Infant Room
The babies in our Infant room are from 8 weeks to 15 months old. Four teachers, as well as Early Childhood student teachers, develop the program and care for our infants. The Infant Room is unique in that we individualize each baby's program to focus on specific needs and wants of each young person. Our Infant Specialists create an atmosphere of warm, responsive care where your baby will grow and develop to his/her fullest potential. Our infants experience smiles, singing & stimulating interactions throughout their day. Independence is encouraged at each stage of development and soon infants are feeding themselves at our small table and painting pictures with brushes, fingers and toes. We encourage visits from family members anytime during the day. One of our goals is to work closely with mom & dad helping each infant progress with confidence throughout this very important first stage in their life.
Tiny Tots
The Tiny Tots are a small group of no more than 8 children ages 15 months to 2 years. Two teachers as well as SUNY Early Childhood student teachers develop their program and provide care for these Tots.They are a busy little group who has mastered the art of walking and are now running and climbing everywhere & everything. Large motor equipment is provided to encourage the development of those large muscles. Repetition is a must. weather it is a story or song or dance. Tiny tots like to do things again & again & again... Activities provided encourage that repetition which leads to the acquisition of language, rhythm, cooperation, awareness of others, exploration and security. Tiny Tots are in awe of the world around them. Everything is a discovery and makes them want to investigate more & more & more... It is fun here because our teachers understand how new the world is for these young tots and they create an environment rich in experiences that encourage discovery and exploration.
Toddlers
Our older toddlers, ages 2 year to 3 years, have a lot of energy and enjoy continuous ACTION! The atmosphere is a little louder & busier than the younger groups. The world is still very new to them and they are very curious. The toddler teachers, like the Tiny Tot teachers, provide a program rich in exploration. Discovering the wonders of nature is encouraged. They enjoy visiting the barns and seeing baby animals. While outdoors teachers encourage exploration of bugs and worms and plants. Small hand coordination is enhanced while squeezing play dough, silly putty, ooblick and the many other icky mixtures created with their teachers. Socialization is in its infancy. Each child is guided by our teachers, individually as well as through stories, songs and activities, as they progress & integrate this very important skill. Their favorite words are MINE and NO.
Preschool
Our children begin pre-school at approximately 3 years old and stay with us until they are about five. The time between is filled with social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth. The pre-school room is designed to attract, stimulate & encourage involvement for individual children or small groups of children. The pre-school child has developed sophisticated language that can now be substituted for action. An important aspect of our program is conflict resolution. At this stage children can verbalize their wants and their feeling. It has been our experience that by the time some of our children are 5 year olds they will help younger children problem solve. Pre-schoolers are active learners and want to be "doing". Although they are developing longer attention spans, for the most part, they are on the move. Our teacher's goal is to develop the pre-school program based on the interests of the children.
We are fortunate to be based here at SUNY Cobleskill and can offer these young inquisitive minds the opportunity to explore the resources of our entire campus.
School Age
Our school age children come to us each day from Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School. The bus arrives each day at approximately 3:15. Upon arrival their teacher meets them and they enter their room for a nutritious snack. The room is set up with a lego area, various games, projects, art material, a block area and an area available for children to do home work if they wish. The children discuss with the teacher what they would like to do and she tries to plan her program according to their interests. They also have a gym and outdoor area for their use. Although many are very tired at this time of the day; their choice is to be outside playing.
Some of the children in our school age program have been with us since they were infants!
