Fleming College

On a Tuesday morning, toddlers and their parents begin to file in a sun-lit multi-purpose room at George Street United Church.

Waiting for the children is a room filled with activity centres – painting, forts, and even an obstacle course.

And waiting for the kids to arrive are 25 Fleming College Early Childhood Educator students, who have diligently prepared the activities. The students have also developed a parent workshop – while the toddlers play with ECE students, the parents (mostly moms) will meet next door.

This is the Toddler Program, run every fall by students in Fleming’s ECE program and overseen by faculty member Mary Lou Lummiss. And it is the only program of its kind in the college system, says Lummiss.

The program runs for eight weeks and has three sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. There are 30 toddlers enrolled and 12 in this Tuesday session.

The students take on three different roles over the eight weeks – student facilitators plan and set-up the activities and interact with the children; documenters watch and photograph the children to create a detailed binder full of stories and photos for parents; and parent facilitators, who talk about the activities the children are participating in (linking it back to child development), and discuss parenting topics.

“I’ve loved the experience of the Toddler Program,” said student Maureen Farris, citing the chance to be a part of the three different teams.

“There are learning opportunities in each role. Some are more challenging than others but I’ve enjoyed all three.

Maureen has two children of her own, aged 9 and 6. She was very familiar with the Toddler Program having taken it with her son.

“It’s one of the reasons I took the ECE program,” she said.

Transitioning to the world of ECE has affected her own experience as a mom. She says she has learned to “let go and be in the moment.”

“You need to provide the experience and let the child lead.”

Similarly, student Becca Ripley is experiencing the Toddler Program as a student and as a parent.

Becca and her daughter are currently enrolled in the Monday session while Becca is facilitating the Tuesday session with her fellow students.

She said the Toddler Program has been a great way to get her daughter interacting with other kids and caregivers.

“I felt she’s come a long way (in eight weeks). She’s connected with her educator and I feel she’s come out of her shell.”

As a student, Becca said she has found the Toddler Program has helped her from a practical, hands-on perspective.

“I’ve learned so much. Being able to get to know the children has been great – they’re all so different. Each week we see a difference from the first week to the last week – it’s amazing.”

The program, which has been running for about 30 years, has evolved over time, said Mary Lou Lummiss.

Social media has been adopted with students setting up private Facebook groups to discuss aspects of the program among themselves. As well, the students have created a Pinterest account with recipes and activities.

A shift has also occurred in the activities offered to the children, said Lummiss, with a move away from plastic items and toys.

“We are bringing in more natural materials to make it more sensory-based.”

This is evident from the play materials: Spaghetti noodles hued with bright aqua food-colouring; shaving cream and cornstarch mixed to create something similar to a sandbox; dress-up costumes complete with a stand-up mirror; a blanket fort with twinkling Christmas lights inside; and finger painting with pudding.

While the children are busy moving throughout the room – interacting one-on-one with the child facilitators – the team of documenters are working intensely just outside the door to put the finishing touches on the toddlers’ binders. The parents will be taking the binders home today as it is the last day of the program.

Next door the parents are taking a bit of a break with a “snowball” fight. Balled up pieces of tissue paper are being thrown back and forth amid laughter. Tables with hot chocolate and snacks are meticulously laid out by the parent facilitators.

Mom Katie Mahood was taking the Toddler Program with her 31-month-old daughter.

“I’ve found it really insightful,” she said. She’s appreciated hearing from others their various methods of handling parenting situations.

“And it’s nice to sit and chat with other moms,” she added.

Following each session of the Toddler Program, the students debrief. They gather to talk and collaborate on what they’ve learned that week.

“On each team there is a lot of peer-led learning,” said Lummiss.

“It’s a uniquely fabricated level of learning. It helps the students see child development in a much deeper and more thoughtful way,” she added.

The program also allows faculty to mentor the students. The students spend five weeks preparing for the program learning teamwork and the roles, responsibilities and effort required.

The students’ work is held to a high standard, said Lummiss.

“We tell them: ‘We are your employer and you’re all on probation. We will treat you as employees.’”

At the end of the session, the parents, toddlers and students gather for a sing-along. The children dance and clap along, laughing and smiling.

“If they’re learning and having a great time, that’s all that matters,” said Becca.

 

 For more information on Fleming’s Early Childhood Education program, please visit: http://flemingcollege.ca/programs/early-childhood-education