Beginning at 18 months old, children join the Toddler Community at The Maria Montessori School. This program fosters basic motor coordination, independence, and language development in an environment of respect for each individual child’s unique character. The Toddler Community has five main areas: practical life, language, art/creative expression, hand-eye coordination, and large movement. These children are taught how to care for themselves, others, and the classroom.
Another feature of the Toddler Community includes Music for Aardvarks, an alternative to a traditional music class. This program is for children ages 8-months to 5-years and combines song, dance and rhythm to teach a love of music at an early age.
Below is a testimonial from Chuck Garner and Kim Brien whose daughter attends the MMS Toddler Community:
We liked the idea of sending our toddler to Montessori school because it is an excellent place to begin socialization at an early age. The Toddler Community guides have amazing patience with the children. For example, on the first day of school, our child refused to wear her shoes, but that was OK with the guides. They didn’t want that to distract from her learning and communicating that day.
Also, our child loves the Aardvark’s music time each Friday. She is especially responsive to the quiet parts of the music where the kids pretend to go to sleep until the more vibrant parts come up, especially in the William Tell Overture. This is a program that our daughter really enjoys.