Human beings are a magical combination of at least three factors: our genetic inheritance, our biological development, and our experiences. The three are equally important but the one that we could control is the preparation of an environment for the child’s early education, his first experiences in life.

This will allow his or her full development of the potential that we have as human being. If the mind is stimulated during this period by the exposure of the child to a rich environment, the brain will develop a much longer and lasting ability to learn and accomplish.

The environment
Kaban Montessori School has Infant / Toddler environments that are carefully prepared to provide experiences and present a home-like setting where the child is assisted in his developmental process; encouraging the gross and fine motor control and an introduction of self-help skills at an individual pace.

This Montessori environment is prepared to aid the young child in achieving independence, social interaction with other children, development of language skills, music and movement activities as well.

The Individual work finds the children involved in activities that include the use of language enrichment materials, and Eye – Hand co-ordination materials.

Practical life is a major element in Montessori Education. For infants / toddlers, practical life allows their participation in caring for themselves and eating independently.  Language and coordination activities can be included easily in anything having to do with caring for one’s environment or oneself, or preparing, serving, and cleaning up one’s food.

Movement
Movement is critical to brain development – it is as necessary as nutrition! From a very tender age, movement is encouraged, not by the adult but by the environment itself, that is conducive to it.

The classroom will have bars and furniture placed around the room so young children can pull themselves up. Walking wagons, which little ones can push before they can take steps on their own.  Also there will be a stair with low steps and a railing for use by children who are beginning to crawl and walk. In order to encourage movement among children, the less restrictive the clothing, the better. Comfortable clothing that does not inhibit their freedom of movement.

Group Activities
There is group time for singing, reading, dancing, being together, outdoor time and eating, either lunch or snack. When will each of these segments occurs depends on the children – some days begin outdoors, some end outdoors, some do both.  Eating tends to be scheduled, as most of us adjust to eating schedules rather quickly.

The group times tend to evolve: the adult may sit with one or two children to read or sing and other children will gather, resulting in all or almost all of the children participating in a group.

Eating is almost always a group activity.  Children should never be forced to come to a group situation.  If what is going on is interesting enough, the children will come.

The Infant / Toddler programs are kept small, intimate, and flexible with regard to planned activities so that the needs of the children are addressed at all times, rather than a plan created by the adults.

Toilet-learning
Children would learn how it feels to be wet or dry at this age. Once the child starts walking more firmly, the children simply wear underwear all the time until they can control their body.

Depending on the individual maturity level, children stop wetting their pants. This means they have accepted, at a deep level, the responsibility for their own body and its’ functions.  We aren’t really “toilet training”; we simply set up the environment in such way that when a child becomes aware of these functions, handling them is made easier.  No rewards or punishments are used because using the bathroom is a very normal function that all people carry out.  If a child wets or soils himself, we simply help them to clean up, and clean underwear is put on.