Education and Policy, Life, Teacher Tips, Team Spotlight Common Ground Education and Policy, Life, Teacher Tips, Team Spotlight Common Ground

Learning Begins at Birth: Infant Curriculum

We have written quite a lot about how are preschool teachers are not just “babysitters.” They are early childhood professionals who give your kid a whole-body, play-based learning experience. We have seen time and time again that our approach encourages our students to be confident, independent learners who have a leg up when they begin kindergarten!

Now it is time to give our infant and toddler teachers credit where credit is due. They are phenomenal, educated, practiced professionals at their trade, and they are giving your babies an enriching childhood experience.

No Small Matter is an eye-opening documentary all about how early REAL LEARNING truly begins. We talk about this a little in our Conscious Discipline Spotlight, but essentially children start looking to you for guidance at birth.

Our teachers are constantly talking to our tiniest students. They are singing. They are describing everything they’re doing. They are making that uninterrupted eye contact and responding to any attempt at communication. All of these things are helping build essential those neural pathways for learning.

Here are some examples of how our infant teachers do lessons through play.

Songs with colorful pictures help associate words with tangible objects.

Coloring and themed sensory play help with fine motor work!

Coloring with chalk is perfect for cause and effect with fine motor work.

Animals and weather velcro gloves help with cause and effect and word association!

Playing outside in every weather helps with sensory, self-regulation, attention, and physical fitness.

Our little explorers learn so much, and it is a joy to watch. Don’t you wish you were here?

Love, Love, Love,

Your Common Ground Family

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GIVE TIME: Fill out this Department of Education survey!


Dear Families,

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), and the University of Virginia are conducting the 2020 Virginia Survey of Families with Young Children. The purpose of this survey is to better understand children’s care and/or education experiences during COVID-19.

Please take few moments to complete this survey by January 25th: vafamilysurvey.info  

The purpose of this survey is to better understand children’s care and/or education experiences during COVID-19. 

  • All Virginia families of young children, birth through kindergarten, can take the survey. 

  • The survey will take about 10-15 minutes and is voluntary. 

  • The survey is available online in English or Spanish. 

  • Families can take it on their phone, tablet, or computer using the link above. 

  • All information from this survey is anonymous. The survey does not ask families for their names or their programs’ names. 

  • The survey is about their children’s care and/or education experiences during COVID-19. 

  • The survey is not about evaluating any program. 

Please make sure to share this this post with every Virginia resident that you know that had a young child, birth through kindergarten so that we can help the VDOE, VECF, and UVA gather this information.

Thank you so much for your help and participation on this!

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