The Montessori Infant Program provides children aged 0-2 with opportunities for learning through movement, exploration, and connection. Learning goals for infants focus on movement skills, language development, developmental milestones, fine motor development, social skills, and the joy of every child.
The Montessori Infant Program provides children with a nurturing learning environment that is full of educational materials that meet their specific developmental needs and interests during the first two years of life.
During this stage of development, infants move through sensitive periods for movement, hand-eye coordination, language, order, small objects, and toilet training. The design of the infant classroom, and the educational materials within in, reflect these interests and provide rich opportunities for learning.
Similarly, the daily routine reflects this age groups need for consistency and repetition, while embracing children’s individual needs, interests, stage of development, and learning styles.
Once children complete the Infant Program, they progress to the Montessori Toddler Program, where they gain a formal introduction to all five areas of the Montessori Curriculum.
The Practical Life Curriculum provides infants with opportunities to practice daily life skills such as self-feeding, cleaning, dressing, washing and self-care.
The Sensorial Curriculum assists in refining the senses of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. Through sensorial materials children develop the ability to discriminate by size, colour, and texture.
Infants learn through movement and exploration. Learning goals for infants include healthy physical development. Through the Infant Curriculum, children develop fine motor, gross motor, and fundamental movement skills.
The Montessori Language Curriculum introduces infants to spoken and written language. Children use language materials to explore names, sounds, songs and music.
Children’s happiness and wellbeing is at the core of everything we do. The Infant Curriculum nurtures children’s potential through positive, warm interactions, and collaborative partnerships with families. This includes respecting and valuing each family’s culture, beliefs, parenting style, and preferences for their child.
The Montessori Curriculum and the Australian Government’s Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF): Belonging, Being & Becoming work together to nurture children’s potential. The EYLF incorporates five outcomes:
The infant routine outlines the typical daily flow for children aged six weeks to two years in the Montessori infant community. The infant’s daily routine provides a consistent pattern of activities for learning time, meals, rest, and outdoor play. The predictability of the routine helps children to feel secure and positively influences their emotional, cognitive, and social development.
The Montessori Toddler Program is active, self-paced, and involves learning using all five senses. Children are introduced to the five areas of the Montessori Curriculum, including: Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language and Culture. They develop competence through repetition and practice.