PreCasa – Starting at 18 Months

Meadow Park Montessori School follows the Montessori philosophy of learning and is recognized as a licensed child care facility in the province of Ontario, meeting all the requirements of the New Child Care and Early Years Act. Our PreCasa Program operates at a 1:5 student/teacher ratio.

Often when a toddler starts in our program it is their first time being away from home. With this in mind, we have created a classroom with a home-like atmosphere. It is a very welcoming, comforting and loving environment. With many familiar items they may find at home, the children feel both safe and secure.ethan_01

Toddlers have a natural eagerness to learn and the Meadow Park Montessori program allows the children in this age group to explore new concepts where they learn to develop a feeling of independence, a sense of responsibility and build concrete decision-making skills. These little lessons help to create positive habits that the children will carry with them throughout their childhood and for years beyond.

Young children learn best through repetition, and by doing simple tasks toddlers will develop motor and cognitive skills. The idea behind age-appropriate activities such as cleaning up their toys, helping to set the table, watering plants or sorting laundry is not to execute perfection but rather to introduce the child to the process and for them to get used to it. This will give them a sense of accomplishment and boost their self-confidence.

Although many of our toddler activities are enjoyed together as a group, Meadow Park Montessori School fully encourages independent play. Every child is given unlimited opportunity to explore their environment, both in our classroom and the outdoor play areas. Not only does this allow each child the opportunity to discover new things in their surroundings, but it again helps to build their imaginations and boost their self-esteem.

Our program offers each child the freedom of choice when selecting their ‘work’ or choosing an activity, all within boundaries that will help encourage grace and courtesy and responsible choices. Even with the ability to choose for themselves, the daily consistency of our program offers each child a strong sense of routine. Toddlers feel more relaxed when they can anticipate how things are going to happen and when they can predict how their time will be spent each day, they will naturally feel safe and secure.

The PreCasa group is also introduced to sign language, which is especially helpful to the younger children who have yet to fully develop their speech. The sign language gives them an alternate method of being able to communicate their message to others. This portion of our program is designed to help make things a little bit easier at home for families enrolled at Meadow Park.

We also work very closely with families when it comes time to begin the toilet training process. When your child is ready, we work to keep the same consistency as you would at home so that your child transitions smoothly through this stage.