Education Starts at Birth.
Infants’ rate of growth and development is intense. It’s also dependent upon a child’s feelings of security and trust in their environment and caregivers. Our Infant Montessori guides serve infants beginning at 6 weeks of age, and strive to respond lovingly to their unique cues and rhythms, in order to establish strong caregiver bonds and to enable them to focus their energy on growth in the areas of…
Personal Care
Most of an infant’s daily routine is composed of cycles of personal care, with feeding, diapering/toileting, and napping being most prominent. Teachers care for these needs in a routine, nurturing, sensitive, responsive, and engaging manner that promotes caregiver bonding and provides a comforting sense of order for the child.
Sensory Development
Infants’ brains are stimulated by exposure to a wide range of sensory experiences. In this environment, children are provided with a rich tapestry of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic materials to promote interest and engagement. These include boldly patterned mobiles, mirrors, tactile blocks and balls, specialized Montessori materials, books, puzzles, sorters, music and games that are targeted to infants’ stages of development.
Motor Development & Coordination
Control of bodily movement is a huge undertaking for infants! In several brief months, they will roll over, sit, scoot, crawl and potentially walk. The Infant classroom and outdoor play areas encourage a variety of opportunities to develop gross and fine motor skills through the use of soft mats and bolsters, wall-mounted pull-up bars, tunnels, steps, push toys, and more! Infants are encouraged to move freely and activity is promoted by design. Walkers, bouncy chairs, swings, and playpens are not used.
Language Development
Children under the age of three are in a particularly sensitive period of language acquisition, and our teachers seek to make the most of it! One-on-one engagement, with eye contact and responsive verbalization is a priority during periods of personal care. Songs, finger play, and books provide additional opportunities for language development throughout the day.
Foundations of Order & Independence
By encouraging freedom of movement and facilitating consistent routines throughout each day, infants become more organized in their movement and brain patterns, and make more connections in the world around them. An environment full of prepared activities, appealing materials presented neatly on infant-height shelving, and engaging caregivers promote a strong foundation for a lifetime love of learning.
