Toddler Program
Suitable for ages 18-30 Months
The toddler Program
The Montessori Toddler Program allows children to function independently in an atmosphere of love and support.
Young students flourish in an environment that believes in and encourages their innate abilities. With your child’s natural learning characteristics in mind, the lessons offer a complete range of purposeful and sensorial activities.
The classroom is a safe, welcoming, scientifically prepared space where the children build a sense of belonging, create connection with peers and adults while developing their potential.
Movement Area
The developing brain is stimulated and enhanced through small and large muscle movement, which are strengthened through practice. Our movement area within the classroom allows each child to move seamlessly between large and small muscle activities as needed and with the freedom to repeat the actions as desired. Through such activities as the stairs and platform, push cart and wall bars, your child builds and strengthens the large muscle groups needed for coordination while learning how to negotiate their surroundings. Activities such as threading, stringing beads and working with puzzles develop and refine the smaller muscle groups, as well as the ability to concentrate. This work prepares the toddler for future skills, such as tying shoes and handwriting.
Practical Life Area
Activities in the practical life area include sweeping, caring for plants and polishing which help toddlers develop good work habits such as focus, inner discipline, task completion, pride and organizational skills as well as a positive attitude toward work. These activities strengthen your child’s self-esteem as they successfully learn to do so much independently while contributing to and feeling a sense of belonging within their community. Read More
Language Area
The language area consists of miniature objects and picture cards depicting fruits and vegetables, animals, neighborhood, school and home. These familiar and interesting materials are designed to increase students’ vocabulary and expressive language. The main purpose of the language area is to support the development of the child’s personality while offering ways for the children to express themself. The guide shares poetry, fiction and nonfiction books with the children. The children enjoy taking time to relax on the child size couch and look at books. Group activities such as singing and stories are also part of your child’s language experiences at Westside.
Food Preparation
When your child bakes muffins or bread, or prepares food such as peeling bananas, making hummus, cutting cucumbers, they are not only developing coordinated movement, they’re also learning all the social aspects related to sharing and serving food. In addition to constructing themself through this process, they’re also giving back to their community. These activities support language development, mathematical concepts, and building self-esteem.
Art & Music
These activities and opportunities to move their bodies and create help children freely express their emotions, develop fine and motor skills, bring mind and body together and foster concentration. Moreover, music activities are an opportunity to have fun as a community and build a sense of belonging and connection.
Psycho-Sensory Motor Development
These materials help build the child’s intellect through contact and exploration of the environment. Through working with activities such as the vertical dowels, peg box, imbucare, and sewing, children create a mental image through their concrete experiences. The more they touch, feel and manipulate their environment, the more the brain grows and their understanding of the world around them deepens. The aim of this area is to involve all of the senses in their learning, thereby creating a clear and strong impression in their mind.
Our Core Objectives
Every child is an individual, captivated by different things at different times. We personalize your child’s learning experience by creating individualized lesson plans based on their interests, level of understanding and experiences. In this manner, every child is introduced to all aspects of our curriculum at the right time in their development.
Children who graduate our program are will be prepared for the next step in their education, private or public, with a genuine love of learning. They will have an increased curiosity about the world around them and the confidence necessary to take on new academic and social challenges.
“Both my kids have attended Westside Montessori and they’re learning and growing way above their age group, I couldn’t be happier!”
Amy Adams
Parent of Two Kids
