STAGE OF

​INFANT COMMUNITY

Show me how to do it by myself

Infant Community is the stage that takes place between the ages of one and a half and three years old.

Characteristics and needs of this stage

The first three years of life present two great challenges: the conquest of independence in their movements and language.

At this stage of life, the basis for the creation of the person is developed. There is a special, unconscious sensitivity to language, order, and the refinement of both sensory and motor movements. Learning takes place through the human tendencies operated by the absorbent mind, a concept developed by Maria Montessori that implies that children at this age assimilate in a natural and involuntary way all the information offered by their environment. 

​As soon as they learn to walk and manage to keep their hands free, autonomous activity is the rule, and it is sustained by the relationship established with adults. Thanks to this activity and this support, children perceive themselves as competent, worthy of attention, and recognized for their individuality.

How we work in the environment

As we conceive it in our school, this environment is an extension of home, both in its physical, human, and emotional characteristics. Everything is done together, in community, as a family. 
A very important process at this stage is to promote the autonomy of children. Everything is within their reach and adapted to their size, with real and resistant elements.

There is a lot of vocabulary with real images, with an emphasis on avoiding infantilizing the language.

There is plenty of space for movement, and outdoor time in contact with nature is encouraged.

Characteristics at the end of this stage

At this stage, girls and boys develop self-confidence that allows them to grow harmoniously. ​

"If we compare our ability as adults with that of children, we would need sixty years of hard work to achieve what the child achieves in his first three years."
​María Montessori