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, Tennessee, but as a military child, she had the opportunity to live in many places before eventually putting down roots in her home state. After three years of experience as a Toddler classroom assistant, she earned her AMS Infant and Toddler certification through the Montessori Training Center of Brentwood. She also holds a bachelor’s degree from APSU, along with certifications as a Childbirth Educator, Doula, and Parent-Infant and Child Facilitator. With over a decade of experience working with children, Alexis brings a deep respect for the young child to all she does. She is passionate about honoring children as whole humans from birth and advocating for the critical importance of the first three years of life. Committed to diversity and inclusivity, she strives to create a welcoming environment for all families. Alexis is currently continuing her studies in herbalism and enjoys weaving nature into every part of her life and work. She is expecting her fourth child with her husband, James. In her free time, she enjoys creating art, reading, spending time with her family, and supporting others through pregnancy and early childhood using Montessori principles.
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. She married in 2016 to her university boyfriend, lived in New York and New Jersey for two years and then moved 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 a Montessori Infant/Toddler training during this time. When she moved to Clarksville, she decided she wanted to keep working in a Montessori environment and found Amare. Connie worked as a Primary Assistant for three years, then transitioned to the Toddler environment, where she has been since 2021. She enjoys spending time with her husband and cooking and baking with her two daughters while singing and listening to music.