A teacher reading a copy of

A Nurturing Environment

Our bright and peaceful toddler classroom is a world especially scaled to your child’s size.  Specifically designed for toddlers between the ages of 18 and 36 months, here, our experienced teachers provide the sense of security, nurturance and loving care that your child needs to thrive during this first step away from home and during this stage of intense learning.

A little boy sitting at a table playing with clear containers

An Atmosphere Conducive to Learning

Parents often remark on the peaceful tone of our toddler classroom, in comparison to many early childhood programs that are chaotic and overwhelming.  The natural curiosity of the toddler is supported in a calm environment designed to encourage respect, choice and movement, but void of too many distractions.

Your toddlers love of learning starts here.

A group of children standing in a row

An Engaging Classroom

By having a low classroom ratio, each child is able to spend quality one-on-one time with the teacher throughout the day. A toddler environment is created that engages all five senses and where everything is just the right size for your child to do things on her own.  Here, your child dances, paints, cooks, sings songs with friends, waters the plants, and engages with materials that develop fine and gross motor skills.

A group of toddlers sitting at a table eating snacks

Help Me to Do It Myself

Since toddlers need to achieve gradual independence, we provide individual attention as your child deals with positive experiences as well as frustrations. Your child is taught the skills of self-care and toilet training.  Our classroom set-up is designed to promote choice and variety through each discovery area.  These areas will promote growth and independence; allow your child to gain skills through imagination, creativity and exploration.

Toddler holding items to put in a pink box

Exploration

To be a toddler is to be curious.  There are so many things to feel, do, hear, touch and see in the BMS toddler classroom! A water transferring job teaches your child how to clean-up spills with a sponge, while a miniature broom empowers your child to sweep up on his own.  By toddlers engaging in these purposeful exercises they will learn independence, self-confidence as well as personal and social responsibility.  Your child is encouraged to move freely around the classroom, to choose activities and explore his own interests.  The delight for the child is in doing.

A little girl pretends to pour tea into a cup

Practice Makes Permanent

Often, children who don’t do things for themselves simply do not know how or have never been given the opportunity.  At BMS, our approach differs.  By observing your child closely, providing just the right lesson when he is ready and then allowing him to practice again and again.  Then repeat again, and again until he masters it.  Mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities in an environment founded on patience, trust and respect.

Natural Progression of Language

Your child has learned the oral language naturally. He absorbed it from his environment. It is the teacher who continues to bring these words to life. Games fill your child with a love of sound, while rich and stimulating conversation supports this period of rapid language development. Oral communication, new vocabulary and listening skills are developed through classroom activities such as; singing songs, rhyming, environmental labeling, patterning, sequencing, and reading books. Your child’s mind effortlessly absorbs this natural progression in language, which plants the seeds for reading, writing and self-expression in the future.

A little girl and boy sit on the floor putting together a puzzle of the earth

First Friends

One of our goals is to instil greater social skills within our classroom environment.  These skills will allow toddlers to develop good manners and respect for others, the environment and themselves.  Making first friends and learning how to function with kindness within a community is a life shaping experience for your child.

Encouraging co-operation, understanding emotions and learning how to solve conflicts are valuable skills that are worked on throughout the year.  Your child will emerge from the toddler program with friendships that will continue as she moves through the rest of the programs at BMS. Invaluable.

A little boy and girl use spoons and tongs to pick up toys at a table

Ready to Move Up

At the core of Montessori pedagogy is recognizing each child as a unique individual.  Sometime between the ages of 2 ½ to 3 ½ years of age, your child will show growing confidence in independence, rapidly developing language skills, increased attention span and a better ability to self-regulate their emotions.  He will show a genuine interest in the world around him, and what lies outside of the Toddler Classroom.  At this point, he is ready to move up to the Primary Classrooms at BMS (Casa), for children ages 3 to 6.