Toddler

The toddler teacher’s special Montessori training prepares her to work with children under 3 years old, creating the best possible environment for them. The teacher selects all of the materials in the class to appeal specifically to such young children. During orientation visits to the classroom, the toddler and parents become acquainted with the teacher and the classroom.

When a toddler enters this program, he may already have learned something about getting along with his parents and grandparents and with an older or younger sibling. The toddler class is often his first opportunity to be with other children his own age.

The toddler will learn to take off his coat and hat and hang it up by himself. He will learn to put it back on as well! The toddler will learn how to put on an apron for water activities, open a napkin, pass plates, prepare a snack, and clean up afterward.

Many toddlers become toilet-trained before they leave the toddler environment. The toddler quickly learns the names of his teacher and his classmates. He learns to talk with the other children about the activities of the classroom. His vocabulary grows to include words such as up, down, under, over, large, small, far, near, and the seasons of the year. He learns the names for foods, clothing, and animals.

The toddler learns to handle the materials in the classroom with care and to put activities back on the shelves when he is finished. He develops the patience to wait if another child is working with materials he wants to use. Toddlers learn appropriate language for functioning in a group such as “excuse me,” “please,” and “thank you.”