Young Children’s Community (15-18 months – 3 years)

Our Young Children’s Community (YCC) is welcoming, engaging, and carefully designed to meet the needs of the 15-18 month to 3 year old child.

Program Overview

Our Montessori trained teacher and assistants encourage children to encounter the joys of the real and natural world in a comforting, home-like setting designed to ease the young child’s transition into the classroom.

The Young Children’s Community offers opportunities for development related to language, large motor skills, small motor skills and socialization. The community is established in order to promote positive psychological growth through gentle, loving experiences for all of its members.

Within this framework, the children are allowed a great deal of independence and choice in their activity, accompanied by a great deal of support from the adults and the environment. Group and individual lessons with adults are followed by group and individual activity.

Enjoying meals together

For those who attend all day, we have the good fortune of sharing several snacks as well as lunch together, day in and day out. These are always special times for gathering together, practicing our polite table manners, filling our bellies with nutritious food and celebrating the company that community life affords. The children assist in preparing many of our food items, and also have a hand in setting the table for the vast majority of our meals. They are drawn to these opportunities and sense themselves as important contributors. We strive to set healthy habits with the children which will serve to benefit them for the rest of their lives.

Lunch and afternoon snack

If your child stays for the afternoon, lunch will be sent from home. Lunch will be served at noon and afternoon snack following your child’s afternoon rest. Water and milk will be available as beverages daily.

Restful sleep

Following the body’s natural rhythms, children will be offered an opportunity to nap following their lunch. Additionally, children may have other times during their YCC experience where sleep is needed and granted. Each child has his/her own designated cot that will be used only by that child. Bedding is washed weekly or more frequently, if needed. We ask that you supply a small blanket (preferably one that is neutral in color so as to promote sleep). We have found that vivid colors, busy patterns and especially blanket with characters, tend to evoke conversation and play as opposed to good rest. Experience tell us “the blander, the better” when it comes to the choice of your child’s bedding. We will be peacefully present to aid your child as s/he gets settled to rest drifts off to sleep each afternoon. Some children sleep for thirty minutes while others need a full three hours to rejuvenate. The sleep of each child is protected. As children awake, they are invited to leave the restful sleep space and return to classroom activity/snack.