3 under the age of 2

[mommylove]

Hi everyone I'm a new daycare provider and am looking for great ideas for lil one under the age of 2. I am caring for a 11 month old and 1 20 month old and 1 20 month old of my own My daycare kids are amazing well behaved my son is another story lol i need ideas on how to keep them engaged during story time and circle time i find i start to read and 2 minutes later they are off doing there own thing..........

thanks

[Vtorrance]

That is a hard age to keep engaged. I use props/storyboard so the kids have something to do during the story. I find hands on is the best way for them to learn plus it helps keep their focus. Puppets are really good too. Hope this helps!

[Bookworm]

I agree with Vtorrance. Keep it simple, use props, and keep is short. Once they are a bit older then try for longer periods. I have a relatively young group (my oldest kids just turned 2) and they have just started sitting for circle, and then it is only for a few minutes at a time. My younger ones come and go from circle, I don't force them to participate.

[mommylove]

I was just doing research on the net and have found the same, kids under the age of 2 just aren't ready for circle time so instead i will use props, sing songs and if there interested great and if not we will move on. Went to a library program for 0-2 yrs of age it was circle based they read stories and sang songs my son was running around the room and my daycare girl was doing much of the same, decided i wouldn't go back cause it was a lot of work to get there and i felt like the kids were not engaged at all, so i thought maybe if i did it at home with them they'd be more interested.....needl ess to say i have learned another lesson and im sure there will be many more.

thanks ladies

[Spixie33]

You will have the most luck doing a circle time with songs and fingerplays - think Itsy Bitsy Spider and Slippery Fish and Zoom Zoom Zoom. They will love it and stay engaged and learn actions and songs.

For story time at that age - it is better to take them one by one or two at a time on your lap for a board book. They won't last through something long. Something about Dora or Alligator Pie, Going on a Bear Hunt with the actions etc will be fun for them and they will love it.

[playfelt]

Do it when they are in their high chairs having snack. They sit and eat, "trapped" while you read a story. When they are done eating, sing a couple of songs and then let them go.

Mostly I would let circletime as such go until they are older. Kids under two don't understand the concept of sit still so why make them. There will be plenty of opportunity to sing a quick song or do a fingerplay in the middle of play.

For stories stick to board books with only a few words on a page and then leave the book for them to look at on their own or put out a few board books and let them bring them to you when they want them read.

The important thing is to remember the purpose of circletime is basically language/academic lessons and it is one method used - but meant for older kids that have the group social mentality not meant for toddlers.

Instead build the learning into play - count how many cars are in a row, what colour of blocks, make patterns (red, blue, red, blue, ask what comes next). Sing a lullaby as child rocks the dolly. The point is learning needs to be seen as a natural consequence to the child so they will be inclined to willing engage in it and not an external "thing" they do over there in between their real work of playing.

[Stacey55]

I agree with playfelt, I always sit them in booster seat/high chairs and then do my stories, sing songs etc otherwise they are running all over the place and get distracted easily. When one leaves the group the others follow. At that age their attention span is zip.

I found that by the age of 3 their attention span is enough to get through a couple of songs or stories.

[Momof4]

I have a young group and I've been reading the children stories while they eat their meals because I have a 'captive' audience and I start singing songs and bring out the finger puppets and my feltboard with interactive games after I wash them up. It's working because first they learn that what I'm doing is interesting and entertaining. Then after they reach the age of 2 or so when I start to do this type of thing in the toyroom they stop what they are doing and gather around me. It's a learning process for the little ones and it takes patience for us and figuring out how to handle things so they work in a stress-free manner!

But don't let anybody tell you there are rules. Some days I just break into song now and then and we do a couple things then the children go back to playing and a while later we'll dance and sing again. It doesn't have to be structured.