As the infant nears his sixth month of life, he is suddenly discovering his own sense of power. He is no longer totally helpless and vulnerable. He has magically become a “doer,” and he begins to revel in the fact that his actions have consequences. He delights in seeing the cause and effect of his yet-to-be refined movements. The awareness that he has the power to manipulate his environment inevitably results in increased activity and mobility. This is a major step toward independence and calls for a whole new environment to meet his changing needs.
The Nursery II environment has been especially designed to meet the needs and tendencies of the child of approximately 6 to 12 months of age, which include sensorial exploration, movement and language acquisition. As the child endeavors to gain control over his own abilities and to exert control over his environment, it is our task to support his quest for independence. This may be accomplished in three simple steps. First, we must set in place an environment which promotes independence; then, we must entice the child to actively interact with his environment. Finally, we must balance our desire to help the child and to keep him safe with the knowledge that non-interference is extremely important in the child’s quest for independence.
This class allows for the greatest degree of freedom and movement enabling the infant the fastest development of motor skills and independence. In addition, this program provides equipment designed specifically to facilitate gross motor activities, eye-to-hand coordination, and refinement of fine motor skills. Lastly, Nursery II classroom contains handcrafted furniture designed for the child’s safety and freedom.
As the child masters his new-found sensorial and movement skills, his needs begin to change and, depending availability, he is slowly oriented to Movement I.
