Bringing whole child learning to life
At Toddler’s Den, we have designed our own approach to teaching & learning inspired by global best practices - IB PYP, Reggio Emilia, Montessori. Children are active participants in their learning and are provided with engaging opportunities to co-construct knowledge and express their ideas and thoughts.
Hear from our parents
Shachi Dalal
Tanya Corbule
Our pedagogical philosophy is inspired by the IB PYP, Reggio Emilia Approach, and the Montessori Method. Our whole child development framework is defined around 4 guiding principles and focuses on the development of 8 key foundational skills in children.
Math
- Using number concepts and operations
- Describing spatial relationships and shapes
- Comparing and Measuring
- Exhibiting knowledge of patterns
Language and Literacy
- Listening to and understanding increasingly complex language
- Using language to express thoughts and needs
- Using appropriate conversational and other communication skills
- Demonstrating phonics skills and word recognition
- Demonstrating knowledge of the alphabet
- Demonstrating writing skills
Physical Development
- Demonstrating traveling skills
- Demonstrating balancing skills
- Demonstrating gross motor manipulative skills
- Demonstrating fine motor strength and coordination
Cognitive Development
- Demonstrating positive approaches to learning
- Remembering and connecting experiences
- Using classification skills
- Using symbols and images to represent something not present
Social-Emotional Development
- Regulating own emotions and behaviors
- Establishing and sustaining positive relationships
- Participating cooperatively and constructively in group situations
The Arts
- Exploring the visual arts
- Exploring dance and movement concepts
- Exploring drama through actions and language
- Listening to and discriminating between difference in sounds
Social Studies
- Demonstrating knowledge about self
- Showing basic understanding of people and how they live
- Exploring changes related to familiar peoples or places
- Demonstrating simple geographic knowledge
Science and Technology
- Using scientific inquiry skills
- Demonstrating knowledge of the characteristics if living things
- Demonstrating knowledge of physical properties of objects and materials
- Demonstrating knowledge of Earth’s environment
- Using tools and other technology to perform tasks
Learning through play-based inquiry
We believe that children learn best when they can inquire into areas of their interest through meaningful interactions with adults and peers. Engaging young children through play-based inquiry helps create a natural love for learning in them. At Toddler’s Den, educators embed opportunities for learning through play - indoors and outdoors, through structured and unstructured play. Play helps children build strong communication skills, self regulation, social skills, persistence, creativity and problem-solving skills.
Rich literacy and math experiences
They are more so important in today’s world that is driven by collaboration, communication, science and technology. At Toddler’s Den, we have moved away from worksheets and other methods involving rote learning for developing these skills. Instead our literacy and math programs are integrated in all aspects of a child’s time in the school, all throughout the day. We have dedicated Math and Literacy time in the day for problem-solving and math-based inquiry and developing phonics, reading and speaking skills.
Making thinking and learning visible
Therefore educators at Toddler’s Den constantly strive towards encouraging children to express, share, and perform their understanding. They document information about children’s learning through notes, photos, video and voice recordings, and interactions with children. Educators put together Learning Stories, which are rich records of children and their understandings, as observed by educators, throughout the school time.Our learning ecosystem comprises an educator portal and app through which snapshots of learning journeys are created by educators and parents are able to access them through the family app.
Building responsive relationships
It is the role of the educator to facilitate positive relationships between the adults and children involved in the classroom. Our educators focus on creating supportive social structures that underlie every interaction and learning experience at Toddler’s Den. These supportive social structures reduce problem behavior and create conditions for competent behavior in children.