The Glen Montessori Infant Program
The Infant Program provides a carefully prepared, emotionally supportive learning environment designed to promote the development during the child’s sensitive periods for movement, language and order. The Infant Program assists development through the following beliefs:
- The child is a sensorial explorer and takes in the characteristics of the environment through an absorbent mind.
- The child learns by moving and interacting with real, concrete materials within the environment.
- The infant environment encourages experimentation, purposeful action, age-appropriate problem-solving, and relationship between cause and effect.
An important goal in the Infant Program is to promote independence within an environment that maintains a balance between age-appropriate challenges and adult supervised support.
Staff
The Infant Staff at The Glen Montessori School is specifically trained to understand and interact with the eight-week to 18-month old child. The Glen Montessori Infant Specialist is educated in:
- The ability to observe and be emotionally and physically available as directed by the child.
- Being perceptive to the child’s needs, to “listen with the eyes” in order to respond appropriately to what the non-verbal child is communicating.
- Respecting your infant’s daily routines
- Verbal and non-verbal (sign language) communication
- First aid & CPR
Ratio
The Glen Montessori School maintains a superior staff/child ratio in comparison to the mandates by the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare standard of 1:4 ratio. The Glen Montessori School maintains a 1:3 ratio for the Infant Program.