Twelve toddlers who range in age from 16 to 33 months participate in the Toddler Community program with two teachers guiding them. The Lead Guide is Sarah Terrell, who earned her Association Montessori International (AMI) 0-3 diploma in 2015 from the Montessori Center of Minnesota. She earned her primary diploma (ages 3-6) from AMI in 2009.

We find that Dr. Aline D. Wolf's description of the Montessori Toddler Program in A Parent's Guide to the Montessori Classroom most accurately reflects our own Toddler Community here at HPMS: 

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The toddler program [] appropriately accommodates the very young child's sensitive period for language by offering creative and intriguing concepts to expand their growing vocabularies. Joining conversations, listening to stories, classifying objects and learning songs and poems all nurture their budding language skills. To help smooth their initial social interactions, the toddlers also learn to use words for their feelings they experience in themselves and others. 

Many of the activities in the toddler program highlight the self-help skills that lead to independence. Children are gently urged to hang up their own coats and aprons and to problem-solve rather than say, "I can't." Since this is an age of very strong imitation, the teachers constantly model appropriate social skills, good manners and consideration of others. 

Through song, dance and freedom of choice, toddlers have access to a variety of large muscle activities that offer them opportunities to jump, climb, balance, crawl or skip, These exercises as well as creative art activities are offered for each child to choose. This freedom in a safe space is crucial to the toddler program. However, it is always tempered by two important limits that will be beneficial for a lifetime-respect for others and respect for the environment.