Welcome to Learning for 2-Year-Olds and Their FamiliesDesigned for children ages 24-36 months, this easy-to-use, comprehensive curriculum is FREE for immediate family, in-home use. If you intend to use a Curriculum in a preschool, church, or daycare setting, please refer to the Complete 2 Year Curriculum, as this Curriculum is only for immediate family use.
The Basic 2 Year Curriculum introduces your child to learning, with weekly objectives to guide your focus.
Each Online Lesson Plan includes:
To begin, choose one objective and activity to do with your child. Gradually add more as you establish a routine that fits your home. Read more in "Creating a Daily Schedule."
Week 1 includes extra guidance to help you get started. By incorporating learning into daily routines, you’ll create a seamless, enjoyable experience that fosters your child's growth and development.
Bible Teaching and PlayThe goal of the Basic 2 Year Curriculum is to introduce children to Bible stories. While I suggest the Read and Share Toddler Bible when available, any age-appropriate children’s Bible can be used. For variety, you may read the same story from different Bibles. Be sure to read the Scripture yourself to understand the story's details.
Another fun way to further Bible learning is to tell the story in an interactive way. The ABCJLM Interactive Bible Stories offer an age-appropriate script that is the perfect length for your active toddler. This supplemental product is available as a digital download, either included in the 2 Year Curriculum Bundle or purchased separately.
Bible Story: Creation Days 1-2
Scripture: Genesis 1
Bible Theme: God Made the World Around Me
Lesson: Day, Night, Water, Sky
The child will learn about Creation for the first nine weeks of the Basic 2 Year Curriculum. Collect all Creation crafts to create a "My Creation Book." At the end of the Creation study (Week 9), use the cover worksheet and bind all the pages together. Find additional Creation activities and crafts on the Creation Idea pages.
Use a piece of black construction paper as the background. Cut a piece of white construction paper in half. Glue the white half-sheet vertically on the black sheet. Write "Day" on the white piece and "Night" on the black. Add the number "1" to the page.
Use a piece of blue construction paper. Add cotton balls in the sky for clouds. Make waves with shaving cream and blue paint at the bottom. Add the number "2" to the page.
Each Lesson Plan includes a simple Bible verse for the child to memorize. Focus on helping the child memorize at least the key words. To make it easier, say the verse in very short phrases, using a slow tempo, so the child can follow along more easily. Videos of the piggyback memory verse songs with actions have been created to help with retention.
The carefully selected Bible songs are beloved classics sung in Sunday School throughout the generations. Learning these tunes helps the child memorize verses and Bible stories while connecting them to strong theological truths. If any of these songs are unfamiliar, I've created free videos of each one, complete with actions, to help you learn them easily.
Sing this song very slowly and incorporate the actions throughout the day. Create a tradition of singing it during bath time, while driving, or as part of your bedtime routine. As you sing this song to the child repeatedly, they will gradually start to join in.
On Day 1 (On numbers - put corresponding fingers in the air)
God created light (close fists and then quickly open in the air and bring down to side creating arches)
On Day 2
God created the sky (wave arms in the air) and water (make waves with hands)
Flannelgraph provides a beautiful visual and tactile addition to the Bible story. Discover how to use it in this video or read the "Using Flannelgraph with Preschoolers" page.
Help your child grow through fun, hands-on activities designed for their stage of development. The Complete 2 Year Curriculum builds early academic, Bible, and developmental skills with simple, engaging Lesson Plans, printed activity sheets, and colorful posters that make learning exciting for your child. Order now to make teaching your child easier by having all the materials you need organized and ready to go, saving you time and stress while providing a structured, enjoyable learning experience.
Academic Teaching and PlayChildren are always learning. The goal of the Curriculum is to introduce them to the world around them—letters, numbers, colors, shapes—in a way that feels like play. Whenever possible, incorporate learning into playtime, reading, conversations, and daily activities. Focus less on the outcome of the child’s art and more on the learning that takes place during the creative process. Remember, the Basic 2 Year Curriculum is about introducing new concepts, and any retention is just a fun bonus.
The Basic 2 Year Curriculum introduces the child to nine colors individually, gradually combines them to cover up to three colors per week. Seven shapes are introduced and then combined.
To enhance learning, focus solely on the designated color(s) during craft or drawing sessions. This approach allows the child to fully engage with each color over time. Since toddlers' hands are still developing the fine motor skills needed for small writing utensils, it's recommended to use egg-shaped crayons, jumbo paintbrushes, and short, jumbo colored pencils whenever possible. Markers or pens are discouraged as they don't support fine and gross motor skill development as effectively as crayons and pencils.
Red Worksheets
Choose one of the Red Worksheets to color with a red egg-shaped crayon.
Eat Red Food
Apple, strawberry, raspberry, red licorice, lollipop, cranberry juice, watermelon, radish, beets, red popsicle, strawberry or raspberry Jello
Color Walk
Walk around your home or neighborhood looking for the color red. Take a red flashcard or crayon with you to remind the child of the color.
Red Circle Worksheet
Color, paint, or draw on the Circle worksheet with the color red. Remember not to use markers.
Circle Song
Make big circles in the air while singing the song.
Tune: Up on the Housetop
Circle, circle big and round
Where it ends cannot be found
Tires, balls, the earth, and sun
Making circles is so much fun
Shape Walk
Walk around your house or neighborhood looking for circles. Bring a circle flashcard or poster to remind the child of the shape. Gently holding the child's hand, trace the circle on the flashcard or poster, and then trace the circle on the objects you find.
The Basic 2 Year Curriculum does not heavily focus on letters as they have no meaning to most toddlers. Instead of memorization, the objective is for the child to begin recognizing letters in the world around them. This week point out the letter Aa and help the child say the letter, phonetic sound, and a word that begins with the letter (i.e. A /a/ apple). I would encourage you to use either bath or refrigerator letters for each week’s introduction and then allow the child to play with the letter. This activity is strictly for introduction and limited amount of time should be spent on this objective.
To introduce the child to numbers, several art media, and counting (1:1 ratio), the child will be creating Apple Tree Number Posters. After decorating using the suggested medium, add the appropriate number of apple stickers or stamps. You can also make apples by stamping a fingerprint on the tree and drawing a leaf and stem.
Create an Apple Tree Number Book to introduce the child to several art mediums and counting. First, decorating using the suggested medium, add then add the appropriate number of apple stickers. This week, use a red egg-shaped crayon to color the Apple Tree #1 worksheet and then add one apple to the tree.
Pre-Reading ActivitiesChildren should be read to for at least 15 minutes a day. Each week, the child will be introduced to a quality picture book to complement other learning and provide pre-reading exposure. Read the book multiple times throughout the week, discussing the illustrations and focusing on concepts related to this week's objectives (e.g. red, circles, Aa). Read more in "How to Teach Key Skills While Reading."
Traditional poems and nursery rhymes help children develop rhyme, fine motor skills, and rhythm, as well as beginning reading. At first, quote the poems very slowly to help the children correctly learn the words. Also, assist the child in performing actions with the poems. Quote them throughout the day (e.g. while driving, in the bathtub, while washing hands). Read more in "How to Teach Poems to Children."
- Children learn through repetition. That is why they ask you to read the same book repeatedly. Move very slowly through the pages taking the child's lead.
- Each week find objects in books that represent the learning objectives (e.g. red, circles, Letter Aa). When you begin reading, take the child's hand, point, and say the name of the object, color, or letter. When the child is ready, allow her to find and point to the object unassisted. Find circles in the book, especially look for the red circles (e.g. eyes, Mama's necklace, bed accents, corner circles).
- Watch the "Teaching a Child to Sit Quietly for Reading and Learning" video if the child is unwilling to sit for an appropriate amount of reading time.
- Color the Red Shirt worksheet with a red egg-shaped crayon.
- Have a Pajama Day by staying in your pajamas all day.
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can
Roll it, pat it, and mark it with a "B"
Put it in the oven for "baby" and me
Change the "B" to the first letter of the child's name and the word "baby" to the child's name.
Help your little ones learn their colors with these vibrant, fun flashcards—perfect for preschoolers! Click the link below to download your free set today and start learning through play.
Developmental Learning and PlayDevelopment is just as crucial as academic and Bible learning. Self-care and manners are important for teaching self-control, respect, and independence. Fine motor skills are essential for tasks like writing, while gross motor skills are important for activities like running and kicking a ball.
Throughout the Curriculum, there is a focus on different "Information" concepts. For the first four weeks, the emphasis is on the child's first name. Teach the child to pronounce their name clearly and encourage them to say it confidently. While it can be tempting to answer for the child, make sure they are given the chance to say their name when asked. Additionally, teach the child to make eye contact when introducing themselves, as this helps build social skills and confidence.
While toddlers have a very short attention span, all children need to learn self-control and how to sit attentively for short periods of time. Teach the child to sit with “criss-cross” legs and hands in her lap. Discuss how there are times when a child listens while the adult talks. Start with very short time intervals and gradually increase until the child is able to sit by herself through an entire Bible lesson or book.
Begin each listening time with an attention poem or song, such as:
My legs are crossed
Together my hands go
My mouth is quiet
I'm ready to learn and grow
Children develop fine motor skills most effectively when working on a vertical surface. Holding a writing utensil or brush against a vertical surface engages extra muscles in the wrist and hand that aren't activated when writing on a horizontal surface. To support this development, try to place craft, writing, and drawing projects on a vertical surface whenever possible. This week, have the child color or paint with red on a piece of paper attached to a vertical surface.
Gross motor skills are big motor skills that require balance and coordination (e.g. running, jumping, hopping etc.). Each lesson plan includes an activity to help improve the child's gross motor skills.
This week, play "Put the Fire Out," a fun outside activity that involves sidewalk chalk, water, and a sponge. Begin by drawing a ladder on cement with sidewalk chalk. Draw a fire at the top of the ladder. Place a bucket and a sponge at the bottom of the ladder. Have the child wet the sponge and jump between the rungs of the ladder to get to the fire. Once at the fire, squeeze the sponge over the fire to put it out!
Use the First Day of Preschool poster to create a precious photo op for remembering today. Be sure to tag #ABCJesusLovesMe or @ABCJesusLovesMe when you post the image on social media!
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