Tummy time & floor play
Supervised, unhurried floor time with interesting textures, mirrors and toys placed just within — and just beyond — reach to build head, neck and core strength.
Back to Our Curriculum
G.R.A.D.E. Age Pathways · 6 weeks – 12 months
G.R.A.D.E. Beginnings™
Secure attachment first — learning follows.
For our youngest learners, the G.R.A.D.E. Learning Framework™ begins with responsive caregiving. Days are built around your baby's own rhythms — feeding, rest and play follow the child, never the clock. Within that security, educators layer sensory exploration, language-rich narration, songs, books and unhurried motor practice.
How learning happens at this stage
Infants are not in traditional classroom instruction. At this stage, learning happens through responsive caregiving, secure attachment, sensory exploration, language-rich conversation, music, books, tummy time and joyful, unhurried practice of new motor skills — reaching, rolling, sitting, crawling and pulling up, each at your baby's own pace.
Age-Appropriate Activities
What Beginnings™ do each day
Every activity follows the G.R.A.D.E. Learning Process — Connect, Invite, Teach, Explore, Observe, Reflect, Share — adapted to this stage's readiness.
Language-rich caregiving
Educators narrate the day — diaper changes, bottles, walks — so babies bathe in spoken language long before their first words arrive.
Sensory exploration
Safe textures, sounds, light and movement: crinkle fabrics, soft rattles, water play at the appropriate stage, and gentle music throughout the day.
Songs, rhymes & music
Daily singing, fingerplays and rhythm — the auditory patterns that lay the foundation for speech and early language exposure.
Books & face time
Board books, high-contrast pictures and warm one-on-one face time that build attention, attachment and a love of story.
Fine-motor discovery
Reaching, grasping, transferring objects hand to hand, and early self-feeding practice as little hands grow stronger.
Developmental Milestones
What we watch for and nurture
Milestones are observed, documented and shared with families — never forced. Every child develops on their own timeline, and our educators adapt each day's invitations accordingly.
Gross motor
- Holds head steady and pushes up during tummy time
- Rolls from tummy to back and back to tummy
- Sits independently, then begins crawling
- Pulls up to stand and cruises along furniture
Fine motor
- Reaches for and grasps toys intentionally
- Transfers objects from hand to hand
- Develops the pincer grasp for small finger foods
- Begins to bang, drop and explore cause and effect
Language & communication
- Coos, babbles and experiments with sounds
- Responds to their name and familiar voices
- Uses gestures like reaching up or waving
- First words often emerge near the end of this stage
Social & emotional
- Forms secure attachments with consistent caregivers
- Smiles socially and enjoys back-and-forth play
- Shows stranger awareness — a healthy sign of attachment
- Finds comfort in predictable routines and familiar songs
A Day in the Life
Rhythm and predictability, Monday through Thursday
Grade Club's regular care week is Monday – Thursday. Times shift with each child's needs — especially for infants, who follow their own feeding and rest rhythms.
- ArrivalWarm handoff, a few unhurried minutes of connection, and the day's first update from home.
- MorningBottles and feeding on your baby's own schedule, tummy time, sensory play and a short walk or fresh air when weather allows.
- MiddayNaps follow each baby's rhythm — a calm, consistent sleep routine with soft music and low light.
- AfternoonSongs and books, floor play and motor practice, one-on-one face time and gentle outdoor moments.
- PickupA Brightwheel recap of feeding, rest, diapering, play and the little wins of the day.
Part of the G.R.A.D.E. Learning Framework™
Pillars this pathway emphasizes
- Developing Hearts — secure attachment and trust are the foundation of everything that follows.
- Active Bodies — tummy time, reaching, rolling, sitting, crawling and pulling up.
- Growing Minds — language-rich narration, songs, books and early communication.
- Exploring Our World — safe sensory discovery of textures, sounds, light and movement.
- Expression & Language — music, rhythm and early world-language sound exposure through songs.
The Home Connection
How we keep you close
- Bottles, meals, naps and diapering documented in Brightwheel throughout the day.
- Developmental observations — a new roll, a first pull-to-stand — shared as they happen.
- Photos and classroom updates when your family has authorized them.
- Care routines coordinated with home so feeding and sleep stay consistent.
Daily updates — meals, rest, diapering or toileting, activities and developmental observations — are shared through Brightwheel, with photos when authorized.
Private · Small-Group · Intentional
See G.R.A.D.E. Beginnings™ in person
Tour our private, small-group program in Avondale, Arizona and see how this pathway feels for your child.
Questions? Call 480-389-6357