"The greatest of the human personality begins at the hour of birth, so education must start from birth."

"There is in the soul of a child, an impenetrable secret that is gradually revealed as it develops"

Dr. Maria Montessori

Infant/Toddler

The purpose of the infant/toddler program, serving children from the ages of 8 weeks until the age of 18 months is to provide a warm, loving environment just as you would if you were with your child during the day. Our goal is not to substitute as parents, but to support and enhance the important role of parenthood. Appropriate activities and experiences allow a child a smooth entry into the Early Childhood class. The low child-teacher ratio and small class size give each child the space to develop.

Curriculum

Maria Montessori believed that a child's helper in early infancy had the noble task to create a foundation for all later development and learning. She believed that the educational needs of the child under three years of age were extremely important but very different from those of the child past three.

The Montessori environment for children from infancy through three years must focus on, as its highest goal, the nurturing of sensitivity and caring among the children and adults in the environment. This time in the child's life is crucial in the development of trust, altruism and love. During these first few months of life, children are very dependent upon adults in their lives. In a Montessori environment, they are able to explore without assistance. Early in life, a child is stimulated by interesting objects at close range. As the year progresses, the child's range eventually expands as they learn to creep around and explore independently. At this level the prepared environment consists of a wide spectrum of activities and objects which are safe, cognitively stimulating, emotionally satisfying and developmentally appropriate.

The Montessori Toddler environment presents the child with a variety of appropriate experiences from which the child can choose freely. The environment is the curriculum for the child. Before three years of age, the child must have a wide range of experiences; after three years of age, the child refines and perfects new skills. It is assumed that in this manner, an appropriate match can be made between the child and needed learning experiences.