The Toddler Environment:

Your child is an acute observer, eager to learn, to explore, to try new skills and to master them through practice.  At a very young age, the child is able to concentrate on a task, absorb sequences and procedures, and master new language and physical skills if they are introduced in a way appropriate to the child's age, size and “needs.”  In our Toddler Room, active toddlers thrive in an environment where the various aspects of the physical world are introduced in a systematic way by specially trained people.

The Toddler Program covers three basic areas:

Practical Life:
After toddlers begin walking, usually around 12 months, their hands are free to work.  Imitation of adult tasks is the favorite activity at this age.  A child between 14 and 30 months is becoming aware of himself as a separate person and shows a need for independence.  He is interested in:

• Dressing and undressing himself
• Brushing his own hair and teeth
• Putting things away around the house
• Feeding himself and cooking
• Setting the table and washing dishes
• Using the toilet
• Learning to fold, pour, sweep and mop

These activities comprise the “practical life” area of the Toddler Program.  Grace and courtesy lessons are also introduced to the child at this age.  Lessons include waiting until everyone is served before beginning to eat, use of cutlery at the table, greeting others politely, waiting until a person has finished a conversation before approaching them, and respecting one another’s workspace.

Sensorial:
The toddler’s senses are challenged to match objects by size, shape, color, smell, or texture in the environment.  Sorting is used to assist the child in creating mental categories, which will soon be named with his developing language skills.  Exploring how water, sand, clay, and other materials behave when manipulated is fascinating to the child of this age.  Simple puzzles assist the development of special relationships.

Language:
Language develops rapidly between 18 months and age 2. Children learn new words daily.  We provide books, objects and pictures for naming. More crucially, the adults in the environment talk and listen carefully to each child during the language lessons.  Care is taken to pronounce words accurately and to give precise words for objects and actions.

Activities

The Toddler Program is an especially designed environment intended for children between the ages of 14 and 30 months.  Guides assist students in acquiring the skills appropriate to their age.  Activities include:

1. Food preparation – particularly baking bread and cutting vegetables and fruits
2. Using cutlery, setting the table, eating and drinking independently
3. Sitting at the dining table and eating in a group
4. Using the toilet independently
5. Categorizing and classifying objects according to color and size
6. Learning to fold fabric and roll rugs
7. Beginning to use chalk and other art materials
8. Spoken language development:  vocabulary, using words, phrases and sentences as appropriate

As the guide sees a student has made the necessary acquisitions to handle the activities in the Montessori Primary Classroom, the decision to transition to the Primary Program will be made with the parents.