The Toddler Montessori Program

for children ages 16 months to 33 months

“There is in the child a special kind of sensitivity which leads him to absorb everything about him and it is this work of observing and absorbing that alone enables him to adapt himself to life. He does it in virtue of an unconscious power that exists in childhood...The first period of the child’s life is one of adaptation.” ~ Dr. Maria Montessori (The Absorbent Mind, page 57)

A Montessori environment for very young children gives a toddler the freedom to safely explore and learn through discovery. A place for children to learn to care for themselves and others and to become independent. The work is tailored to the child's natural development, leading to joyful engagement. The Montessori Toddler classroom is calm, inviting, and homelike. Colors are muted, the atmosphere peaceful. The space is organized, clean, and uncluttered. It is a lovely space for young children and a wonderful age to join a Montessori School.

The Montessori Toddler Program is a community in which respect for the independence and character of children is foundational. Our Guides (Teachers) and Assistants are consistently calm, gentle, soft-spoken, patient, and trusting. They demonstrate respect and compassion by using eye contact, kneeling to the level of the child, addressing your children by name, and speaking before touching or moving them. The result is an atmosphere in which consistent caregivers create an emotionally safe place for those in their care.

Toilet Awareness and Independence

One of the most important ways a toddler learns to be independent is in learning to use the toilet on his own. Our Montessori Guides know how to watch for the signs that a child is ready, and how to motivate him to learn without pressure.

A child will have access to bathrooms which are just his size, and there are routines that make using the toilet familiar and appealing. Most of all, the mixed-age classroom is an invaluable resource: older children in the class will be setting the example, inspiring interest and a desire to emulate in the younger children. The Montessori approach ensures that great care is taken to keep the experience positive and relaxed.

Socialization and “Grace and Courtesy”

Children will develop independence, self-control, and care of self and others under the patient modeling of the Guide (Teacher). They are given freedom with clear limits to practice appropriate behaviors and learn how to be part of a community.

One of the most exciting things about working with toddlers is watching them begin to interact, play, and socialize with their peers. To learn, children imitate the adults around them, establishing patterns of social behavior that will stay with them throughout their lifetimes. Since children move freely in their Montessori classroom, they have lots of opportunities to interact with their peers.

Montessori Toddler Guides help children learn positive social interaction through modeling “grace and courtesy.” Rather than constantly correcting your child’s behavior from a negative perspective, children are instead shown what to do in each situation. Courteous interactions are shown by the adults, capitalizing on the toddler's delight in imitation. Lessons in grace and courtesy help your toddler to navigate his world with confidence and consideration for others.

Language Development & Acquisition

Between the ages of one and three, a toddler will go from speaking two-word phrases all the way to full sentences, using correct grammar. To reduce the typical frustration that toddlers feel when they don’t yet have the skill to share their needs and preferences, it’s important to support your toddler’s early language development, deliberately and methodically exposing your toddler to the specific language that she will need on a daily basis. This aspect of language learning is an important part of your child’s school experience.

In the Montessori toddler classroom, a child is exposed to real, rich, precise, and varied vocabulary and grammar. The Montessori Guide will get down on the child’s level, look in his eyes, and speak to him clearly, so that he can watch the movements made by her mouth as she speaks. Children will enjoy carefully chosen songs, and read-aloud books with poetry, real stories and beautiful illustrations.

Your toddler will experience less frustration as he learns to express his ideas and feelings in words, and this thoughtful approach to language will also prepare him for reading and writing in the Children's House. Individual interaction with the adults in the environment offers constant opportunity for active conversation to build their verbal skills.

Confidence and “Practical Life”

Toddlers love to do real-world, adult tasks “all by myself”! The toddler community offers your toddler real tools and opportunities through the Montessori “practical life” activities. Tables, chairs, toilets, and sinks are just the right size and easily accessible to your child. Materials and utensils are sized to a child’s hand and ability, and art and mirrors are hung at child’s height.

In a Montessori Toddler environment, a child can polish mirrors or shoes, water plants, or wash real dishes and cloths used in the classroom. Children use a material called The Dressing Frames, which teach her to open and close Velcro, buttons, snaps, zippers, and more. Children will learn to wipe their own nose and brush their own hair, establishing foundational habits of self-care. Children can practice arranging flowers in a small vase, and placing their creation in a spot she chooses in the classroom, in order to contribute to the beauty of the community.

In this right-sized environment, the Montessori practical life exercises allow a child to perform real-world, purposeful tasks that a child can choose and complete independently. A child will become an important contributor to her community, and practice tasks over and over to achieve mastery, building confidence and self-esteem. This gives rise to a naturally self-reinforcing process: the more he tries, the more he succeeds. The more success he feels, the more confident he becomes. The sense of accomplishment that a child feels each time he achieves something new builds the foundation of self-confidence that he will carry with him throughout his life.

We would love to show your our beautiful Toddler Communities, schedule a tour and visit us.