Today I met with Braxton's "Toddler Room" daycare teacher for a conference. Here are the questions I asked and her responses:
1.
Is Braxton's development on track for his age? Absolutely. There is no sign of a preemie delay at all. Verbal skills, motor skills, and coordination are all right on track. I have no concerns at all about his development.
2.
How does Braxton interact with the teachers? Great. He is very comfortable with the teachers he knows. After playing with toys he is good at helping the teachers pick up toys and put them away in their proper spot.
3.
How does Braxton interact with the kids? Great. He gets along well with the kids his age and shows empathy when other kids are sad. He is a leader in his class and others follow his lead. In the mornings when he plays with the 4-5 year old kids he runs around and keeps up with all of them.
4.
Does he participate in group activities? Yes. He participates well in groups and he loves music and dancing. He also loves book time and can sit through a story without getting up and walking away (a rare thing at his age). He stays engaged and is good at paying attention.
5.
What is his personality like in the classroom? He is a clown. He thinks he is funny and regularly makes the other kids and the teachers laugh (pretending to trip and fall and laying on the floor laughing). He is very social and willing to give hugs to others. He is also very much a daredevil and will climb up and jump off of anything.
6.
What skills are you working on right now in class that we can practice at home? We are working on "two command" phrases, hopping on two feet, sorting things by color or shape, and using our imaginations. Braxton has mastered all of the key goals for the Toddler One Classroom (drinking from a cup, using silverware, napping on a cot, sitting in a chair at the lunch table, and eating at least half of his food at meals) and he will move on to the Toddler Two Classroom in January when he turns 2 years old.
