At the Montessori School of Manhattan Beach, we provide a beautiful, natural enviroment for the toddler to explore and develop at his or her own pace. Our toddler program offers very young children a unique year of self- development in a tender atmosphere of special understanding, respect and support.

Our Toddler classroom is designed with just the right size furniture and lots of open spaces. This environment fosters and encourages an exploration which is free of obstacles. When we begin our study of language by identifying chairs, clothes, animals, transportaion and food in a toddler's life, the objects are of a size and quality which toddlers can handle.

The toddler program also appropiately accommodates the very young child's sensitive period for language by offering creative and intriguing concepts to expand their growing vocabularies. Joining conversations, listening to stories, classifying objects and learning songs and poems all nurture their budding language skills. To help smooth their initial social interactions, the toddlers also learn to use words for the feelings they experience in themselves and others.

As a Montessori classroom, our Toddler community is an environment designed to encourage and stimulate individual growth and learning. The children love to practice washing their hands and putting on a t-shirt and shorts. We all work together to set the table and fix a light snack each day. Time and space to explore new horizons is serious business for a toddler, but we make it fun.

Our toddlers, like all our students, are encouraged to share their feelings while respecting the rights of others who have their own unique and personal feelings. They help each other whether it's closing a door, finding that missing shoe or getting a drink of water. They learn to respect someone else's activities in a warm and caring community.

Through song, dance and freedom of choice, the toddlers have access to a variety of large muscle activities that offer them opportunities to jump, climb, balance, crawl or skip. These exercises as well as creative art activities are offered for each child to choose. This freedom in a safe space is crucial to the toddler program. However it is always tempered by two important limits that will be beneficial for a lifetime - respect for others and respect for the environment.