Toddler Classroom

About The Toddler Program at Philly Montessori 

  • Our toddler classroom has up to 15 children whose ages range from 18 months to 3 years old.
  • The toddler class has two lead co-teachers and two assistant teachers.
  • The toddler classroom is Spanish immersion, using the one caregiver one language approach. In this approach, one teacher always speaks Spanish, while the other teacher(s) speak English. Many of our class activities, songs, and books also integrate the Spanish language.
  • Enrollment is for five days a week with Morning (8am-12:15pm)full day (8:00AM – 3:00PM) and extended day (8:00AM- 6:00PM) options.
  • We love getting outside in all kinds of weather, and walk to several local parks and playgrounds in our neighborhood each day including Weccacoe playground and the courtyard outside of the Fleisher Art Memorial . The toddler children also have full access to the Primary class garden for time outside, gardening, and sensory play.
  • With a child sized kitchen environment, and many opportunities to make their own snacks, the toddler children enjoy learning about healthy foods, and expanding their developing taste palates.
  • The classroom teachers partner with parents in helping to guide each child towards toilet independence when he or she is developmentally ready.
  • In the toddler classroom, a big emphasis is placed on social-emotional development. Children are taught from a very early age to recognize their own feelings, and the feelings of others. As they grow and language develops, they are encouraged to share their feelings using “I statements” and to also listen to other peoples feelings in order to communicate effectively.

How We Envision Montessori in the Toddler Classroom

  • We believe that children are inherently good.
  • We believe that when placed in calm, interesting, inviting, and loving environments, children naturally make choices that are positive for their own development.
  • We believe that learning happens best when home and school are closely integrated, and when parents feel welcome into their child’s school environment.

The Montessori Toddler Environment

Maria Montessori named the period from birth to the age of 6, “The absorbent mind”, drawing attention to the young child’s ability to learn large amounts of information at rapid rates. During this period, children are very similar to little scientists. They learn through experimenting with and manipulating the objects in their environment. 

Philly Montessori’s Toddler classroom is thoughtfully designed with the Montessori principles of beauty, simplicity, and movement in mind. The furniture and shelves are designed to promote each child’s independence, and the classroom materials change throughout the year as the children’s interests, strengths, and areas for growth change as well. In this way, our classroom is not a static space, but rather a dynamic organism that meets the needs of each individual child within it. The classroom is broken up into 5 major curricular areas: sensory, cognitive, language, social, and cultural studies. As is the Philly Montessori way, art, sensory play, and music are integrated into all of these major learning areas. Following the Montessori spiral of learning, absorbing new information is never limited. Instead, children are encouraged to explore, and to learn through interacting with their teachers, peers, and the environment. 

A WELL-ROUNDED EXPERIENCE

The Philly Montessori curriculum is rounded out with daily group meetings, story times, and gross motor play. Art and music are embedded throughout the classroom, and are further reinforced through weekly classes with Art and Music specialists. Our students have opportunities to participate in before or after school enrichment activities such as soccer, foreign language, and cooking.

To learn more in depth information about Montessori Education, visit this page from the American Montessori Society.

Learn more about our daily routine.

“Play is the work of childhood”
~ Maria Montessori