Young Children

A program for students 18-36 months old.

Some refer to this developmental period as “The Terrible Twos.” We disagree; toddlers are terrific. We love everything about them – their energy, determination and curiosity – and purposefully created a very special place for your toddler to learn.

We Take Great Care To Guide Each Young Child

Development occurs more rapidly in the Toddler aged child than at any other time. As such, great care is taken in this classroom to guide each child through this plane of development. We assist the child towards independence, social awareness and respect through daily observations and lessons. There is a focus on gross motor skills development as well as language development, practical life, and concept development.

Our goal is to provide an environment that is nurturing and secure, but challenging, so that we may meet the developmental demands of the child at this age. The younger child is a tactile learner, an active learner, and we prepare ourselves and the environment for assisting the child in their self construction. 

Children have the freedom to choose activities as they are drawn to them, preparing the younger student for the Primary Classroom.

Activities in the Young Children's Classrooms

Activities in the Young Children's Classrooms include:

• Self-care: washing, dressing, toileting, and eating, according to each child’s individual capacity
  
• Care of the environment: cleaning, food preparation and food service; plant care and animal care
  
• Large-motor activities (indoors and out): walking, climbing, running, jumping, balancing, climbing steps, and more
  
• Fine-motor skills: reaching, grasping, picking up objects, transferring objects, using tools and utensils, doing art work
  
• Language: naming objects, describing actions and intentions, discussing pictures, conversation, music, and singing
  
• Social skills: developing manners through interactions with peers, teachers, and adult-led small group games

To learn more about the activities in the Young Children's Classrooms, please review the following documents:

• Young Children Classrooms Activities Schedule
• Young Children Classrooms Daily Schedule

Toilet Learning in Our Montessori Classrooms

Toilet learning in a Montessori classroom begins with our youngest students. We begin by using language and predictable, positive experiences surrounding diapering as a way to build trust with us and themselves. These positive experiences also help the child build confidence in themselves and their abilities, which is important as they begin to meet challenges later on surrounding the toilet. Diaper changes are made standing up in the bathroom, they have the opportunity to sit on the toilet, they are building the motor skills to pull pants up and down, and they are learning how to wash their hands.

Around age two, children have transitioned to either pull-ups or underwear and they have taken over most of the care of their own bodies. It is also around this time that the children have learned to listen to their own bodies and understand its predictable rhythm. Visiting the bathroom has become a normal part of the daily routine both at home and in class. 

Our toilet learning goals in the classroom are first to build confidence in the children, secondly to promote independence, and thirdly to have the children reliably using the toilet. 

Toilet learning in the Montessori classroom is a partnership between home and school. Teaching toileting in a classroom setting is much different than toileting with your single child at home. It requires a commitment from both parties - parents and teachers. This experience may be different than those you have had in the past, but we firmly believe that is the only way to successfully, and healthily, build confidence around toileting. We have found that approaching toileting in a different way can lead to fear about toileting and other negative experiences. Our hope is to avoid that through the methods we employ at school and you employ at home.

Steps on the toilet learning journey for parents:

1. You or your child’s teacher notice signs of toileting independence and reach out to discuss.
2. You have conferenced with the Program Director regarding the next steps with your child on their toilet learning journey. A date has been set to either transition into pull-ups or underwear - or - a date has been set for another conference.
3. Attend a toilet learning Q & A!
4. Toilet learning has started and there are frequent check-ins with your child’s teacher to update progress and discuss areas where your child might be having difficulty and might need some support.

Please remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Building confidence and independence in the bathroom starts with our youngest students and slowly builds over time. We are expecting there to be setbacks and bumps along the way. That is the way we learn! And toileting is a learning process just as everything else is in the classroom.

We value your partnership through every step of your child’s time at our school. We love to talk to parents and build relationships with our families. We look forward to continuing to do that with toileting!