Toddler Room
One of the goals of the Kensington Montessori of Laguna Niguel Toddler program is to assist children as they fulfill the basic human tasks of trust, separation, independence, and self-control. The focus is also on curriculum and materials and on helping the toddlers respond to the rapid changes of this developmental age.
The carefully planned and meticulously prepared class environment awakens the two year old’s strongest desires to make order out of chaos, to move with intention and coordination, and to communicate effectively with others.
In a Montessori environment, the child develops feelings of support, security, and self-esteem. Children are gently guided toward appropriate behaviors through a
non-judgmental atmosphere that offers consistency; children come to understand the balance between freedom and limits. The children need to know that they are safe, both physically and emotionally, and that they are loved for whom they are.
Most toddlers quickly adjust to the Montessori environment. Nature assists by offering him or her an insatiable curiosity and an enthusiasm for activity. Out of this innate freedom of movement, there eventually comes a flourishing of concentration on an enticing activity. Despite minor distractions, children focus and engage in hands-on activity, music and song, group time, and participate both in the their own personal care and the care of their classroom. Patience, self-control, and respect of peers develop as children participate in community life.
Toddlers also learn to use language skills, both verbal and non-verbal, to solve conflicts in social situations. They quickly grow in their ability to carry on extended conversations and request help from adults.
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.