At the Austin Children’s Academy, our primary mission is to nurture and guide your children through developmental milestones in a safe, loving, and stimulating environment. To this end, we offer classrooms dedicated to particular age groups, full of toys targeted to the appropriate developmental stage, lovingly supervised by teachers alert to your child’s individual needs. We want your infant or toddler to feel safe, loved, and confident in their new home-away-from-home, so that they will venture forth to explore, experiment, and excel.
At ACA, we offer two programs based on age.
Infants 3 Months To 18 Months
During this critical year-and-a-quarter of life, your child will arrive as a napping baby and graduate as a bright and active young toddler. The main goal of the infant program is to encourage a sense of independence, curiosity, and confidence as they grow and learn. Monitored by two trained caregivers, our classrooms offer a wealth of sensory stimuli to encourage your child–literally–to take the next step.
Here’s a sampling of the developmental stages monitored during the program:
- Motor Skill Development. Your child will advance from rolling over to walking, from pulling a toy to using a spoon.
- Language Skill Development. Your child will grasp effective non-verbal communication (such as pointing at something) as well as the use of a dozen words or more.
- Cognitive Development. Your child will learn to follow simple commands, answer basic questions, scribble or draw, and engage in some basic imaginative play.
- Social Development. Your child will begin handing toys to other children and developing preferences for caregivers.
Toddler 18 Months To 3 Years
Toddlers of this age, though a bit unsteady on their feet, are little whirling dervishes! It’s our mission to give them plenty of space to run, jump, and climb in our outdoor areas so they can perfect those gross motor skills. Inside the classroom, we offer specially crafted toys to encourage small motor skills like buttoning, tying, and zipping, as well as to enhance understanding of mathematical concepts, developing language, and pre-reading in preparation for preschool.
Some of the developmental advancements monitored in this program include:
- Motor Skill Development. Mastery of climbing, running, and stairs as well as being able to dress oneself.
- Language Development. Learning to follow two-stage directions, carry on short conversations, and speaking clearly enough to be understood by strangers.
- Cognitive Development. Engagement in some imaginative play, pattern and color recognition, some basic counting.
- Social Development. The patience to take turns, show empathy, and effectively express a wide range of emotions.
Interested in one of our early childhood programs? Call the Austin Children’s Academy and arrange for a tour. Once you visit our facilities and talk to our Montessori-certified teachers, we’re sure you’ll see that ACA provides one of the best baby and toddler programs in North Austin.
