Page 18 - parent handbook 2024-25 FINAL FLIP

Our Young Scholars - Toddlers
The Montessori Toddler Community offers children 2 to 3 years old, opportunities to explore their own capabilities and to develop independence within a supportive environment. Our Montessori Toddler community provides a nurturing place for young children to begin their ʻeducation for lifeʼ.
A toddler environment is a space designed for the developmental needs of this age group from the size of the furniture, and activities provided, to the emotional support and guidance given. The Toddler classroom is set
up very much like a ʻhome away from homeʼ with distinct areas for food preparation, changing clothes, toileting, group activities, individual activities and quiet moments.
The lead teacher and an assistant provide the love, patience and respect necessary for the toddler to feel safe and thrive within this community. The teacher is a Montessori trained professional, accomplished in recognizing and nurturing the specific developmental needs of this unique phase.
Our youngest children can learn and grow individually, while also participating in cooperative group play and lessons with other children. For the children enrolled in our Toddler Community, each day presents an opportunity for strengthening language skills, refining gross motor skills, developing fine motor skills and encouraging independence.
Toddlers are most successful when enrolled in the five day program. Providing consistency in their schedule and building on the previous dayʼs momentum helps the child feel safe and build confidence. Three day schedules are only considered for children who are secure with themselves and can be happy and successful each day.
When they are ready to move to the next level: When a child nears the age of three, he may show signs of readiness to transition to the primary level (3-6 years). The child shows signs of shifting from an unconscious to conscious state of being. He has the ability to follow verbal directions, speak in articulated phrases or sentences, engage in conversation, focus for a two-period lesson and use the toilet. The teacher will then prepare him for transition. Short visits to his new classroom will prepare him for the date that he formally transitions
to his new classroom.