-------- Toddler Program --------

Lotus Child Montessori’s (LCM) toddler program serves children beginning at 18 months.  This special early childhood program focuses on toilet training, developing independence with personal care skills, learning to concentrate, fine and gross motor development, social awareness and work with pre-reading and mathematical concepts. Our toddler program is designed to create a “YES” environment for the busy hands and determined minds of the toddler. Activities follow the Montessori premise of order, beauty, and independence, with learning materials contained on trays on shelves. Students have the freedom to choose those activities to which they are drawn and may repeat these activities as many time as they wish. Toddlers are in a sensitive period for tiny objects, which is often the first surprise parents may experience when observing in the classroom. Students are keenly observed and guided in purposeful, orderly activity with these materials. It is amazing to see the level of engagement and concentration in pursuit of mastery with these types of activities. Students gain both fine motor skills as well as the ability to successfully navigate getting their materials to and from shelves and work tables.

The academic Montessori toddler program is in session from 8:40AM – 3:00PM, with 8:40AM to 11:45AM schedules also available.  LCM offers enrollment options consisting of five, four, three and two day programs.  LCM encourages families to consider a program of three more school days per week for toddlers because in our experience it is can be challenging for children to get into a routine consisting of only two school days per week.

During the hours of 8:40AM – 11:45AM a structured Montessori toddler program is facilitated by trained Montessori teachers and support staff including circle time, work period, community snack and outdoor play.  The Montessori pedagogy strives to educate the whole child and LCM adopts this philosophy.  Materials demonstrated during the work period will focus on concepts that support oral and written language development, number concepts, practical life, sensorial, peace education and cultural subjects such as art, music, botany, gardening, zoology, geography, history and physical education including yoga. Large motor development is a particular focus in this program because developing the core muscles in children in their toddler years allows them to be more successful with fine motor and academic skills as they grow. The toddler environment has activities that enlist the child’s whole body in the work they do, for example moving large objects from one place to another. Toddlers staying for the afternoon will eat lunch together and nap in a quiet room, pick up time for a full day is at 3:00. Our extended care program 7:30am to 8:40am and 3:00pm to 5:30pm is available to children who are at least 24 months old.

Our toddler program is a traditional Montessori mixed age group consisting of children 18 months through the child’s three year old year. It is most beneficial for children to begin in this class before 24 months so they can spend at least one school year in this carefully prepared environment. However, we invite children to enter our program at any point during this developmental stage and, the toddler class is a great place for a child to get an introduction to the Montessori environment. We usually move children up to the primary class during the summer after they turn three years old and have completed toilet training. The toddler class serves 6 half day children and 6 full day children at a time. Many of our students come three or 4 days a week allowing for a class roster of around 18 children total.

Our school calendar runs from September 1st through June 30th.  LCM takes legal national holidays, staff development days, approximately one week in winter, one week in spring and two weeks in summer with no day care available. In the spring of each year an interest survey is taken from families who are enrolled in the school and who are intending to enroll for the next year regarding enrollment for the summer months. The schedule for the summer program will be published in mid May based on the needs of our current families. Since the toddler program is small we cannot guarantee that it will run through the summer, this will be decided each year based on the needs of our current community. However, in many instances a toddler will be ready to join the primary class for the summer months as long as they are at least 24 months in age. For the months of July and August, families can sign up and pay by the week.  This provides for family vacations and a more flexible schedule in the summer.