Toddler Bees - 18 months- 2.5 Years(approximately)

Miner Bees

 What to expect when you first visit the Beehive

The environment

 Colourful, attractive and stimulating.

Walls are decorated with colourful displays, including examples of the children's work connected with the current topic.

Staff

 Between the ages of 2 to 5 the ratio of staff to children is one to eight. Beehive Kindergarten staff are experienced and trained to deliver the Foundation Stage Areas of Learning.

 All Beehive Supervisors are qualified to NNEB, DCE or NVQ3 standard and have experience of working with children aged up to eight years.

 We are fortunate to have a pianist among our staff and  at least half an hour each session is devoted to music, song, dance or joining in with the children's musical instruments. It seems that in some areas the old traditional nursery rhymes (our childhood heritage) are being allowed to die out, so we are doing our best to keep them alive. We also endevour to practice Manx songs/rhymes and other songs/rhymes in foreign languages.

The routine

 Beehive Kindergarten follow birth to three curriculum for our children under three.

 From the moment children arrive; there will be a real choice of activities set out with materials that vary throughout the year.

 The Minor Bees have a large range of resources set out in an attractive and varied way.

They will always include:

 • Sand and water

• Book corner

• Role Play area

• Writing table

• Maths area

• Outdoor play

• Art and Craft section

• Construction area

• Small World toys

• Science area

• Music

Children will learn through a combination of planned activities, play and first hand experiences.

Developmental Stages

 We realise that children in this age group can develop at very different rates, we view each child as an individual and provide an appropriate programme of play and activities for your child's needs. We strive to provide extra help for children who may need it, and provide new challenges for those who have already reached their goals.

Milestones for this age group include

 Our children at this stage are very active and learning so much about the world around them. As the toddlers gains greater body control they can manipulate smaller objects by fitting them together and pulling them apart and can hold paint brushes, crayons and chalk with greater dexterity.

The "terrible twos"

 Imaginative play is also developing and the toddlers are learning to interact with peers. The concept of sharing and taking turns is not easy to grasp and can lead to some frustration...!

 The "terrible twos" are finding their own identity and at this stage especially it is important that acceptable behaviour is clearly identified for them. As ever, consistency in all settings is vital for your child to feel happy and secure.

Language Skills

 Language skills are developing quickly, from a few words to full sentences. Active participation in story telling and singing helps this process and the stories get longer as the children develop concentration.

 Our nursery staff spend important time listening to our children, encouraging them to speak in correct sentences and gradually expanding their vocabulary.

 They are also starting to understand numbers and recognise more colours.

 Toilet training is a 3 stage process, with no set age for start or completion as each child develops at his /her own pace.

Children With Different Needs

 Children with special needs will find themselves a respected and valued member at the Beehive. They follow the same curriculum, but with all the extra help they need to learn at their own pace. Other children in their company will be encouraged to help but not patronise them, and to be understanding without being over protective. Activities will be structured to allow them to be as fully involved as possible.

Minor Bees Routine

 8.00 We welcome the children as they arrive at the nursery and encourage them in various 'settling' activities such as jigsaws, games, home corner, dressing up, sand and water

 9.00 Circle time

 9.30 Activities We go into the garden with the children for outside activities.

 Free play

 10.30 We all join in with rhymes, songs and music, we go to the toilet and wash our hands

 11.00 Everyone sits down to a nutritious and tasty lunch

 12.00 We go into the garden with the children for outside activities

 The children take part in practical activities in order to develop their creative skills and their understanding of the world

 2.15 Action rhymes and singing

 2.30 Tea time

 4.00 Circle time.

 As parents arrive, we give them informal feedback on their child's activities during the day

 6.00 Beehive closes for the day

Weekly Activities

 All areas of the curriculum are covered by our activities every day, often with a particular focus on one of them.

 Because we recognise that young children do not learn in tidy subjects, we believe that the most effective way of learning is through a topic. Each topic is carefully planned to cover all the six areas of learning in order to meet the requirements of the Early Learning Goals.

 Throughout the year, activities are linked with special days, such as Christmas, Easter, Mothering Sunday and Bonfire Night. We also celebrate festivals from other countries and cultures, like the Chinese New Year, giving the children an opportunity to learn about other cultures and even to cook the food they eat. Close observation and knowledge of the children means that we can tailor activities to meet the needs of each different child.

Daily topic-related activities are chosen from the wide resources available in all our Kindergarten:

 • Sand and water

• Imaginary play

• Art and Craft

• Construction building

• Outdoor play

• Small world toys

• Music and movement

• Physical play

 As well as the range of activities we offer each day, children at the Beehive have the opportunity to go out in our Bumble busses on visits to:

 • Farm

• Cooil Ny Marrey residential home to deliver harvest baskets to the elderly

• Wildlife Park

• The Beach

• Onchan pleasure park

• We also sometimes get visitors coming to us, such as:

• Visits from police and firemen

Monitoring Progress

 At the Beehive parents can expect various reports on their child's progress. The main one is the ongoing Record of Achievement, but we also provide a variety of other regular formal and informal feedback to you:

 By keeping regular written reports of each child's activities and progress and sharing these with the parent, we can identify each child's needs and what learning activities should be available to them.

Record of Achievement

Every child at The Beehive has a Record of Achievement, covering every aspect of his/her intellectual, physical and social development. Records of Achievement are updated every four weeks, giving staff the opportunity to gear activities to the needs and abilities of individual children. Records of Achievement are always available for parents to look at.

The Record of Achievement highlights various milestones in a child's development. It gives staff as well as parents the opportunity to chart the progress of a child as well as helping to identify any area where further support may be required.

Typical milestone events for Minor Bees include:

Taking turns in a group activity

 • Making up stories and imaginary situations

• Writing his/her name

• Playing with and working with numbers up to 10

• Describing shapes

• Controlling a computer mouse

• Using scissors

• Identifying instruments by their sound

• Entering into dialogue about their own creations

Informal observations are carried out on a daily basis.