It has been several weeks since Lucas joined us in the toddler room fulltime. Although Lucas is sometimes upset during the morning drop-off, he is taking progressively less time to settle into his new environment. During the month of February, we have observed Lucas making great effort to verbally communicate with his educators and peers. When asked where his mother has gone to whilst Lucas is at day care, Lucas has confidently stated “Mummy….work!”
At this point in time, we are placing emphasis on helping Lucas build secure attachments with his educators and peers so he feels safe, secure, and supported in his new room. Consistently throughout the day we gently inform Lucas of the next stage in the toddler routine we are about to enter. For example, just prior to morning tea, we will tell Lucas “We will wash our hands now for some morning tea”. In the afternoon, we will encourage Lucas to source his hat from his bag and locate his shoes for a play out on the outdoor deck area. “Let’s put our hats and shoes on!” we educators will say with enthusiasm. By doing so, we give Lucas the opportunity to sense and response to a feeling of belong, thereby helping to create a smoother transition.
Lucas enjoys engaging in play experiences and will readily seek resources independently. Recently we have observed Lucas, most likely out of excitement, tipping the entire contents of a basket holding Lego, building blocks, or connector toy pieces onto the table or floor. When something else has captured his interest, Lucas will walk away to engage in that activity. As educators, we always encourage children to pack their toys away once they have finished playing with them. This assists in the development of children’s sense of belonging to groups and communities. As we guide and assist Lucas to pack away his toys, we help him to develop an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active community participation. That is, we pack away because we respect our play environments, and because we want to return it in its original state for the next user. Lucas is gaining a better understanding of the need to pack away, and this was demonstrated during one Thursday afternoon in the toddler room.
“Lucas, let’s pack away!” the educator said with enthusiasm.
Some of the children began singing the ‘pack-away song’, a tune often sung in the nursery rooms to encourage children to return their toys to their right locations.
Lucas’ ears pricked up at the sound of this familiar song and he smiled. He then proceeded to pick up some of the toys scattered across the floor and return it to its right basket on the shelf.
“Great job, Lucas!” the educator praised.
Following this encouragement, Lucas fastened his pace of collecting toys off the floor. When he and all the children finished packing away their toys, their educator asked the children to look around their toddler room.
“Look how tidy our room looks now!” she exclaimed.
It was wonderful to witness Lucas recognising that he, as a member of the toddler room, needed to assist his educator and peers in the packing away of resources. As educators, we display encouragement and enthusiasm for children’s attempts. By transferring and adapting his knowledge from his nursery room, we can help Lucas develop a confident self-identity in his new toddler environment. Our intention is to further develop Lucas’s emerging autonomy and inter-dependence, and will actively work on this with him throughout the day.
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