Children deserve to be loved and respected.  This is the attitude of the Staff of Alexander Montessori School.  We seek to recognize the individual personality differences while nurturing and assisting in the development of the individual child's potential and in directing natural talents.

Dr. Maria Montessori tells us:  "The first six years of the child are the foundation of all the characteristics, attitudes, and abilities of his adulthood, constructed in such a manner that it lasts throughout his whole life."

Toddlers are happiest in their natural state of constant movement, exploring, and discovering their relationship to the environment and their world.  They develop self-reliance, independence, and social skills in the specially designed classrooms.

"Help Me Do It By Myself"
This is their message to us as they develop security, safety, and a feeling of trust on their way to independence.

The Montessori Toddler Program fulfills these needs.
The American Montessori Society says of the Toddler environment:  "These environments are characterized by order, simplicity, and aesthetics in order to meet the need of the spiritual embryo and the unconscious absorbent mind."

Safety must be insured in order to allow for freedom of movement, exploration, and cognitive/motor development through interaction with the environment.  Increased ability in the Toddler, as well as an intense need to develop independence, demands an environment that encourages the transition by the child from the dependent state of infancy.  At the same time, the avenue for retreat and reassurance must be constantly available.

The role of the parent remains paramount in the Montessori Toddler environment.  Emphasis is placed on a trusting, collaborative relationship between the Montessori Staff and the parent in the care-giving process.  The goal of this collaborative relationship during this formative period of the child's life is the development of a healthy personality and the fulfillment of human potential in an environment free of artificial rewards and punishments.

Children develop the power to communicate in spoken, written, and dramatic languages of the cultural arts as they individually progress from Toddler to the Preschool and Elementary programs.

Alexander Montessori School's Toddler Program was the first Montessori program for two-year old's in South Florida with a certified American Montessori Society Toddler Directress.  Its implementation is typical of our role as a leader in educational innovation in South Florida.  

The Montessori Method empowers children to develop a feeling of self-worth so positive in nature that our alumni tell us, when they return from college, that they consider this educational foundation to be "invaluable." 

Toilet Training
We will assist with toilet learning habits.

Phase-In Period
We request that a family member stay with the child daily, sitting and observing, until this is no longer needed and the transition is evident.  It can take several days or perhaps longer for the child to feel comfortable in the new "home away from home."  The first few days are short, and are gradually lengthened according to the child's comfort in the environment.

Parent Support
We look forward to having parents call for conferences when they have questions or ideas to share.  We expect parents to attend parent meetings and feel that they are mandatory for a transfer of philosophy of life from Children's House to home.

Toddler Activities
The Toddler environment, both indoors and out, consists of developmentally appropriate activities, which involve movement appropriate to this sensitive period of the child's life.  Manipulative, "practical life" exercises, such as dish washing, sensorial activities for sensory development, gross motor tasks, vocabulary-building, and habits of grace and courtesy form the foundation of the "curriculum."

At the beginning of the year, activities available are those the children can perform successfully on their own in order to facilitate a successful transition from home to the Children's House.  As the year progresses, additional, more complex activities are made available; the many steps involved in food preparation, for example, help develop the Toddler's growing sense of order, coordination, concentration, and independence.

Social Interaction
Children play and social interaction flows freely.  Free play is facilitated by age-appropriate equipment designed for learning and play experiences.  Grace and courtesy are taught and practiced as children learn to respect their playmates, the adult, and for themselves.

Movement and Physical Coordination
Coordination of movements are developmentally planned.  Dr. Montessori says that we have two streams of energy, mental and physical. When these two streams are working in harmony, the personality develops positively.  The vestibular stimulation board is important in development, as well as fun activities with art materials, sand, water, ball-play, and climbing apparatus on the playground.

Music
Quality music is part of the background of sound in the Children's House. Children also learn to listen to music, move their hands, clap, and move their body to the music.

Creative Thought
It is important to understand that children are learning all the time because Dr. Montessori tells us that the child has an "absorbent mind."  Every child is constantly absorbing the knowledge and all the feelings provided incidentally or deliberately from every experience in life.  Therefore, the heart and mind are one in this nurturing atmosphere, moving their body to the music.

Sound and Light
All aspects of the environment are carefully planned and maintained.  It is a recognized fact that academic achievement is lower and nervousness exists in people subjected to an environment with a large degree of loud fluctuations of unpleasant noise.  We agree with Jorge Arango, Member of the Board of Contributors to The Miami Herald, who said:  "Sound, for instance, is used carefully by nature because it directly affects our nervous system and triggers reactions that go from muscular tension to glandular secretion, and so do colors, textures, and odors."

Language Development
Dr. Joyce McGhee, who lived in Perugia, Italy, and studied the Montessori Method at the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) asks children to "Use your words."    

How very necessary it is for us to understand what our young ones need.  Until they develop language to be able to tell us what they need and how they feel (communication skills), there needs to be a sensitive adult to help, to guide, and to direct the child.  Children who enter class speaking a language other than English absorb English and are supported in feeling comfortable.

"Language," says Dr. Montessori, "is truly the expression of a kind of super-intelligence...it is the central point of difference between the human species and all others.  Language is an instrument of thought...Language can separate and it can unite people."

Staff Our capable Directresses are trained using courses approved by the American Montessori Society, which has served the USA since 1962, and/or Association Montessori Internationale.  We encourage you to take a parent membership in AMS and to support this organization. Reading Resources In order for our parents to understand the foundation of this philosophy, we sincerely suggest, expect, and hope that parents will read the following books and others of their choice.  A good selection is available for lending from our Old Cutler Road Campus Office. The Absorbent Mind by Dr. Maria Montessori Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work by E.M. Standing The Hurried Child by Dr. David Elkind

Summer Toddler Session
Students in the Applicant Pool for the Toddler program who are 18 months old, are advised to begin attendance in the eight-week Summer Toddler Session.

Old Cutler Road Campus is located about 2 miles east of the Shops at the Falls and contains one Toddler environment containing two classes (ages 2 to 3) and six Montessori Children's Houses (ages 3 to 6). This campus was designed according to Maria Montessori's ideal plan for a school and was featured in Architectural Digest Magazine. The seven spacious Children's Houses at the Old Cutler Road Campus feature large picture windows and skylights, providing for plenty of natural light. They surround a lush courtyard with a bubbling fountain. Each room has its own small patio at the back for outdoor lessons and artwork within view of the Teachers. The buildings are surrounded by playgrounds.

Palmetto Bay Campus Located directly across the street from the Palmetto Bay Village Center, this gorgeous Campus houses the Montessori Toddler program for children ages 18 months to 3 years and a Montessori Children's House for children ages 3 to 6 years. This spacious house was built in 1906 and allows for learning and play in a beautifully serene, nurturing environment and playground area.

Elementary Ages 6-12 14850 Ludlam Road Miami, FL 33158 P: 305.235.3995 F: 305.252.9778 Preschool/Toddler Ages 2-6 14400 Old Cutler Road Miami, FL 33158 P: 305.233.4540 F: 305.253.7322 Preschool/Toddler Ages 1½-6 17800 Old Cutler Road Miami, FL 33157 P: 305.969.1814 F: 305.969.3974 Preschool & Admin. Office Ages 3-6 6050 Red Road Miami, FL 33143 P: 305.665.6274 F: 305.665.7726 Email: school@alexandermontessori.com