Toddler Program
18 months - 3 years

Montessori described the young child’s unconscious creative state as, “The Absorbent Mind.”She compared the mind to a sponge because the child literally absorbs information for his environment. This quality allows the child to seethe world using his five senses as tools. In the same way a two-year-old child absorbs his native language and reproduces it perfectly without ever being taught, the child in a Montessori environment is given the opportunity to have“hands on” experience with his world. The toddler is not interested in academic pursuits; what he is interested in is his world. In aMontessori toddler environment, he is given the keys to its exploration through the materials offered to him. It is the real world that we give to him, because it is in the real world he is going to live. 

Rest and inactivity are foreign to the toddler’s nature; something that every parent of a toddler knows firsthand. The prepared environment for toddlers is a place where the very young child can act upon his natural energies and curiosity. We all know the toddler is in constant motion and objects just seem to leap up into his hands. The toddler is encouraged to touch and handle and explore everything in his surroundings. His attention span is limited, so the prepared environment provides a wide variety of materials. The child is given freedom in the indoor and the outdoor environments to select activities that satisfy his needs. We encourage this within appropriate limits. 

We also encourage independence. The toddler wants to do things by himself. Unfortunately, in today’s hurry-up pace, there is not always time or patience to allow the small child to complete the job at hand all by himself. The toddler prepared environment and program are designed to be convenient for the child. The prepared toddler environment is his place, a place to feel at ease and at home. It is our aim, as the aware adult, to remove the obstacles that frustrate the child by building furnishings to his size and having materials at his arm’s reach and at his eye level.

The Workspace

Our Toddler Guides

Alexis Beatty

Toddler Guide

Alexis was born in Clarksville, but as a military child, she had the opportunity to live in many places before putting roots down in Tennessee. After working as an assistant in the Toddler classroom for 3 years, she received her AMS Infant and Toddler certification through the Montessori Training Center of Brentwood. She also holds a Bachelor's degree from APSU, a Childbirth Educator Certification, and a Parent-Infant and Child Facilitator Certification. Working with children for over a decade, she has a deep respect for the young child. Alexis is passionate about treating children as whole humans from the moment of birth and spreading awareness about the importance of the first three years of life. She values diversity and inclusivity, creating a welcoming environment for all families. Alexis has three children with her husband James. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading about pregnancy, birth, and child development, creating art, and supporting families to learn more about the Montessori method.
Connie Gomez

Toddler Guide

Connie was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, where she worked for several years teaching English as a second language to children and adults. After finishing her bachelor’s degree in General Psychology in 2014, she worked as a Human Resources Manager. Connie married in Clarksville, TN and then lived in New Jersey and New York for two years before moving to Clarksville to be closer to family. Connie discovered the Montessori Method while working in a school in NJ, where she was a toddler assistant and then the Lead Teacher in the Infant room, obtaining Montessori Infant/Toddler training during this time. After being an Assistant in the Primary level for three years at Amare, Connie has recently transitioned to the Toddler classroom. In her spare time, Connie enjoys listening to and singing music, baking, and cooking.
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