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Montessori Main Phone: (403) 252-3281
During the period from birth to age three, the child’s brain develops tremendous physical and psychological growth. It develops more rapidly than at any other time and more learning takes place than at any other stage of development. During this phase the child absorbs large amounts of information from their environment through observation and experiences. These are the years that lay the foundation for later learning and the stronger the foundation, the more the child will be able to build upon it.
Maria Montessori thought that it is very important for the child under three to have a wide range of sensory and motor experiences because these experiences would be sorted later and lay vital groundwork for learning.
The Montessori toddler program offers so much more than childcare. In a Montessori environment, the toddler will be with accredited Montessori certified teachers who are loving and nurturing. They are calm, gentle, patient and trusting. They demonstrate respect and compassion by using eye contact and kneeling to the level of the child.
The environment is designed to be peaceful, inviting, supportive and safe for these young children. The child’s natural passion for wonder, curiosity, exploration, independence and discovery comes alive. The child’s growth is fostered in all areas of development. The environment is language-rich, with the adults using proper nomenclature so the child is exposed to a broad vocabulary.
The curriculum emerges from each child’s unique skills and interests. Based on daily observations the teachers introduce new materials and activities that pique curiosity and stimulate learning. The activities are easily accessible from the shelves. The child is free to select an activity that they have been previously shown, use it for as long as they like, clean it up and make another choice.
Toddlers growing skills and competence are also accomplished by the fierce independence required in developing sense of self. They are refining their motor skills along with developing language and sense of self. Learning objectives at this age include developing language, concentration, problem solving, visual discrimination and physical coordination.
We encourage toddlers to self-care. Under the guidance of their teachers, students learn to dress themselves and also become independent in the bathroom. Toddlers enjoy meal time at school, preparing and eating snacks independently, caring for their environment by watering plants, washing windows, and washing dishes. Grace and courtesy and control of movement are also modelled and taught, much to the delight of the children. The following are the areas of practical life development.
• Care of the Environment: cleaning, setting the table, plant care
• Self-Care: dressing, eating, toileting
• Large Motor Activities: walking, climbing, running, jumping, balancing
• Fine Motor Skills: grasping, transferring objects, using utensils, arts and crafts
Toddlers learn very quickly to organize things by colour, size, shape, taste, smell, texture and even by the appearance. Learning and exploring through their senses is an integral part of the Toddlers classroom experience. We provide age appropriate Montessori sensorial materials that help develop the child’s sensory awareness. These sensory discoveries are closely related to the rapid language development that children experience at this age.
Toddlers acquire language skills rapidly during this development period. Teachers continually offer the children appropriate words for the experiences they are having in the world. We provide carefully chosen classified cards (including household items, animals, food, and expressions) and realistic objects in the classroom to help children broaden their vocabulary. They learn to organize all the information and their thoughts in order to express themselves in better way.
• Language development: Naming objects, describing actions and intentions, discussing pictures, conversation, practice listening, music, singing songs, stories and reading books.
• Social Skills: Around two years of age they like to have company and participate in groups. This leads to developing social skills and manners while interacting with peers and teachers.
• Fine Motor Skills: grasping, transferring objects, using utensils, arts and crafts
Toddlers are taking their first steps towards independence outside their home environment. Recognizing themselves as a separate individual, knowing about different cultures around them and being independent is a tremendous step in their development. Interacting with classmates and adults at this early stage establishes an important foundation that will be built upon as they grow.Toddlers learn very quickly to organize things by colour, size, shape, taste, smell, texture and even by the appearance. Learning and exploring through their senses is an integral part of the Toddlers classroom experience. We provide age appropriate Montessori sensorial materials that help develop the child’s sensory awareness. These sensory discoveries are closely related to the rapid language development that children experience at this age.
Math is integrated into many aspects of our classroom environments. Whether it’s balancing, having proper distance while walking, following line, counting steps to the playground, clapping to the rhythm of a song, or measuring during transferring activities. The toddlers are indirectly experiencing math throughout their daily life. Moreover, the sensorial materials in the classroom indirectly introduce the concept of length, volume, and sequencing.
Calgary Montessori School welcomes applications from all interested families. Learn more about how to apply to Montessori and see our school fees.
See AdmissionsNo longer content with the physical independence that was achieved in the 3 to 6 year old environment, children now strive for intellectual independence.
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