Koala

At this age toddlers are walking with greater balance, running everywhere and climbing everything. Jumping is the exciting new skill at this age with two feet together, and of course hanging with two hands and arms together.

For some, speech is developing, while others are still perfecting their motor skills. Toddlers are beginning to understand descriptive words, such as ‘big’ and ‘little’, and concept words such as ‘over’ and ‘under’. Linking the word to the movement really embeds the concept in the mind. These concepts are important for later writing skills – to write a letter you need to move the pencil up, down and around to create the required shape.

Toddlers can now follow two commands in a row. In the KindyROO class everything is now geared to introducing and strengthening the toddler’s ability to follow two commands in all activities possible – i.e. collect a puffa ball and sit on it.

We continue to sing well-known nursery rhymes, or songs from the programme CDs. This is the stage at which we introduce rhythm sticks, as we not only use them for rhythm, but for fine motor work. The development of the fine motor muscles of the hands and fingers comes after the gross motor stage of the bigger muscles of the body that enable us to walk upright.