One of the most well-known phrases attributed to Dr. Maria Montessori is “help me to do it by myself.” Around the age of 18 months, your child begins working towards independence in eating, dressing and toileting. He or she also seeks opportunities through play (and work) to develop the fine and gross motor skills needed to move on to higher learning.
The YCC at Butler Montessori is designed to meet these emerging developmental needs of your young child. In this nurturing and specifically prepared Montessori environment, your child will gain independence through lessons in practical life, communication skills and toilet independence. Each child is treated as an individual and allowed to go at his or her own pace.
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Practical Life activities include pouring water, dressing and undressing, feeding oneself, as well as care of the environment, such as sweeping, plant watering and gardening. This type of hands-on exploration and active sensory discovery rewards your toddler’s blossoming curiosity and sets the stage for developing a lifelong love of learning.
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Communication Skills are enriched and increased through real conversations using correct terminology, working with collections of common categories your child can relate to such as kinds of transportation, items found at the park, and native insects and bugs. In addition, your child will join others in engaging in books, songs and poetry.
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Acquiring Toilet Independence is crucial. Knowing when and how to use the bathroom is essential to developing your young child’s independence and self-confidence.
Learning takes place both in and out of doors. With the compassionate guidance of a trained Montessori Guide and a support person, toddlers explore, run, jump, take walks, rest and create. The children’s large, open-air play area overlooks the natural wonders surrounding our campus, promoting a sense of openness, freedom and adventure.
The consistent schedule of the YCC creates a sense of order and routine, making it easy for the toddler child to develop language skills, patterns of learning and a growing independence.
When your child shows signs that he or she is ready to move up (typically between the ages of 2 ½ and 3), the YCC experience provides for a seamless transition into the Primary classroom. It also builds the foundation for a long-term experience at Butler Montessori.
Ages 18 to 36 months
Young Children's Community
Academic Approach
Art
Music and Performing Arts
Physical Education
Academic Approach
Art
In the YCC, your child will enjoy the opportunity to create with a variety of different media. His or her environment is enriched by paintings, tapestries, woodworks, pottery and paper cutouts. Your child may come into contact with a diverse collection of art from around the world.
Music and Performing Arts
In the YCC, your child will be encouraged to sing and act out songs, stories and poems. He or she will join other children in using language to act out plays. The children are also encouraged to dance and make music with the instruments that are in the YCC classroom.
Physical Education
A key factor of the YCC is the encouragement and emphasis on as much independent movement as developmentally appropriate to each child. Your child will be encouraged to dress him or herself, with help when necessary, as well as push and ride on wagons, carry work to a table, dance, walk up and down stairs, run, jump, put on their own jackets … The list is endless for these energetic, capable young people.
The Young Children’s Community (YCC) at Butler Montessori is a “home away from home,” a cozy and safe place for your increasingly curious toddler to experience the world outside his or her home.
