It is not a daycare, but rather an enriched, respectful environment that stimulates the child’s natural curiosity. The Toddler environment is where the youngest students can gain a solid foundation in Montessori education. It meets their innate developmental needs while supporting their quest to become independent, social beings. Their day consists of an active play/work time, snack/lunch, outdoor play or gym, nap time and circle or group time. A 1:5 ratio is maintained, and our teachers and assistants are knowledgeable, patient, and caring individuals who will help your child develop routines, guide social interactions, provide stimulating activities and care for all your child’s needs. Gross motor and fine motor activities are part of the daily routine. Age appropriate materials are provided to enhance the toddler’s language, cognitive and motor skill development as well as promote independence and social interactions.
Toddlers are exposed to “an education of the senses” as they explore Montessori materials, as well as learn how to be a part of a community. Throughout the day, children are provided many opportunities to connect with their environment, peers, and teachers.
Caring for the environment, both inside and outside the classroom, is a large part of the toddler curriculum. Children learn to sweep, mop, wash windows, and clean up after each activity. Raking, watering plants, washing are some examples of the jobs each member of the toddler community preforms on a regular basis. Such activities not only maintain order and cleanliness, but over time they promote feelings of intrinsic self-worth, as the child discovers how capable they are at so many varied tasks that assist not only himself/herself, but the overall school community.
The toddler-aged child also learns important self care skills, such as food preparation, dressing, and later, toilet learning. It is from the cumulative experiences of taking care of oneself (in an age-appropriate manner) that independence and self esteem flourish. The child internalizes life lessons through hands-on experiences (not extrinsic rewards, i.e. stickers or adult praise), and self-correcting materials, that by design teach patience, perseverance, and eventually success.
A sense of order occurs as the child maintains their school environment and learns to put materials back in the same place every day. A daily schedule also assists with internalizing order and is very comforting to the young child.
At Waterdown Montessori, our Admissions Process is designed to help parents understand what is involved in the Montessori program, and ensure that parents are educated about this philosophy of education before registration.
Coming into the School for a visit and an optional observation is the first step in our admission process. Please contact the front office at 905-689-2171 to schedule your personal tour. This serves as a great opportunity to visit our campus, observe in our classrooms, meet the teachers, and learn more about our programs and the enrollment process.
As part of your visit, you have the option to observe for 20-minutes in one of our classrooms. It is recommended that your child(ren) do not accompany you for your observation.
During your observation, you will experience first hand what a Montessori environment feels like and you will notice:
Following your observation, an opportunity to discuss your own observations and questions will take place.
After your visit and observation, we welcome you to submit a completed application together with the non-refundable application fee. Kindly note that application submission does not guarantee enrollment as we receive more applications than spots available.
A Montessori education is most effective as a three-year cycle and in a classroom community with a balanced ratio of ages and gender. Our admission process, therefore, takes into consideration the long-term educational goals of the parents as well as the balance required in the classroom.
Final placement decisions will be made by the Head of School with input from parents, teachers, and records. Interviews and classroom visits by student and parents may be required before a final enrollment decision is made. The Head of School’s decision will be based on the needs of the child individually and as part of the classroom community.
We welcome the opportunity to answer your questions and show you our classrooms of actively engaged learners.