Younger children community

Age Group: 1 ½ to 2 ½ years

“Help me to help myself ”

A toddler is a child who is propelled to explore his environment in a new way, as his hands are free from being used for locomotion. The child is keen on participating in everything that is happening around him and exerting maximum effort – be it carrying small furniture or a jug full of water. The child is still very new to the world of sights, sounds, movements with a keen interest in language, especially names of things. He is in awe of the wonders of the world and exhilarated from the growing independence, sense of self and freedom.

We understand that the first three years of a child’s life are the most formative as the cornerstone is laid for his personality. The Younger Children Community is carefully prepared to nurture this child in his efforts towards independence and confidence.

 The environment is designed with materials that are child sized and functional, so they can be successful in purposeful work. The child is collaborated with at every step as the trained adult shares the joy of the child’s every achievement. Language is offered in all its richness and precision that the child shows much enthusiasm in. The environment offers opportunities for the child to take care of himself, take care of the space and to build independence, movement and language skills and social etiquettes. The young child is on the path of developing and refining fine (grasps) and gross (equilibrium) motor coordination and visual discrimination. There are opportunities galore for the child to satisfy these urges in the community.

The settling-in period is very crucial as the child-parent separation needs gentle and gradual progression. The focus is on making the child feel secure and safe, by allowing them time to relax and explore things at their own pace. Simple sensorial activities in the classroom respond to the toddler’s urge to use all their senses – indeed their whole bodies.

There is a vast garden area, a storehouse of sensory exploration, where the children get a chance to appreciate and understand nature and try their hand at gardening.
Playtime is an integral part of the program that contributes to their physical and psychological development as they become more confident with the abilities of their body. There is a vast outdoor play area complete with slides, tunnels and a swing for children to explore. They can choose to cycle around the lawn or indulge in free play. A ‘nature walk’ in the garden encourages the child to observe different kinds of plants, leaves, buds, flowers. 

“Every baby has the same appearance; he is motionless, empty; insignificant. Yet this infant has within himself potentialities which determine his development”.

- Dr. Maria Montessori

Come and see the school yourself in person.