We're well into Week 2 of the programme. This week, we have teacher Safina leading the class and the theme is "Beach Babies". There are quite a number of people whom we know in this week's programme (some of us signed up together in fact) so it was great to see everyone and their babies.
Last week Ryan was spending a lot of time sticking close to me, observing everything. This week, right off the bat, I can see that he fully understands the activities and he knows what he is supposed to do. He knows where the toys are kept, he knows he has to sit down and be quiet for storytime (he loves storytime), he knows that he needs to take the lid off his bowl before he is served his snack and that he should sit down in his chair at the table while eating it, he knows that he should tap tap tap the magic box and that he must wait his turn to do so, he knows that he can play with the keyboard but only after class is over, he knows that the cushions can be jumped on after class, he knows that after snack time is playground time and that there's lots of good stuff in the playground (cars! swimming pool! sandbox!). I was actually a little surprised because I didn't teach him or tell him any of this. I usually sit back, give him a hug and a kiss if he needs it (or I need it!), let him sit in my lap if he wants to and of course sing along and do the actions in the songs. So it is pretty amazing to see how a little toddler can learn so much and so fast just by observing and absorbing his environment.
Today was "swimming" again and it was wonderful that the babies this week were more interested in the water so Ryan had some company in the pool. He was still the last one out though. He didn't want to leave so we were out there by ourselves for quite some time. I lifted him out after a while but he kicked up a fuss. All the "Let's go, Ryan" and "It's music time, Ryan" and "Everyone else has gone in, Ryan" wasn't working. Then I remembered all the stuff I've been reading and applying what I read, I asked him (as he was trying to climb back into the pool), "Let's go and sing some songs, do you want to sing Old MacDonald Had A Farm or do you want to sing Skinnamarinky Dinky Dink?" and to my surprise, he agreed to follow me back to the classroom. I didn't even have to hold his hand and drag him. Amazing. I have to remember that approach!
Here are some shots of him stuffing himself with cookies just before sand play yesterday.
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