Language Development Between the ages of one and four, a child will go from speaking two-word phrases all the way to full sentences, using correct grammar. To reduce the typical frustration that children feel when they don’t yet have the skill to share their needs and preferences, it’s important to support your child’s early language development, deliberately and methodically exposing your child to the specific language that she will need on a daily basis. This aspect of language learning is an important part of your child’s classroom experience.

In our Montessori classrooms, a child is exposed to real, rich, precise, and varied vocabulary and grammar. The Montessori guide will get down on the child’s level, look in his eyes, and speak to him clearly, so that he can watch the movements made by her mouth as she speaks. Children will enjoy carefully chosen songs, and read-aloud books with poetry, real stories and beautiful illustrations.

Your child will experience less frustration as he learns to express his ideas and feelings in words, and this thoughtful approach to language will also prepare him for later reading and writing.

Confidence and “Practical Life” Toddlers love to do real-world, adult tasks “all by myself”! Nature House offers your child real tools and opportunities through the Montessori “practical life” activities.

In this right-sized environment, the Montessori practical life exercises allow a child to perform real-world, purposeful tasks that your child can choose and complete independently. Your child will become an important contributor to her community, and practice tasks over and over to achieve mastery, building confidence and self-esteem. This gives rise to a naturally self-reinforcing process: the more he tries, the more he succeeds. The more success he feels, the more confident he becomes. The sense of accomplishment that a child feels each time he achieves something new (something that grown-ups do, too!) builds the foundation of self-confidence that he will carry with him throughout his life.

Coordinated Movement & Problem-Solving In our Montessori classroom, children have access to increasingly-sophisticated Montessori activities. Each activity is matched to the appropriate moment in an individual child’s development and designed to strengthen the integration between her mind and her hand. These activities support the children in learning to understand cause and effect, solve problems, make choices, and pursue goals, as well as giving her plenty of opportunities to practice increasingly coordinated movements.

Some activities feed a child’s developing mind through hand-eye coordination; others address his need to move and grow. Your child will engage in gross motor activity, both indoors and out, from singing and dancing with friends, to climbing and riding bicycles on our beautiful playground, to simply experiencing the joy of freedom of movement in the Montessori classroom.