18 - 24 Month Toddler "Curriculum"

  

    I had been looking for a toddler curriculum to go by to teach my 18 month old daughter. (We'll call her "Sugar.")  I needed something that would teach her the basics, but also one that would help her develop her motor skills, practical life skills, and I also wanted it to have sensory activities included.  I couldn't find one that had everything I needed in one.  So I decided to make my own.  This is my daughter's 18-24 month curriculum.  We are not strict about our activities.  If Sugar doesn't want to do an activity, we move on to the next one.  We also don't do it all at once or every day.  It's just something I do with her because I feel like she should be taught these things at her age.

Language    

 ABCs (You can get an ABC chart, like teachers have in classrooms.  You can also get ABC magnets.)

Similar and Opposites

Nursery Rhymes

Reading

Explaining (I am washing your feet.)

Colors

Poems 

Sign Language

Foreign Language  (We teach French)

Naming Objects

Retrieving Named Objects

Math

123s (You can get 123 magnets.  You can also get a chart or make one from flash cards and a poster.)

Counting (you can use pom pom balls, foam stickers, or any kind of manipulative)

Sequencing

 Puzzles

Shapes

Matching Shapes

Fine Motor Skills

Filling and Dumping

Pouring

Lacing (lacing cards)

Shape Sorting

Stacking (Cups, Blocks, Rings)

String Beads or Buttons

 Play Dough

Puzzles

 Blowing Bubbles

Spooning (ice, cereal, beans)

Gross Motor Skills 

Jumping

Stretching

Throwing

Crawling Through and Under

Building Big Blocks

Climbing

Rolling a Ball

Science (Learn About)

Body Parts

Animal Noises

Fish

Birds

Magnets

Animals

Plants

Bugs

Nature (clouds, rain, sky, stars, sun, moon)

Art

Coloring

Painting

Play Dough

Music

Craft Activities (shape pipe cleaners, make holiday crafts)

Chalk

Practical Life Skills (Every Day)

Brushing Hair

Brushing Teeth

Potty Learning

Washing Hands

Wipe Face

Put on/Remove Clothes

Eat with a Spoon/Fork

Throw Things Away

Clean Up Toys

Sensory

Jello and Cookie cutters

Bubbles

Textured Books

Flashlights

Sensory Bins

Play Dough

Finger Painting

Other

Listen to Find Toy (hide a musical toy and get your toddler to look for it)

Use flash cards to teach (if your child will pay attention)

Exercise (We do yoga and pilates.  I let her run around outside.  There are many fun exercises.)

Do a Dots (use bingo markers to make dots on pages. there are print outs on different websites that have Abcs and 123s)

Puzzle Search (Take two or three baby puzzles and take all of the pieces out.  Let the child figure out which piece goes to which puzzle.)

Mixing Colors (Use red, blue, and yellow crayons or paint.  Let your child mix them to find out what color combinations make what colors.)

 Ice Colors (put food coloring and water in ice trays and freeze.  Put water in a sensory bin and place one ice cube in at a time so your child can see color change.)

To make this a little easier, here is a day planned out.

Monday

Go over ABCs and 123s (every day)

Read a Book

Explain (I am washing your feet.)

Nursery Rhyme- Do You Know the Muffin Man?

Listen to some type of music.

Sing a child's song- "Bingo"

Body Parts

Animal- Bird, bird noise

French: Body Parts- Ear (l'oreille), Animal- Bird (l'oiseau), Thank You (Merci), Object- Car (voiture)

Exercise- Baby Yoga

Art-  Coloring

Ice Colors

Stacking Cups

Bubbles

We may not get all of this in one day.  But this is basically what I like to go over. 

It may seem like a lot, but none of this is forced on Sugar and it's all play.   On weekends, she watches Sparkabilities. http://sparkabilities.com/ Sugar has learned a lot from these videos.  She also watches French For Kids Youtube videos.  Don't worry, she watches Kipper too.  Her brain gets a break every now and then haha..