Growing Together: Continuous Learning at Tiny Hoppers

At Tiny Hoppers, learning isn’t just for the children—our educators are constantly learning too!

This month, our staff meeting focused on program planning and curriculum development. As a team, we explored ways to enhance our lesson planning and create meaningful, engaging experiences that encourage children to learn through play.

One of the topics we discussed was how to take a simple activity and extend it into a richer learning experience. For example, a sensory activity with oobleck can become an early literacy experience by adding letters for children to discover and identify as they explore. By making small additions, educators can support multiple areas of development while keeping activities fun and exciting.

We also talked about scaffolding and extending children’s interests. In one of our preschool classrooms, educators read the story Rainbow Fish and then created a collaborative literacy activity. Children rolled a letter dice and matched the letters to a large Rainbow Fish display, placing colourful stickers on the corresponding fish scales. This activity combined storytelling, letter recognition, turn-taking, and teamwork in an engaging and meaningful way.

Staff meetings provide an opportunity for educators to share ideas, learn from one another, and collaborate on new approaches that support children’s growth and development. Previous meetings have focused on strengthening communication within the centre, including educator-to-educator communication, educator-to-office communication, and building strong partnerships with families.

We always conclude our meetings by celebrating the incredible work happening throughout the centre. This month, each classroom was recognized for its unique strengths and the positive impact they have on the children and families we serve.

At Tiny Hoppers, we believe that when educators continue to learn and grow together, children benefit from even richer experiences every day.