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Admissions Process

About Our Admissions Process

Manheim Central School District

Home // USA // PA // Manheim // Manheim Central School District
(717) 574-2301

Our Toddler / Twos Program

“Education is a natural process carried out by the human individual, and is acquired not by listening to words, but by experiences in the environment.” -Dr. Maria Montessori

Each toddler is treated as a unique individual, encouraged to exercise their growing autonomy and expanding language in carefully prepared, safe, and orderly surroundings. Our planned environment space promotes exploration, independence, order, and freedom of choice and movement.  It is carefully designed with defined learning areas, and open to allow plenty of room for social interaction and activities required for the toddler's growth and brain development.

At Bright Horizons, we love the “No!” attitude of toddlers and twos because it’s an assertion of autonomy that leads to new developmental opportunities like increased body control and expression of feelings. Only when children feel a sense of personal power (“I can affect things”) are they ready to move to the next critical task of realizing a sense of competence (“I can achieve things”). As active learners and problem-solvers, children develop genuine confidence and a sense of who they are in the world.

What Parents are Saying

Our greatest advocates are our families.

"His teacher has a special bond with Max. Thank you for being so devoted to him and providing such a great environment for his first school experience."

Our Curriculum Components

“The environment must be rich in motives which lend interest to activity and invite the child to conduct his own experiences.”
-Dr. Maria Montessori

  • Practical Life Exercises such as pouring, sweeping, buttoning, and setting the table, are opportunities for children to learn to care for themselves and their environment. Daily lessons of grace and courtesy help toddlers learn about sharing and being considerate of others.
  • Aids to Independence Activities are provided to help children gain independence and develop the powers of focus and concentration, along with fine and gross motor movement.
  • Sensorial Sensory experiences are designed to facilitate hand-eye coordination, small muscle control, and spatial relationships.
  • Language During this sensitive period for language, toddlers learn to express themselves with words, to expand their vocabulary, and to develop a love of literature. This is also the perfect time to introduce a sequenced foundation of literacy skills in both small groups and individually.
  • Peace Peace lessons give toddlers the skills to work through anger and frustration in a positive way, while encouraging tolerance, cooperation, and respect for others.
  • Art Toddlers experiment with many different art mediums and are encouraged to focus on educational gains learned through the process, not the product.
  • Outdoor Environment Our outdoor spaces are a natural extension of the classroom where children can dig, rake, climb, and practice large muscle control. Outdoor environments allow freedom to explore and express.
  • Foreign Language Children acquire new languages most naturally at this age, as all languages simply contribute to their word bank.
  • Music During the toddler phase of brain development, music is another “language” that stimulates mathematical ability, vocabulary acquisition, and speaking skills. From early exposure to music, music appreciation and rhythm sense develop naturally.

Learning at Home

Basket Full of Textures

You Will Need:

Basket, materials of different colors and textures: fur, fuzzy, synthetic fabric, silk, burlap, velvet, satin, metallic, chiffon, etc.

Directions:

Place basket on floor with your child. Talk about textures as he pulls them out of the basket. Ask him questions like, “Which one is soft?” and “Show me the rough one.” Comment on his reaction to the materials by saying things like, “You like the velvet, don’t you?” and “Do you want to rub the satin on your arm?”

Tip:

Twelve by twelve inch squares of fabric are suggested to help prevent your child from getting tangled in large pieces. Keep an eye on the strings that unravel from the edges and trim them. Wash materials routinely.


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