A Montessori School for Infants to Kindergarten
School hours: 7:30 am - 6:30 pm (M - F)
Visit our Herndon and Chantilly locations.
Ashburn Campus
Call to Schedule a tour: 703-724-1500
Toddler Program
Children18 - 36 months
Our Montessori toddler program is much more than just day care. We focus on the toddler’s natural drive to act independently. In our Montessori toddler environment, the child develops feelings of support, security, and self-esteem. Children are guided toward appropriate behaviors through a non-judgmental atmosphere that offers consistency; children come to understand the balance between freedom and limits.
Our trained, nurturing, and dedicated teachers recognize that children learn by doing. The toddler environment is carefully prepared to promote independence with a curriculum designed to foster cognitive development, speech and language development, social skills, and to strengthen fine and gross motor skills.
The learning materials in the toddler classroom are geared for a child's success and always accessible, attractive, and safe. The loving atmosphere puts children and parents at ease and makes for an easier transition to school. implement a toddler designed curriculum to foster cognitive development, speech and language development, strengthen fine motor and gross motor skills, introduce grace and courtesy lessons, and promote independence. Our toddler environments are a special place for children to begin to grow towards independence and self-reliance.
Curriculum
Language Development
Around the age of two, children’s speech development experiences an explosion of words, soon followed by sentences. Gestures and physical communication remain valid ways of communicating, but they diminish as the child’s phrases and simple sentences are understood. The Language materials in the Toddler classroom encourage the refinement and enrichment of language as the first steps on the road to writing and finally reading.
Math
The purpose of the Math activities is to introduce to the child number recognition, one to one correspondence, and simple counting (1-5 or 1-10 or higher when appropriate). Toddlers are curious about everything and need to touch and manipulate objects in order to learn. In the toddler math area simple concepts of numbers are introduced through songs, counting games, and manipulative materials. As the toddler works with manipulative activities such as puzzles and counting objects, the toddler’s understanding of number concepts and sequence gains substance.
Practical Life
Practical Life activities form the cornerstone of the Montessori classroom and prepare the child for all other areas. The emphasis is on process rather than on product. Through the repetition of Practical Life activities, children develop and refine the basic skills that will serve them all their lives. These activities are aimed at enhancing the child’s development of fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, balance, sense of order, concentration and independence.
Toilet Learning
One of the several challenges unique to toddlers is toilet learning. Adults become aware of a child’s readiness to entertain this challenge when the child exhibits certain characteristics, but children must make the decision on their own. As they do, teachers help ease this new routine naturally into the child’s personal care. Children experience independence, self-control, motivation, and confidence in their success.