2s Sample Curriculum

In classes for two-year-olds, the themes are scaffolding for the larger goals of social development (attention to others, language usage, independence, self-help) and sensory exploration (using senses to explore and discover, developing and practicing fine and gross motor skills, beginning the processes of thinking and experimenting). The focus of any theme is to have a concrete launching pad for communication, thinking, and exploring.

Sample Theme: Apples

Circle Activities: Self-Expression, Listening to Others, Group Problem Solving

Look at different types of apples, examining and discussing size, color, texture skin, stem, meat, and seeds.

Reading/Storytime: Theme Development, Reading Appreciation, Print Recognition, Vocabulary Development, Follow the Development of Thoughts and Ideas in Plot Context, Event Memory, Auditory Discrimination

Apple Pie Tree
Ten Apples on Top
Apples & Pumpkins
Farmer Annie
Little Mouse and the Big Red Apple

Music/Movement: Self-Expression, Creative Expression, Music Appreciation

Two Little Apples
Move to Apple Poem

Centers: Theme Extension, Thinking, Practicing Skills, Working Together

(Notes in parentheses describe some of the major developmental tasks that are generally practiced and accomplished within the named center.)

Sensory

apple washing, peeling, mashing
tasting different types of apples and applesauce
washing apples in water table
plant seeds

(develop fine motor strength and coordination, explore attributes and functions of physical materials, opportunities for conversation)

Math

apple puzzles
sorting apples by color/size
floating apples in water table

(opportunities to learn about symmetry, order, and design, to create and repeat patterns, to classify objects by single or multiple attributes, to use logical reasoning)

Cooking

applesauce
apple muffins/bread
(practice following one-step directions, opportunities to discuss nutritional concepts, explore effects of heat and cold on foods, try and appreciate new foods, practice with counting, comparison, and measurement)

Art

making apple stamp pictures
apple collages with tissue paper/glue

(self-expression and creativity, communicate ideas through concrete mediums, develop and control small muscles, construct a design plan and attempt to implement that plan)