A Typical Day

I to I follows a schedule that mixes structure with flexibility, providing educational opportunities while encouraging creativity. Singing songs between activities helps signal day transitions and provide order. A typical day looks like this:

9:00  Free/Interactive Play: An opportunity to see your child as an individual and to watch how they interact with other children and adults. During this time, children learn by playing, painting, completing thematic projects or just bouncing around. This is an opportunity to learn and practice the concepts of sharing, patience, cooperation, listening.

9:50 Clean up Time: While singing the “clean up” song, parents encourage children to pick up after themselves and return toys to their designated shelves and bins.

10:00 Circle Time: Member parents bring out the circle time carpet, and while singing the “Roll Out the Rug” song, help the children unroll it. Circle usually opens with a hello song, such as “Old Shoes, New Shoes” or “Willaby, Wallabe, We,” and ends with the “Goodbye Circle.” Each member parent takes a turn leading the children through simple songs, nursery rhymes, finger plays and stories.

10:15 Snack/Announcement Time: Member parents help the children wash up and help distribute snacks purchased by I to I. While the children are quietly eating, the Day Assistant will open the floor for announcements and to discuss member concerns.

10:30  Free Play/Discussion: Parents serving as day assistants supervise fee play, while remaining parents participate in a discussion led and monitored by alternating member parents. Children are given an opportunity to use the riding toys, jump on a trampoline or take turns on the indoor slide. This is a good time to help ease parent/child separation anxiety. I to I highly recommends a quick goodbye and allowing Day Assistants to judge if and when the parent should return for a child during discussion. If you are called out of discussion, please invite an assistant to take your place in discussion. 

11:20 Clean-up Time: While singing the “clean up” song, parents encourage children to clean up after themselves and return smaller toys to their designated shelves and bins and riding toys to the closet.

11:30 Goodbye Song & Closure