Hand-eye Coordination – Offering activities that teach sequencing using peg games, object permanence (like pushing shapes into a cube), fine motor skills with sorting games and puzzles.
Music and Movement – All cultures have a long history of singing and dancing and children enjoy music. We provide children with a variety of musical instruments to encourage confidence through performance and movement. Whenever possible we head outdoors for movement but we encourage a lot of movement within our classrooms for healthy development.
Practical Life – Children love to help and participate in activities that help both the self and the environment. Plant care, mealtimes activities like setting the table or peeling fruit, assisting peers are some of the different ways Guiding Light integrates practical life into our classroom activities.
Current Research in Early Childhood Development recognizes the importance of the Early Years. Research indicates there is rapid brain development from 0-6 years where 90% of the human brain is developed. The Montessori Toddler program for children ages 18 months to 2.5 years recognizes the importance of these formative years and lays a strong foundation for lifelong learning. It is imperative to nurture the child’s natural curiosity to explore, discover and learn.
A Montessori Toddler classroom specially designed to foster the curiosity and interest of the students. Children develop an intrinsic desire to learn and become independent and confident. The following are the core components of a Toddler classroom:
Toddler Montessori Trained Educators create an environment with child sized tables, chairs, shelves and child sized toilet, which is conducive to optimal growth and development of the children and fosters independence.
The initial focus is to establish a routine so that a student can acclimatize to their new classroom setting. Structured activities create opportunities to communicate, coordinate, cooperate and concentrate.
Self-care is introduced from the beginning to foster independence in the following areas: dressing, washroom etiquette, personal hygiene, and nutrition.
Toddler Montessori Teachers act as role models to students by gently demonstrating work ethic and order from the beginning. Educators offer activities that teach sequencing using peg games, object permanence (like pushing shapes into a cube), fine motor skills with sorting games and puzzles. Sensorial Montessori materials are introduced to promote perception of dimension, visual discrimination, and the concept of weight. Language development and the basic concept of Mathematics are introduced through concrete materials like flash cards, number rods and counters.
Sensorial Montessori maters such as number rods, cards and counters.
Social skills like sharing and listening are developed through games and songs, so every child has the opportunity to interact with others.
All cultures have a long history of singing and dancing and children enjoy music. We provide children with a variety of musical instruments to encourage confidence through performance and movement. Whenever possible we head outdoors for movement, but we encourage a lot of movement within our classrooms for healthy development.
Indoor and Outdoor activities are planned for Gross and fine motor skill development.
Children love to help and participate in activities that help both the self and the environment. Plant care, mealtimes activities like setting the table or peeling fruit, assisting peers are some of the different ways Guiding Light integrates practical life into our classroom activities. Exercises like pouring, sorting, and participating in other daily activities develop both concentration and hand-eye coordination.
