Toddler

Meet the Child The Plane of Development

Early Childhood
The Emergence of Independence
Ages 0-3

Over their first three years, your child experiences an extreme period of growth and development, unconsciously absorbing every aspect of their experiences without judgment or choice. They have the great task of transitioning from a helpless, nonverbal being to a walking, talking, capable – albeit tiny – human. It is our work, then, to offer your child opportunities to thrive in an environment that helps them to reach their full physical, linguistic, and social potential, preparing them for the new academic work that awaits them as their consciousness wakes.

Areas of Development

• Coordination of fine and gross motor skills
• Emergence of language and communication skills
• Lengthening periods of concentration
• A strong sense and need for order, which builds the mathematical mind
• Independence and seeds of individuality

To learn more about the planes of development and how they inform our classrooms and approach, click here.

The Curriculum Cognitive Development

The Montessori toddler curriculum is rooted in the world around us; offering opportunities to practice self-care and care of the environment, as well as access to common vocabulary connected to the concrete world. On any given day, you might see toddlers scrubbing tables, sweeping floors, watering plants, practicing vocabulary with animal objects, dressing themselves, or preparing and serving snacks. With these purposeful, fulfilling tasks comes the expansion of self-pride, which is not dependent on outside praise, but rather each child’s internal awareness of their own accomplishments.

Often, when tours or observers come through our toddler environments, they comment on how peaceful and calm the children seem. Certainly, there are moments of loud exuberance, but we know that when we offer an environment that speaks to your child’s developing needs, they are satiated and have no need to engage in resistant behavior. Our teachers know to offer gentle guidance and choices, so that our toddler students feel ownership over their experiences. In this way, they are encouraged to be independent and relatively self-sufficient; much more than our society often allows for or acknowledges.

• Language
  • Introduction and repetition of vocabulary in all areas of life
  • Matching objects to pictures
  • Learning and repeating songs
  • Listening to and engaging with books
• Pre-Math
  • Sequencing activities (e.g., first this, then this, etc.)
  • Familiarity with early counting
  • 1 to 1 comparisons
• Culture / Geography
  • Culture and practices around meals within the community and family
  • Introduction to music, pictures, and objects from other cultures
• Practical Life
  • Dressing and putting on shoes
  • Toileting and hand washing
  • Meal-time: setting places, preparing snacks, washing dishes
  • Cleaning the environment: sweeping, table scrubbing, wiping spills
  • Caring for animals and plants

Nurturing the Person Social Emotional Development

In the first three years of life, toddlers absorb the social interactions they see around them as adults model empathy, conflict-resolution, manners, and self-regulation techniques. Typically, children will not display these skills until around 3 or 4 years, so it is up to aware adults to know that your child needs to see and take in the modeled behaviors without the expectation that they will immediately replicate them.

Additionally, toddlers are in a period of parallel play, during which their social interactions are more focused on their own needs, rather than others’. Often, toddlers can be observed working next to each other with very little conversation or social interaction; they are entirely focused on their own task. This, too, is why conflicts arise, as toddlers do not yet understand abstract concepts such as “waiting” or “in a minute,” nor do they yet have the language to express their desires to their peers. Our teachers manage such conflicts with gentle language, labeling the displayed emotions before using redirection to distract the child away from the conflict. Many of our classrooms also have a peace corner, which offers children the choice to utilize this quiet spot for self-regulation, sometimes with the guidance of a teacher.

Some of the indicators that a toddler is prepared to move up into the Primary environment are an increase in social connections, displays of nurturing and empathy for peers, seeking to work with others, and emulation of the adults around them.

Hands as Instruments of the Mind Physical Development

During this period of rapid growth, toddlers must practice coordinating their movements in order to gain balance, physical confidence, and strength. The Montessori classroom is prepared to ensure your child has every opportunity to practice enhancing both their gross motor and fine motor skills.

Many of our practical life materials offer opportunities for full body movement (e.g. sweeping up crumbs), carrying heavy objects (e.g. carrying a pitcher full of water), and large arm movements (e.g. reaching high to wipe a window). These works satisfy both the toddler’s physical needs and desire to complete purposeful work.

Fine motor skills are honed with materials such as working with clay, painting or gluing with a fine brush, working with scissors, and threading beads. Through the use of these objects, the hand gains strength and control, preparing for future handwriting work. Freedom to practice and master gross and fine motor skills builds concentration and confidence, readying your child for the next academic environment.

The Montessori Environment

The Classroom

We often refer to the classroom as the “child’s classroom,” as the teachers prepare the environment and then give it to the children to use. Each classroom is thoughtfully and lovingly prepared to meet the needs of every child in the group as they develop and learn.

• Open layout with low shelves, chairs, and tables allows for easy access to materials and freedom of movement
• Materials are appropriately-sized for toddler hands and bodies in order to promote success in their use
• Areas of the classroom and routines remain consistent to help the young child orient more easily to the environment
• Shelves are sparse and categorized, so that toddlers can focus on their options and more easily make a choice between materials as well as return them to their correct placement
• Natural light, living plants and animals, and wooden materials create a peaceful and home-like ambiance
• Peace corners for self-regulation (see Nurturing the Person)
• Toddler-sized bathrooms, to promote successful toileting and self-care

Daily Schedule

7:30-8:00 – Before care

8:00-10:00 – Morning work cycle: Individual lessons, free engagement with materials, snack, and toileting.

10:00-10:30 – Morning circle time (e.g., music, group lessons, etc.) and transitioning to outdoors

10:30-11:30 – Playground time and daily neighborhood walk

11:30-12:00 – Community lunch with individual meals from home. Half-day students are picked up at noon.

12:30-3:00 – Naptime and afternoon work cycle. Full day students are picked up at 3:00.

3:00-6:00 – Aftercare program

While our toddlers are offered freedom during work cycles to choose their tasks and devote as many repetitions as needed to master the related skills, it is important to remember that this is freedom within limits. Teachers carefully curate the available materials and guide students in their work through individual and group lessons. Over the course of the time a toddler is in the classroom, they have the opportunity to work with and master all of the available materials.

Note: The term “work” in the Montessori environment is used deliberately, to elevate and bring import to the great effort the child puts forth. That said, for the young child, this often looks like “play,” because this effort is joyful and natural—they are not forced to toil.

Is Your Family New to MCHD?

Schedule an individualized tour. Please note that toddler classrooms at the Mayfair Campus are 18-36 months.

Are You a Current MCHD Family?

Call us to learn more, meet with a teacher, or inquire about classroom openings.