--- title: "Toddler Curriculum for 18 Months to 3 Year Olds in Illinois" id: "23444" type: "page" slug: "toddler-curriculum-in-illinois" published_at: "2026-06-01T00:26:40+00:00" modified_at: "2026-06-01T00:26:40+00:00" url: "https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/toddler-curriculum/toddler-curriculum-in-illinois/" markdown_url: "https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/toddler-curriculum/toddler-curriculum-in-illinois.md" excerpt: "IELDS-alignedDelivered monthlyBrightwheel integratedNAEYC approved Explore other Experience Curriculum age bands in Illinois Experience BabyBirth to 18 monthsExperience Toddler18 to 36 monthsExperience Preschool3 to 5 years About the curriculum What is Experience Toddler? Experience Toddler is a research-based curriculum designed for..." taxonomy_language: - "English" --- [Brightwheel](https://mybrightwheel.com/) › [Experience Curriculum](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/) › [Toddler Curriculum](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/toddler-curriculum/) › [Toddler Curriculum In Illinois](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/toddler-curriculum/toddler-curriculum-in-illinois/) › Toddler Curriculum for 18 Months to 3 Year Olds in Illinois # Toddler Curriculum for 18 Months to 3 Year Olds in Illinois ## A complete, research-based toddler curriculum for Illinois childcare programs — IELDS-aligned, delivered monthly, and integrated with brightwheel. IELDS-alignedDelivered monthlyBrightwheel integratedNAEYC approved Explore other Experience Curriculum age bands in Illinois [Experience BabyBirth to 18 months](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/infant-curriculum/infant-curriculum-in-illinois) [Experience Toddler18 to 36 months](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/toddler-curriculum/toddler-curriculum-in-illinois) [Experience Preschool3 to 5 years](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/preschool-curriculum/preschool-curriculum-in-illinois) About the curriculum ## What is Experience Toddler? Experience Toddler is a research-based curriculum designed for children 18 through 36 months. Each month, a complete curriculum kit arrives at your program — including lesson plans, hands-on materials, caregiver guides, and family engagement tools — everything you need to support the rapid development happening in your toddler room. Toddlers are natural explorers. Experience Toddler’s monthly kits are organized around developmentally rich themes that channel toddlers’ curiosity, mobility, and emerging language into structured learning experiences. Activities range from 5–15 minutes and are designed to work within the natural rhythms of a toddler classroom. Designed for toddler development realities Experience Toddler recognizes that toddler learning happens through play, movement, and repetition — not sit-down instruction. Activities are designed to be embedded into daily routines, transitions, and free play, with clear caregiver language prompts that turn every moment into a learning opportunity. #### What’s in each kit - 4 weeks of daily lesson plans - Hands-on learning materials (toddler-safe) - Music and movement activity guide - Caregiver language prompts card - Family engagement take-home materials - Observation and documentation prompts - Brightwheel digital activity companion #### Developmental focus - Emerging independence and autonomy - Vocabulary explosion and two-word phrases - Gross motor: running, climbing, jumping - Fine motor: stacking, sorting, early mark-making - Parallel and early cooperative play - Emotional expression and early self-regulation - Cause-and-effect and early problem solving Illinois-specific context ## Why Experience Toddler is a strong fit for Illinois programs ### Illinois toddler care Key regulatory and market context for Illinois programs 1:4Illinois’s toddler-to-caregiver ratio for licensed toddler care IELDSIllinois Early Learning and Development Standards ExceleRateExceleRate Illinois — the state’s quality rating and improvement system Illinois IELDS covers birth through third grade. Toddler programs aligned to IELDS are well-positioned for ExceleRate ratings and CCAP priority placement. ExceleRate Illinois is the state’s QRIS. Gold Circle of Quality programs receive CCAP priority placement and enhanced reimbursement rates. ### Illinois licensing and ratio context Illinois’s 1:5 toddler ratio provides a framework for meaningful small-group learning. Experience Toddler’s activity design is built for real toddler classroom conditions: activities can be run with small groups or individually, require minimal prep, and are structured to work within typical toddler schedules and attention spans. Skills & developmental domains ## Developmental domains covered in Experience Toddler Experience Toddler integrates all eight developmental domains from Experience Curriculum’s 35-skill framework, with activities calibrated specifically for the 18–36 month age range. Every monthly kit embeds 2–3 skills into each activity — supporting whole-child development through play-based learning. Social-Emotional Attachment, trust, emotional attunement, early social responsiveness Physical Gross motor milestones, fine motor exploration, sensory-motor development Language & Literacy Pre-verbal communication, early vocabulary, caregiver narration and reading Math & Reasoning Cause-and-effect, object permanence, early spatial and number reasoning Science Sensory exploration, observation, natural curiosity about the world Creative Arts Sensory art experiences, music, movement, early aesthetic awareness Social Studies Family and community identity, cultural connections, sense of belonging Approaches to Learning Curiosity, persistence, initiative, attention — foundational learning behaviors IELDS alignment Experience Toddler activities map to specific IELDS developmental levels across all domains. An alignment document maps every activity-to-IELDS-indicator match, supporting documentation requirements for Illinois’s ExceleRate system. Sample monthly themes ## What arrives each month Each Experience Toddler kit is organized around a developmentally appropriate monthly theme. Here’s a sample of what a program year looks like. SeptToddler #### Me and My World Self-awareness and community theme exploring identity, family, and classroom community. Emphasis on language development, early social skills, and name recognition. Social-EmotionalLanguageIdentity NovToddler #### Animals Everywhere Animal-themed science exploration with safe textures, animal sounds, and movement games. Supports early classification, vocabulary, and gross motor development. ScienceVocabularyGross motor FebToddler #### Friends and Feelings Social-emotional focus on identifying and expressing emotions, sharing, and early empathy. Supports self-regulation and language for emotions. Social-EmotionalSelf-regulationLanguage AprToddler #### Growing Things Spring science theme with planting, observation, and nature exploration. Supports early math concepts, fine motor skills, and scientific inquiry habits. ScienceMathFine motor Digital integration ## Experience Toddler and brightwheel: a complete solution Experience Curriculum is now fully integrated with brightwheel, the #1 childcare management platform. For Illinois programs already using brightwheel for billing, attendance, and family communication, adding Experience Toddler creates a seamless curriculum-to-documentation workflow. ### Document as you teach Educators can log observations directly in brightwheel during or immediately after activities. Notes link to developmental milestones and build each child’s portfolio automatically. ### Keep families connected Parents receive real-time photos, videos, and activity updates through brightwheel. Experience Toddler family take-home content can be shared digitally, keeping caregivers at home aligned with the classroom. For programs documenting Illinois IELDS observations, brightwheel’s milestone tagging and note-taking features significantly reduce paperwork. Documentation can be exported for ExceleRate reporting or family conferences. Frequently asked questions ## Questions about Experience Toddler in Illinois #### Is Experience Toddler aligned to Illinois’s IELDS early learning standards? Yes. Experience Toddler is formally aligned to Illinois’s Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards (IELDS). An alignment document maps each Experience Toddler activity and skill to specific IELDS measures and developmental levels. #### Can Experience Toddler help my Illinois program achieve a higher ExceleRate rating? Many Illinois programs find that using a structured, research-based, IELDS-aligned curriculum supports their ExceleRate rating. Experience Toddler’s built-in observation tools and documentation features support rating requirements. We recommend confirming specific requirements with your local childcare resource agency. #### How does Experience Toddler work for a 1:5 toddler ratio classroom? Experience Toddler is designed for toddler care realities, including Illinois’s 1:5 ratio. Activities range from 5–15 minutes and are designed to work in small group and individual settings, with simple setup and clear caregiver guidance. #### What is the cost of Experience Toddler for Illinois childcare programs? Experience Toddler pricing is based on program size and the number of children served. Illinois programs may also qualify for subsidized pricing if serving children through state-funded programs. Pricing details and a free tour are available through the [brightwheel website](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/) . #### Does Experience Toddler support dual-language learners in Illinois? Yes. Experience Toddler includes family engagement materials and caregiver guides that support dual-language learners. Illinois programs serving diverse communities will find that Experience Toddler’s culturally responsive materials and family take-home resources support children’s home languages alongside English development. Keep exploring ## Related pages [Same stateExperience Toddler in IllinoisFor programs serving children 18–36 months in Illinois](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/toddler-curriculum/toddler-curriculum-in-illinois) [Same stateExperience Preschool in IllinoisPre-K curriculum for Illinois programs serving 3–5 year olds](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/preschool-curriculum/preschool-curriculum-in-illinois) [Standards alignmentIllinois Early Learning StandardsHow Experience Curriculum maps to Illinois’s IELDS standards](https://mybrightwheel.com/early-learning-standards/illinois/) [Same age bandToddler Curriculum HubToddler curriculum resources and state-specific links for all 50 states](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/toddler-curriculum/) ## Ready to bring Experience Toddler to your Illinois program? Research-based toddler curriculum for Illinois programs — delivered to your door every month. [Get a free tour](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/)