Toddler Program

Our Hummingbird Room can accommodate up to 18 toddlers.

Our toddler program offers many opportunities for children to grow, learn and explore in a respectful environment that supports their needs.

Snacks and drinks are provided in the mornings and afternoons and a healthy lunch is cooked in-house by a certified chef. Toddlers have daily outdoor play time and also have a nap or rest period in the afternoon.

Montessori presentations are offered in the following classroom areas:

Practical Life

Practical Life activities are designed to be a distillation of everyday activities. Some examples are various pouring and spooning activities and dressing frames that involve manipulating buttons, velcro, etc. Practical Life activities help toddlers to develop a sense of independence and responsibility, to refine their fine and gross motor skills and develop coordination.

Psychomotor Sensory

Psychomotor Sensory Development addresses the ways the young child learns by using their senses and bodies to explore. Hand-eye coordination develops through activities like stringing beads, doing puzzles, opening and closing latches and containers, and using scissors and glue. All of these activities strengthen and refine the muscles of the hand. Gross motor activities such as balancing, climbing stairs, sliding, pushing and pulling large objects, jumping and climbing help to develop the larger muscles and encourage control of movement.

Language

Toddlers are exposed to language from the time they enter the classroom, as their teachers tell stories, sing songs and speak with them using enriched vocabulary. In time, children in the toddler class will begin working with various language cards and learning the sounds that letters make. This work will be continued as they move on to the Casa classroom.

Culture

Expressions of our culture are everywhere in our toddler classroom, from the pictures on the wall and decorations on the shelves, to the songs we sing and the stories we read. Toddlers will have a rich, cultural experience with a focus on acceptance and diversity.