Unlock your child’s full potential during this exciting and transformative stage!
Between 18 months and 3 years, children undergo incredible growth— from developing communication skills and gaining independence, to mastering physical movement, problem-solving, and building social connections. The Toddler Program is designed to nurture and maximize these milestones, providing the solid foundation for lifelong learning.
Our Focus Areas
- Health, Safety and Security
- Love, Care and Trust
- Self-reliance and Independence
- Discovery and Exploration
- Concentration, Organization, Coordination and Problem-solving.
- Respect for each child’s unique needs and developmental stage
- Social, Emotional and Cognitive development.
- Language
- Toilet training
- Social interactions
Key areas of development:
Language Development:
Toddlers naturally progress from using two-word phrases to full sentences with correct grammar. At this stage your child develops a growing need for language skills essential for navigating daily interactions with confidence and joy.
Early language development helps reduce the frustration your child often feels when struggling to express their needs and preferences effectively.
How we approach and support this growth:
At MIS, we deliberately and methodically exposed children to real, rich, precise, and varied vocabulary and grammar through:
- Carefully selected songs and read-aloud books featuring poetry, real stories, and beautiful illustrations.
- Thoughtful, eye-level interactions with Montessori guides, allowing children to observe mouth movements for clear language modeling.
This approach empowers children to express their ideas and feelings in words, minimizes frustration, and prepares them for reading and writing in the Kindergarten (Children’s House) class.
Confidence and “Practical Life”
Toddlers have a natural love for engaging in real-world, adult-like tasks “all by myself”! This innate desire to participate in purposeful activities is key to building their confidence and self-esteem.
How we approach and support this growth:
At MIS, we provide a “prepared environment” where children have freedom to choose, practice, and master skills at their own pace, supporting their developmental need for independence and autonomy.
Through repeated practice, children naturally enter a self-reinforcing process: the more they try, the more they succeed; the more success they experience, the more confident they become. Each new achievement, no matter how small (something even grown-ups do!), instills a lasting sense of self-confidence and pride
What we offer:
- Child-Sized Environment: Furniture, materials, and tools are designed to fit a child’s hand, size, and abilities.
- Purposeful Practical Life Exercises: Activities encourage children to independently engage in real-world, meaningful tasks.
- Self-Care Skills: Developing habits like wiping their nose, brushing their hair, or using dressing frames lays the foundation for lifelong independence.
- Community Contribution: Opportunities to contribute, such as arranging flowers or caring for the environment, help children feel valued and important.
- Mastery Through Repetition: Consistent practice fosters confidence, self-esteem, and pride in their accomplishments.
Coordinated Movement & Problem-Solving
Between the ages of 18 months and 3 years, your child strengthens the integration of skills, develops the connection between mind and hand, sharpens problem-solving abilities, makes choices, understands cause and effect, and pursues goals. Ample opportunities to practice increasingly coordinated movements are essential
How we approach and support this growth:
In the authentic Montessori environment at MIS, we provide:
- Increasingly sophisticated Montessori activities, aligned with each child’s developmental moments
- A learning environment that encourages decision-making, goal setting, and hands-on learning experiences.
- Activities designed to support all aspects of a child’s development.
As your toddler takes on more complex tasks, their experiences reinforce their belief in their own ability in solving problems and overcoming challenges that arise along the way.
Classroom activities:
- Hand-eye coordination exercises like sorting, matching, and latching.
- Gross motor activities, such as singing, dancing, climbing, and riding tricycles.
- Tasks like watering plants and setting the table to promote problem-solving and independence.
- Experiences that foster a sense of freedom and joy in movement, supporting physical and emotional development.
Your child is always ready for new challenges, and we’re here to support them!
Toilet Independence
A key step in a toddler’s journey to independence is learning to use the toilet on their own!
Our Montessori guides know how to watch for the signs that your child is ready and offer gentle encouragement without pressure.
We provide your child with:
- Child-sized bathrooms
- Comfortable rhythms and routines that make using the toilet familiar and appealing
- The invaluable resource of a mixed-age classroom, where older children set an example, inspiring interest and a desire to emulate in younger children.
We ensure the experience is always positive and relaxed!
Socializing with “Grace and Courtesy”
Another key developmental milestone for your child! Toddlers begin to interact, play, and socialize with their peers. They delight in imitation, learning by copying the adults around them, which establishes patterns of social behavior that will stay with them throughout their lives.
How we approach and support this growth:
Our Montessori guides help the child learn positive social interaction through specific lessons in “grace and courtesy.” Rather than constantly correcting behavior negatively, we show your child what to do in each situation.
In our Nursery class:
- Your child moves freely in their classroom with ample opportunities to interact with other children.
- Courteous interactions are modeled, capitalizing on toddlers’ natural delight in imitation.
- Lessons in grace and courtesy help toddlers navigate their world with confidence, consideration and respect for others.
