Lotus Child Montessori’s (LCM) Early Beginnings program serves children beginning at 18 months.  This special early childhood program focuses on toilet training, developing independence with personal care skills, learning to concentrate, gross and fine motor development, social awareness and work with pre-reading and mathematical concepts.

Our program is designed to create a “YES” environment for the busy hands and determined minds of the toddler. Activities follow the Montessori premise of order, beauty, and independence, with learning materials contained on trays on shelves. Students have the freedom to choose those activities to which they are drawn and may repeat these activities as many times as they wish. Toddlers are in a sensitive period for tiny objects, which is often the first surprise parents may experience when observing in the classroom. Students are keenly observed and guided in purposeful, orderly activity with these materials. It is amazing to see the level of engagement and concentration in pursuit of mastery with these types of activities. Students gain both fine motor skills as well as the ability to successfully navigate getting their materials to and from shelves and worktables Click here to see the daily schedule of activities.

The early beginnings academic Montessori program is in session from 8:40AM – 3:00PM Monday through Thursday. Half days are available from 8:40AM to 11:45AM.  LCM offers enrollment options consisting of four or three full days, and half-day programs available four, three or two days a week as shown on our Tuition Schedule.  LCM encourages families to consider a program of three or more school days per week because in our experience it is often challenging for children to get into a routine when coming less often.

During the hours of 8:40AM – 11:45AM a structured Montessori early beginnings program is facilitated by trained Montessori teachers and support staff including circle time, independent work time, community snack and outdoor play.  The Montessori pedagogy strives to educate the whole child and LCM adopts this philosophy.  Materials demonstrated during the work period will focus on concepts that support oral and written language development, number concepts, practical life, sensorial, peace education and cultural subjects such as art, music, botany, gardening, zoology, geography, history and physical education including yoga. Large motor development is a particular focus in this program because developing the core muscles in children in their toddler years allows them to be more successful with fine motor and academic skills as they grow. The early beginnings environment has activities that enlist the child’s whole body in the work they do, for example moving large objects from one place to another.

Children staying for the afternoon will eat lunch together and nap in a quiet room, pick up time for a full day is 2:50-3:00. Our extended care program, 7:30am to 8:40am and 3:00pm to 5:30pm, is available to children who are at least 24 months old.

Our early beginnings program is a traditional Montessori mixed age group consisting of children 18 months through their 3rd year. It is most beneficial for children to begin in this class before 24 months so they can spend at least one school year in this carefully prepared environment. However, we invite children to enter our program at any point during this developmental stage. The early beginnings class is a great place for a child to get an introduction to the Montessori environment. We usually move children up to the primary class during the summer after they turn three years old and have completed toilet training.

The early beginnings class serves 4-6 half day children and 6-8 full day children at a time (12 total each morning). Many of our students come three or four days a week allowing for a class roster of around 15 children total.