activities, Our environment encourages independence and an appreciation of multicultural concepts, while offering a range of developmental activities designed to:
Our preschool program will help children to develop a positive self-concept and to acquire the readiness skills necessary to insure a successful Pre-K experience.
Many older preschool children have developed the cognitive skills required to understand more complex concepts relating to numbers and the written language. Children of this age often display a growing interest in manipulating numbers, learning to write letters and words, and reading. They also are very social! Pre-k children enjoy practicing their many newly-acquired skills with their friends and seek out every opportunity to express themselves and their knowledge of the world through dramatic play.
The Wonder Years Learning Center has developed a program especially for the needs of this age group. While continuing our philosophy of learning through discovery and play, this program provides children with an environment enriched with readiness activities to help prepare them for their entry to more formal schooling.
We offer two pre-k classrooms. Pre-K I serves children 4.0-approximately 4.9 years of age. Pre-K II is designed for our oldest fours, most of which who have already experienced two years of preschool but have missed the cut-off point for entry into kindergarten in their community.
Curriculum
We provide a balance of structured and unstructured activities throughout the day. Our daily schedule includes time for free play, large group activities, story time, learning centers, outside experiences. and a host of other activities, Our integrated curriculum uses a learning center format. Teachers facilitate learning through the use of activities and projects based upon the needs and interests of the children. We also utilize the state curriculum framework for pre-k children to guide our planning. Our environment encourages independence and an appreciation of multicultural concepts, while offering a range of readiness activities designed to:
Our teachers will work with your child individually to encourage a life-long love of learning and sense of competence which will be carried into the kindergarten year and beyond!
The kindergarten year is one in which children learn many vital skills that they will use throughout the remainder of their formal schooling and beyond! Children of this age are curious about everything and are eager explorers. They delight in putting all of their previously acquired skills to the test and actively experiment with their environment to find answers to all kinds of problems. Kindergarteners have an increased ability to remember concepts and strategies, but still learn best through exploring hands-on activities and using their senses.
The Wonder Years Learning Center offers a private developmental kindergarten experience for children, with or without an afternoon child care component. The curriculum has been designed to meet the state curriculum guidelines for this age group as well as those set forth by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The Wilmington School Department has favorably reviewed our program and any child who graduates successfully will be promoted into the first grade. We utilize an integrated approach to our curriculum, emphasizing projects and discovery learning.
Curriculum
We provide a balance of structured and unstructured activities throughout the day. Our daily schedule includes time for free play, morning meeting time, reading, learning centers, outside experiences. and a host of other activities, Our integrated curriculum uses a learning center format. Teachers facilitate learning through the use of activities and projects based upon the needs and interests of the children. Our teachers work one-on-one with each child to help optimize their learning. Our environment encourages independence and an appreciation of multicultural concepts, while offering a range of activities designed to:
Our kindergarten program will provide your child with an opportunity to learn required skills while actively engaging in meaningful and interesting activities. Our teachers will work with your child individually to extend knowledge and strengthen skills. They also will encourage a life-long love of learning and sense of competence in your child that will serve your child well into the elementary school years and beyond!