Toddler Program
Ages
Our Toddler Program welcomes children between 18 months and 3 years old, though some students may transition earlier based on their readiness for the program.
Hours
The school day begins at 8:30 am and ends at either 11:30 am for the half-day option, or 3:30 pm for full-day. We also offer care before or after these hours, starting as early as 7:00 am.
Readiness Benchmarks
To be successful in the Toddler program, children need to be showing these skills:
- Walking comfortably in shoes
- Self-feeding a variety of solid foods (not necessarily with utensils)
- Drinking out of an open cup
- Generally able to follow 1-step directions
- Weaned off of the pacifier
Some young children may not be ready, emotionally, developmentally, or otherwise, to participate effectively and successfully in our program. To provide the best environment for children, we consider the first three weeks of enrollment in the Toddler program as a trial basis.
The Classroom
We follow AMS accreditation standards, which promote large group size rather than low student-teacher ratios, allowing children to be more independent and develop intrinsic motivation. We have 1:8 ratio, with up to 16 students in a classroom. There are two teachers in each classroom, with a minimum of one Montessori credentialed teacher in each class, though we are striving for two Montessori credentialed teachers in each class.
The Prepared Environment
Each of our toddler environments is prepared with developmentally appropriate materials and activities that support the child’s natural development. The two main areas of focus in this program are the development of language and learning the skills for independence and social interaction.
Language Development
Language development occurs through singing songs, listening to stories, classifying objects, and meaningful conversation.
Independence
Toddlers are driven to be independent so we offer them daily practice with preparing snack, washing dishes, watering plants, pouring, and dressing themselves.
Care of Environment
We help toddlers with problem-solving and identifying their emotions and feelings. They also learn to take care of their environment by putting away their own belongings and returning work materials to the shelf .
Gross Motor Development
We provide many opportunities for toddlers to move their bodies through dancing, running, jumping, and climbing.
Fine Motor Skills
This toddler student is developing his fine motor skills by removing the bolt with the nut driver and using his fingers to screw it back into the nut embedded in the board. This work captivates the children because it is a real-world material and they see it as a challenge. Some of the children see items similar to this in their homes and enjoy working with real materials.
