Amherst Community Church Child Care Center

Three-Year Olds

Our Three-Year Old Room is a busy place! It is staffed with a teacher-to-child ratio of 1 to 7. Once a child is three, it is amazing how much they know and are capable of. They surprise us with the level of independence that they have mastered.

Threes want to show off the fact that they can do things on their own and that an adult did not have to assist them in any way. In the three-year old room, we expect a certain level of independence. The children no longer are carried, they dress and undress by themselves, begin to serve themselves for snack and lunch, and pick up their toys. They have mastered many social skills although they may still need gentle reminders. They love the fact that they have friends and want to spend every moment with their friends. Play has changed for three-year olds -- they play with others and there is give and take.

The threes have begun the fine dance of social development. The children are open to having others in their play. The art of give and take, using words, and waiting turns has begun to take place in the development of friendships. The children acknowledge their friendships. At times, they may hurt a friend's feelings with their words and actions, but that is because they are still learning about their friends' feelings. The children are given plenty of "free play" time to learn these valuable lessons by playing with each other.

Emotional development is also growing strong. They are beginning to understand and control their own feelings. They are starting to recognize that their actions may directly impact others' feelings. They tend to understand what can make their friend feel better after a spat, but they may not always do this without the direction of a kind teacher. They continue to test limits but do expect someone to give guidance.

The three year-olds are also given the opportunity to continue their physical development. They have mastered many tasks such as walking, running, jumping, galloping, standing on one foot, and maybe even hopping on one foot. The children's hand/eye coordination is beginning to develop. They can catch and throw a ball in some cases. The children spend time each day in the Large Muscle Room, where they can climb and jump, and whenever the weather permits, take walks and play outside in the new playground.

The continuing development of fine motor skills is also encouraged. Many can use a writing grip on their crayons and maybe even a pencil. They are able to make marks and may even have enough control to form shapes and a letter or two. The children are developing the muscle control to use scissors and will be able to cut paper, although they cannot yet follow a line. The daily art activities in the three year-old room give the children the opportunity to practice new skills such as tracing, cutting, and gluing, and to express themselves through coloring and painting.

Cognitive skills are skyrocketing with the threes. The children question everything. They want to know why, why, and why some more. Then they need to repeat what they have learned and tell everyone over and over. The activities our teacher plans will be kept simple and hands-on. Some basic concepts will begin to be introduced. Real/make believe, opposites, and numbers 1-10 are mastered (names of numbers, how many equals that number). Letter names, shapes, colors, and sounds are also taught. The teacher will continue to expose the children to various areas such as animals, insects, community helpers, and basic time (days of the week, seasons, and morning vs. afternoon vs. evening). Each child will develop these concepts over the course of the year, keeping in mind that learning is sequential and exposure and hands-on learning that has meaning to a child is ever so important.

Amherst Community Church Child Care Center
77 Washington Highway, Amherst, New York 14226

Telephone: 716.834.9701 ~ Email: info@accccc.org